http://www.linusconnection.org/img/2007/making_crumb_blocks.pdf

These directions keep referring to "a string." What is that?

Check out this tutorial on crumbs, it answered some of the questions I had :-)
http://www.quiltville.com/crumbs.shtml

I've made a couple of these but didn't know they had a name for them! LOL And here I thought I invented something new! I called them "crazy scrap quilts"

They are about the same as mile a minute blocks that Barb c posted.....check it out :D




http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/1565.page

Country Quilter, Your scrap quilt is the prettiest I've seen so far, even on the tutorial sites. The setting brings it altogether, thanks for sharing!!!!!!

Thanks! I started out with a yellow piece of fabric on this one...I have also done one with red centers...they are fun...free wild go for it type of thing! Any scraps you have work for this and I don't worry about the grain of fabric cuz the sashing takes care of that!

I had so much fun with this block:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/4634.page

I've got enough extra blocks to make some other smaller quilts as well! It's easy to get carried away when you are zipping right along!!! :D

Country Quilter:
I love your quilts and Love the colors. Good job.

I call it chain sewing.. you sew a couple pieces together.. sew with no fabric under the foot then sew another couple pieces... I tell my students its chain sewing more than "string"

I am making a bunch of these crumbs now and I'm lovin' it!!

ooh I like it!!! I'm finding when I'm doing mine, I'm making my pieces teeny tiny!! I will be making a bunch of 5" square blocks for my scrap quilt.. thats alot of scraps!! LOL I'll post photos soon1

Can't wait to see your crumb quilt. Just got some directions for making one off a webpage someone posted. I think I see a "crumb" in my future.

be careful Feathers.. they are becoming addictive!! I have sewn so much the last few days I am seeing them in my sleep!!! :O

Andrea:
I started the Crumb quilt yesterday and have scraps EVERYWHERE! I have about 12 blocks made and I STILL think I'm overTHINKING this thing. I'm driving myself nuts with this but maybe it'll get easier once I decided to not try to control where each color, pattern, size, etc. needs to go.... :x :shock: :( :? :lol: I keep trying but can't seem to turn lose of the control issue.

Bury your control Feathers! I'm doing crumbs too. Just grab and sew. Don't think! They really turn out cute. You'll be surprised. Great, mindless, no-stress sewing! And I love looking at the finished pieces and wondering "what did I make with that?!!" LOL!

Chele: Thanks for the pep talk! I'll try it but it's going to be a challenge!

I still don't understand how to sew the crumbs. The tutorial at the start of this thread if very confusing. Aggi - I understand chain piecing but still don't see how that gets all the crumbs into a block. I'd really like to make a crumb quilt but .................... :?: :?: :?: :? :?

annmarie, did you look at this link? http://quiltingisstillmypassion.blogspot.com/2007/07/mile-minute-blocks-photo-tutorial.html

The "string" is the purple strip of fabric. I hope that helps. Crumb quilts are a great way to use up scraps!

Feathers I started with a chain of 37 crumb blocks. they are still looking crumy!! :) I still need to add a few more pieces to them before I cut them down into 6" blocks. Yesterday I picked up a 6" fussy cut square.

Don't get stressed over this.. its actually a stress free technique.. You just grab and sew with no worries. I will try and take a few photos tonight. I will be making another set this evening as the first 37 belong to a scrap quilt I will be making my boyfriend. Tonight I will be starting from scratch again to start a second crumb quilt. I gathered about 3 containers of scraps over the week to use and will lay them next to my machine tonight and just close my eyes, put my hand in a container and pick anything! :)

I have my quilting bee group tonight and I'll set myself up in the dining room and have the room to myself. I will need lots of space this evening. I will keep my camera close by and take photos as I go. After everyone leaves I will post the photos. Hopefully you will get to see how I do mine.

I have noticed that I make my crumbs a little bit smaller than the blocks on the websites some of you shared, but then I like working with small pieces sometimes.. I love the challenge, and you get more colour in each block!

its 9am here now at the office, so I have to get through the next few hours before going home to crumbs :) sigh.... ahh well I have a long weekend coming up!! wooo hooo! more sewing time! more crumbs!!

Ann Marie... I just added a long post to this page that I will be sewing more crumbs tonight and will take some photos... hopefully it will help!!! Just need to get through the work day first!! :)

Chele, I just looked at that tutorial page you shared with Ann Marie and I make mine differently!!! I don't use strings... I just grab pieces and sew together, something like crazy patch and crazy log cabins. :)

Chele - that link was much clearer. Thanks much. I get it now. Was gonna go get started BUT I think I'll wait now until Aggi posts her pictures. I don't have alot of "strings" so maybe just sewing the crumbs without strings will be better for me. Can't wait to see everyones quilts. These will qualify for the scrap quilt challenge too!

I was considering using mine in the quilt challenge too :)

Only a few more hours of work to go!!! its 2:15pm here.. I finish at 4:30.. then off with sweetie to get some supper. I told him I would treat him to some chinese food for supper tonight. He will drop me off to Mum's place for sewing and then I'll start in on my crumbs.. I probably won't get to post the photos til around 9ish or so my time.

Cheers!

Hi Andrea:
Thanks for the encouragement. I have taken a picture of the blocks I have so far less ONE which was so ugly I ditched it. I made a crazy quilt a few years ago when I started quilting and it's not yet put together but I love it. Maybe the use of flannel in this crumb quilt is what I'm not liking or enjoying. Oh! well, I'll keep at it and if nothing else it'll become a nice and comfy little quilt for the animal rescue shelter. I'll post a picture of both the flannel blocks and of the crazy quilt I did a few years ago later today. Again, thank you and everyone for being such a great support to this floundering "crumb" quilter. :lol: :lol:

Okay.. I'm finally getting to post a few photos... I was hoping to complete a full block tonight, but between the gabbing (as us quilters do), show and tell, and catching up on the latest gossip, I couldn't finish a full one, so I will add what photos I have here now on how I make my crumbs blocks, then add more later the weekend when I get them big enough to cut 6" blocks from (thats the size I plan to make)...

Okay here it goes :)

more

and a few more

It seems the photos didn't show in the order I wanted, but they are there with little notes attached to the photos.

I just want to say that the photo of the blocks that are getting bigger show bigger pieces of fabric scraps on the outside. As you sew the next piece on around that area, you can have it so that the next scrap with only use a smaller portion of those big fabrics. So when you cut the excess away from the 1/4" seam, you can use those little cuttings for other blocks. You will then have smaller pieces.

There is no rhyme nor reason to where you put each piece. Just as long as you make the crumbs block big enough all the way around to cut the final size you want your blocks to go to. When I get mine ready to cut, I will be cutting them around 6 1/2" unfinished. I will have to make alot of these blocks to make a queen size quilt!

I hope these photos help some of you who had questions or concerns. This is my first time really explaining a technique online. I find I am better at visual than through writing.

Well its after 11:30 and its work again in the morning.. wooohooo almost to the weekend and a long weekend for me at that!!

Good night to you all and I'll check back this way when I get in the office in the morning!

Cheers and sweet dreams!
Andrea

Andrea (I really like calling you Aggi! :lol: ) I AM ON IT!! Thank-you so much for your time & trouble. Will start sewing crumbs first thing in the morning.

Hi Ann Marie... Let me know how your crumbs turn out!!! I hope the photos were alright :)

Cheers
Andrea/Aggi :)

That looks like a lot of fun.. Looks like a good block for my 7 year old GD to work on with me. Thanks for the tips and pics Aggi :wink:

No problem Pam... Yes it would make for a great little project for kids too as there are no real rules involved. Just make the piece to the size you want, trim then sew into a quilt!

I used the 'crumb chaos' tutorial and all I did was cut more and more strips for all my scraps. I ended up cutting more new fabric than I thought I would have to. I squared up my 144 blocks to 8 1/2" for a king size quilt. I think I'll do it the way Aggi showed us next time. It makes more sense and actually uses more of your scraps. It's colorful and was fun but a bit confusing! Thanks for making it easier 'Aggi'.

OMG - talk about addicting!!! I'm having soooo much fun BUT very time consuming for "crumby" output!!!! :lol:

I finished 3, 6&1/2 in. blocks. The rest are still on the chain gang! It seems that you need bigger crumbs as you near the end to cover the seams.

So that's enuf crumbs for now!! I need to get back to my quilts. The 3rd. clue for the mystery Quilt of Valor has been posted & in 2 days there will be lots of new BOMs to do. That should give me MORE crumbs :roll: :lol: So here what I have so far.

Glad I could help Janstar!!! They are fun to do once you get a start on them. Wow you are going to be crumbed out after that many blocks!! I will be making 2.. one for Trevor (as he has been after me for the last 10 months to make him a quilt).. I am also making a second one.. just cause they are so addictive.. besides I might donate that one whenever it gets done

Cheers
Andrea - who is making more crumbs today!

Yes they are VERY addictive and also time consuming.. but it's a great way to use up those billions of scraps we all have!!

Ann Marie they look AWESOME!!! I"ll post some more of mine soon

Aggi your tips worked great with my 7year old GD, she had a ball working on her crumbs, said I had to keep it a secret, she wants to make a quilt of them for her mom for christmas. I fixed her up a tote of little crumbs and away she went sewing.
thanks again for your help. Pam

Hmmm these crumby quilts sound sooo enticing! I have too many other projects going right now to start something else that sounds soo addictive..sigh..adding it to my ever growing list of to-do quilts.

My real question is...Aggi...WHY are your scraps soooo neat????