Really Crumby Stuff

Five Crumb Quilt Tops

This year I tried to tame my crumbs (itty bitty weirdly shaped scraps). 

I made it a Rainbow Scrap Challenge  (RSC ) project.  Each month I dug through several big boxes of crumbs and sorted out the ones that were the color of the month. Then I sewed them together and made several different blocks.  This week I assembled those blocks into tops that will be donated when finished. 

Slabs with Heart

48 x 60

I first sorted out the biggest crumbs that were straight edged and made a twelve inch slab block around a 3 or 4 inch heart made from red scraps. 

Crumby Yummy Candies

From Cathy's Confectionery 

56 x 64

After the slab blocks were finished I used the rest of the crumbs to make close to 4.5 inch strips of fabric that I later cut and trimmed into 4.5 inch squares.  I had a lot of white/neutral bits and pieces that I used up for the backgrounds of these blocks and I used 2.5 inch scraps to make the HSTs that are the "candy wrapper" ends. 

 Crumb Stars

from a galaxy far, far away.

40 x 56

 The stars are eight inch blocks with 4.5 inch crumb centers. For the background and star points I used scraps in the chunk bin in complementary colors if I had them and if not I cut into yardage.  I have small end pieces and remnants usually less than 1/4 yard of TOTs, solids and blenders set aside for use in donation quilts. 

Holy Mackerel!!...it's the legendary Crumb Snatcher fish!...a whole school of them. 

39 x 55

Sometimes the crumb fabric strips were a little shy of 4.5 inches used in the Crumby Yummies and Stars so the fish were made from 4 inch squares of crumbs. 

It was a fun way to use crumbs and it was fun to see how many quilts I would have at year end.  Next year I think I'm going to concentrate on string scraps and selvages but not separated by color. 

I still have small boxes of  black and neutral crumbs I'll use in a couple of different quilts and I'm still sorting through half a box of crumbs and throwing them into bins of warm and cool crumbs.  But I'm trying to avoid adding to the crumb box by making crumb stars if crumbs are left over from any project. 

Crumbs and Chunks

 This week I used my aqua/teal/turquoise crumbs to make centers for some stars.  I use larger scraps for points. I've been making backgrounds in complementary colors using scraps from the chunk crate if there are any otherwise I have to dig into stash.  (Looks like I mixed up a couple of background pieces). 

 I made a few Itty Bitty Nitty Gritty Crumb Fish.  

One Slab with heart center. 

 A bunch of miscellaneous sized blocks...

 ...and a few more. 

 Ten inch "Mendota Blocks".  

I've been using RSC color for the centers and if center is primary color borders are in primary colors and centers in secondary colors get borders in secondary colors. 

 A few more Mendotas...

...and even more. 

At the end of the year all of these blocks will be worked into donation quilts.  That should be fun! 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Crumby Yellow Stuff

 Two 12 inch slabs with heart centers.  They came out of a box of crumbs. 

 Crumbs?  Those little odd sized bits and pieces of scraps.  I have several boxes of them. I go through them each month and sort out the pieces in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month.  Then I try to make quilt blocks out of them.  Later in the year I will make a bunch of comfort quilts out of the blocks I make all year to donate to a few of my favorite places. 

 I also have a Wonky Box of crumbs.  These are extra little HSTs or wonky HSTS or waste triangles sewn together, etc.   I pick through here too. 

So what else did I make besides the slabs from crumbs?

Four twelve inch blocks. 

A ten inch block. Well, actually it's supposed to be 10 inches, I think but I haven't squared it up yet. These HSTS were in the wonky box. I put them together and didn't worry about matching points, cut off points, etc. 

I made several ten inch Mendota Blocks - instructions found at the Sunshine Online Quilt Guild.  The group owner, Carol, drafts a block every other year named after the place where a quilt retreat is held.  Last year was the Omaha block and the ladies at retreat made over 180 quilt tops at retreat. I did not attend but sewed along at home.  The retreat will be held in Mendota in 2019 and this is the block everyone will make this year to be sewn together next year at retreat. 

Anyway, these are 10 inch blocks with five inch centers.  So any big scraps at least five inches square went into the making of these blocks as well as some five inch crumb blocks.   I decided I will border primary color centers in primary colors and secondary color centers in secondary colors.   So yellow got bordered with some red scraps...

...some blue scraps...

...and a variety of yellow scraps bordered some five inch crumb centers. 

I added seven 8 inch crumb stars to the pile. When I make these I add the complementary color.  Good thing Sawtooth Stars are versatile. I meant to make the star points yellow and the background purple but got mixed up when I cut the flying geese pieces for the star points. 

And from Cathy's Crumby Confectionery Company - Crumby Yummies in a variety of flavors. 

An eight inch block for the orphan box. 

A few Itty Bitty Nitty Gritty Fish. 

A variety of six inch (or close to it) blocks. 

And a variety of four inch blocks and a strip for a Chinese Coin quilt. 

The 16 gallon box that holds the four inch parts is getting full. I may have to do something with them sooner than later.  I have a few ideas. 

And now you know about the Crumby part of Sane, Crazy, Crumby Quilting! 

I'm turning Crumbs into Comfort Quilts! Crumbs for Comfort! 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

Have You Heard About Block Lotto?

Crumb Hearts - 8 inch

Block Lotto Block of the Month

Each block is a lotto ticket and  now I have six chances to win a pile of blocks. 

Actually you are never a loser at Block Lotto. Even if you don't win a pile of blocks you may be able get rid of your scraps and send them on disguised as blocks to other winners, or you may learn new techniques, or you may have a little fun. You may even end up with a few new quilts. 

No monthly commitment required. 

How did I make my hearts? 

I pulled out a few red scraps which means they are scraps that are odd sizes - bits and pieces that don't go into my more standard sized strip bins. I call them crumbs. (At this time I further sorted out the heart/star themed crumbs for crumb butterflies WIP and another pile for autumn colored Pumpkin Peel that takes a scrap at least 3.5 or so inches long. ) The instructions for the  hearts call for 5 1/2 inch pieces so I sewed my crumbs into a strip about six inches wide as you can see above. 

Each block takes an 8.5 x 5.5 and a 3.5 x 5.5 piece of fabric so...

 I cut that strip into an 8.5 inch piece, a 3.5 inch piece, an 8.5 inch pieces, a 3.5 inch piece and so on until I ran out of made fabric. 

I further trimmed up those pieces so they were nice and tidy.  And then I made six hearts.  What a fun way to use crumbs! 

Block Lotto

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework