Crumb Block Top Completed

It took a lot of pinning and sewing  and refilling a bobbin - they always seem run out on a long seam - but the Crumb Quilt top is complete.  After pressing the last seam, I took it outside to hang in the sun for a photoshoot.   Of course there was wind.

 But I managed to get a few shots anyway.  If you see the dirt on my car in the background - that is pollen.  We are having a rather early pollen season I think.  And in other photos you may see grass/weeds that haven't been dealt with - If the ground ever gets dry enough during what is apparently this Alabama monsoon, I will get that fixed.

Believe it or not this top was pressed but the humidity and the wind seemed to magically make the wrinkles reappear. 

Nevertheless, I love the bright colors and happy design - I also love that most of my points match thanks to a lot of pins.

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64 Blocks and Decisions to be made

Sunday evening, after just a few minutes of making more crumb blocks, I decided to rest a bit.  Gathering all the crumb blocks I counted them to see just how close I had gotten.

Would you believe there are exactly 64 in that stack.  Yes, I stopped at just the right spot.  I need exactly 64.  Aren't our brains interesting?  I thought I had no clue how many I had made, but I was right on target.

So why is the scrap drawer still overflowing?

And I also have these pieces neatly laid out for working with:

And strips and pieces too

Sheesh!  Do the scraps multiply when you use them? I will have to fit some of those stacks back in the scrap drawer.  Wish me luck!

Now I have a decision to make.  What color or colors will I use for the background on my Crumb quilt?  This will require an expedition into the wild stash area  of the house to see which I may have in the required amounts.  If all else fails, I can just go "solid scrappy" and use two or more colors for the background.  According to Electric Quilt- depending on the width of the fabric it can take from 2 1/8 to 2 3/8 yards of fabric for the background. So for practical purposes, I will find 2 1/2 yards total for it.
I also have to decide on fabric for the cornerstones in the sashing. Hmmm.....time for that expedition to the wild stash jungle!
Talk to you good people soon, I hope.

Edited to add: The plan is in place and piecing started. You will see it in a day or two- or three.....
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How Gene Makes Crumb Blocks

There is no "wrong" method for making crumb blocks.  The only rule you need to follow is this: Be sure you have an adequate seam allowance. (just so it doesn't pull apart in use.) Also, spray starch and a hot iron are your friends! They help the blocks to press nice and flat.

But,  I have been asked how *I* do it.  So this picture heavy post will show you.

First I start with a pile of scraps and pieces.

(This photo mysteriously disappeared. Sorry)

From the pile I pick a piece to start with.  I have a chunk that is two strips already sewn together. So I am going to take a skinny strip that contrasts nicely and sew it across at an angle.

I don't really worry about edges being very straight.  After it is sewn I trim it off saving the rest for more blocks.  Then I press it open.

Notice that the blue strip is slightly curved on the bottom?  Not to worry. I just keep sewing.

Taking a piece that *mostly* fits, I cover the wider edge. (That is the back side of the bear fabric.)
I work on at least two blocks at a time so you will see pictures from both of them.
Sometimes there is an odd corner that doesn't meet evenly.

Again, I lay a piece diagonally across it and sew some more.

As long as the edge securely catches the seam there where the two pieces meet, it will be fine. After sewing, I cut off those triangle pieces and put them back in the scrap pile. Sometimes, if they are really small they go in the bin.
Occasionally I will check the size to see if I need to extend an edge.  This one was less than 5 inches.

That means - sew a piece on one of the edges.

Some of the extender will be trimmed away - but unless that piece is small - it goes back in the scrap pile.
Finally I arrive at a piece that is large enough to trim into my 5 inch block.

The ruler on the block lets me be sure it is big enough. I put my finger at the 5" corner and then look at every edge.  I also move the ruler to try for the most visually interesting block.
Then I start trimming.

You can see that I am trimming away pieced parts as well as a piece of the dark fabric.  Don't worry- that goes in another block.

Once trimmed, I have a few small trash scraps - AND five usable pieces in addition to my block.

You can see that the pieced part of the other block became part of the bear block - and the part that is trimmed away will be part of yet another block.

If you have orphan blocks, you can do the "sew a strip across" trick and change them up to make them less recognizable. Doing that speeds up the crumb block process and really can add pizzazz and sparkle to your scrappy wonderful quilt.
PS - you can do these in ANY size you want. So try it and have some fun. And visit A Left-Handed Quilter to read about The Crumb Block Challenge.

Another late addition to this post:  For Spray starch, I use a homemade formula that is roughly 3oz of the cheapest vodka you can buy -- this time cheaper is better,  I use Aristocrat brand.  Approx 24 ounces of distilled water is added to the 3 oz of vodka. That is all you really need, but I add several drops of essential oil for fragrance.  I like cinnamon, but lemon, peppermint, lavender or some other essential oil will work as well. Start with a few drops - you can add more but you don't want it to be overwhelming. This works like a certain other starch alternative that is very popular with quilters.

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Even More

These crumb blocks are very addictive.  I am using up scraps and pieced bits that I just can't seem to toss in the bin.  Friday afternoon and evening I made ten more of these fun little blocks. There are no rules except to have an adequate seam allowance.   Sometimes I take a strip and place it diagonally across a pieced section, sew the rough quarter inch seam and them trim.  Then I decide if the trimmed piece goes back on the other side of the strip - or is used for another piece altogether.

When a "chunk" is large enough, I cut out a 5 inch square. (You can decide on the sizes YOU want to make yours.)  If the parts that are trimmed away are large enough to use, they go back in the piecing pile.  If they are too small, I put them in the bin.

What I love best about these is how random the piecing looks.

This batch of ten puts me over halfway to having enough of the crumb blocks for the setting I am using.  I think I will have to decide on background fabric soon.
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20 More Crumb Blocks

The Crumb Block Challenge has me using my sewing machine more than it has been used in a few weeks.  Making these crumb blocks is sewing intensive - but free and fun also.
Last night I finished 20 blocks for Wednesday.  Each of these is one of four parts of the bigger block that is joined with sashing.

I was going to lay them out neatly, but then decided I could fit them all in if I layered them willy-nilly.  There are twenty in the photo - and the previous five are off to the side.  This means that I have 25 out of the 64 needed for my layout.  The quilt will be roughly 60" square without borders. I will probably add a 2 to 3 inch border making it 64 to 66 inches square. That is a nice lap/couch quilt size.

A commenter said she was thinking about a rainbow design also.  That kicked on my what if ....   thinking and I tried doing the rainbow on a diagonal.  Here is that new one.

And here is my original "Shattered Rainbow" version.

The color proportions are not even on either of them - but it is closer on the Shattered version.  I think I like the diagonal one better though. 

I also want to share another picture from the play. 

Aunt Martha (standing) and Aunt Abby are offering me a glass of elderberry wine - of course I have no clue that it is a special mixture with Arsenic, Strychnine and Cyanide. So I accepted a glass because "I haven't tasted elderberry wine, since I was a boy!" 

Ha ha.  I never did get to drink it - Nephew Mortimer chased me out of the house!

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Crumbs and Pieces

My friend, A Left-Handed Quilter has issued a Crumb Square Challenge.  So I have made a few blocks.

I am working with 5" blocks that will finish to 4 1/2" for mine.

I did a few layouts in EQ7 that I will show you - but I still haven't checked my stash to see what I have for the "solid" fabric.

Black and White fabrics.

Purple

Shattered Rainbow setting. 

Feel free to check her post and decide if you want to join us.
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Crumb Blocks

Thanks to Linda at Fiber Fabrications I was reminded to look again at Quiltville for some inspiration. I had visited Quiltville in the past when I first started learning to quilt. Part of the idea I had for String Blocks came from Quiltville. Today, I confess, I was sitting at the computer thinking "what can I look at next." I remembered that Linda had emailed me to tell me about Quiltville. I told her that I had been there and thanked her for thinking of me. Now, I am thanking Linda again. I went back there because I was just looking to see what I could see. (honestly I think the muse was trying to hit me and found a sneaky way in!)
I found this post on Crumb Blocks. As you well know, following directions is NOT my strong point when I am creating. So I am sure I didn't do it "right" Ha ha. Like Frankie said "I did it my way." I think they look pretty good. They wonkiness in places is allowed in this method. I don't know what I will do with these blocks, but I will use them eventually.They are 9 and a half inches because I have a 9.5 inch square ruler - and it was handy.



((( click the pic to see it larger on Flickr)))

I think they are fun. I can see making a journal cover out of them or just using them in a scrappy quilt. Some of the pieces are trimmings from a quilt top that I made that is still not quilted. Other pieces are from the quilt on my bed and various other projects. Leftover strips from a jelly roll work well in this too.

OOPS Boy oh boy did I mess up. I gave all that credit to Linda when actually it was Barbara at Pineland Patches that sent me the email. She told me how much she laughed about it, and I got a chuckle too. I think I am getting "old and forgetful" - or maybe it is just that the patchwork in my head is as Wonky as these blocks!

Barbara, Thanks for finding the humor in my mistake.