I used to pitch any piece not as large as a long strip or maybe half a fat quarter, until I was reading on the history of the Gee Bend quilters and got inspired. One of the master quilters on that site, said that when she was young, an older quilter talked her out of her little scraps, lol, until another veteran quilter advised her not to throw ANYTHING away, no matter how small.

I love my scrappy quilts, because to me they represent one of the basic tenets of quilting, and that is to make something beautiful or useful out of something else, and give it useful life. How eco-friendly can you get?

When I gave my 13 y.o. grand daughter her crazy quilt for Christmas, she sat through the whole desert that night with it folded on her lap. She made us unfurl it as soon as she opened it up, and started telling ME! some of the materials she recognised. One of them was from scraps left-over after a three day sewing bee we had, where I helped her make her very first outfit on a sewing machine. I was hesitant that a young teen would even welcome a quilt for a gift, but was ovewhelmed at her interest in it, and appreciation of it. There wasn't one piece of material new in that quilt. Not one, save the batting.

I started making Crumb Blocks last summer to use up scraps. I got addicted. Between projects, I'd gather up the little scraps and zip, zip, zip, I'd have another 6 or 8 blocks, mostly 6 1/2 inches. Hurt my left shoulder doing a big heavy quilt. I switched to my little crumb blocks happy as a clam! LOL Never counted them, but there is a bunch....Best of Luck to you with your Crumbs!
{{!gwi}}

Wow, I really like your crumbs. The colors are just great.
Grammy p-You made me smile about cleaning up your floor, gathering up your scraps.
Gwen - yours are neat, too. And so many!
Kelly

Gwen, You should take those to the retreat and put them together!

Sharon

Great idea, Sharon. What to help me? Please!

Gwen

Gwen, what a great collection! Will they all fit in the van?

beverly

Gwen, You think they have enough tables on the second floor to push together to lay them out on?

Sharon

maybe...maybe not, by the time I get there, I probably will have more...today I'm just doing 2 little sweet flannel baby quilt tops for donation....have fun at whatever you're are doing today....make it sweet, make it great....Gwen

Well I am looking forward to having many crumbs for my own crumb quilt. As of now, I have literally a handful left from 2 birthday blocks.

Actually, I think I have a box of old fabric scraps left over from when I sewed years ago....but I think there are probably blends mixed in with the cottons and I have no idea how to tell if something is 100% cotton or not.
Salijo

How vibrant the colors are! And between them and the random piecing, it really has a wonderful energy.

You've certainly been busy there. ;> It's gonna make a great quilt!

Well ladies, you're alternately wonderful & horrid to have posted this concept.

Wonderful 'cause I've been making 4.5 " blocks from my beautiful & richly colored crumbs (6 of them over the last 2 late nites). Horrid because I'm supposed to be working on several OTHER quilts.

Tsk, tsk, tsk & thanks, at some point I'll try to get pix & post them.

Sooo pretty & fun!

These can be additive!! Being a new idea I had to try it. Having great fun, decided it would make a good back for my leader and enders scrap quilt that has been hanging around. Now I have to make more!!!Thanks for starting something different for me to kill the winter hours. Jayne

I'm crumb challenged. Maybe I can make crumbs out of big pieces. Hmmmm.

Now, I have a question, Solijo's post got me to thinking about. I use 100% cottons for the quilt lottos, and also have for the patterned quilts I've been making, but I have no 'rules' for my scrappies, other than the material I put in them be strong enough to stand the strain quilting puts on them, especially when laundering.

But, where is the rule that says they need to be 100 percent cotton???? Most of my scraps I inherited from my older stashes are, because they were from the pre-perma press days. But, there are a lot of, lot of fabrics out there perfectly great for scrappy and crumb quilts with polyester blends in them. Many of them, you would have a hard time telling from 100 percent cotton, other than they don't wrinkle as much.

So, I'm asking why a fabric other than 100% cotton is a no-no for a crumb quilt?

All of your crumb blocks are so cute. I can tell this would be very addictive. I love Bonnie Hunters patterns and I am dedicated right n ow to finishing her New Year Nysterty Double Delight. It has 2500 3" finished blocks. I have 40 left. It is very pretty but I couldn't believe the amount of sewing I have done.

Keep us updated with pic as they are all so cute. You could have a Crumb block exchange!
Jean

Now i have to start trying to do this, why do you come up with so many brilliant ideas - in the U.K. everyone throws any scraps away, i dont i hae a bag load, so guess what i am going to do this afternoon?????
Happy quilting. Ann

Ann, I will be glad to donate to your crumb collection. My box(es) runneth over.

beverly

Grammyp - you are TOO funny ... NO one seems to want your crumbs. :(
I too have more crumbs than I know what to do with - although I think I will use some of the ones that are at least 4" square in a prayer quilt I want to get going on.

The pictures everyone posted are just wonderful! TFS
Sue

ImRainey: Those are fantastic! The girl's one is so whimsical, and I love the colors in the boy's.
Gwen: I am in the market for pillowcase ideas and can see that yours are going to be really pretty.

Actually, the crumby piecing is a combo of the quilt I took a pic of and the one I didn't. They work well together because of the sherbert (someone used that term and I think it fits so much better than pastel) value and the fact that batiks blend together so well.

As for the crummiest of the crumbs that are too small to hold onto, I put those in my compost pile. Since mine are all cotton (even a poly blend wouldn't much matter) they break down beautifully and enrich my garden if they can't enrich the house as a quilt. I have even composted a worn out pair of lamb fleece slippers once I cut the composite soles off.

In a different but related vein, I saw a hint somewhere that someone cuts off all her selvages in long strips before she does any other cutting and crochets those into mats and baskets. Sometimes that kind of thrift is very satisfying and creative. Other times -- when the scraps seem to own me -- not so much...

Here is a site with some cute ideas for selvages.

Here is another with a dress:
http://vintagericrac.blogspot.com/2008/10/big-selvedge-project.html

Here is a link that might be useful: selvage purse

To everyone: it's your quilt, if you want some polyester blend fabrics in your crumb blocks, that is entirely up to you! We will not be calling the quilt police to come perform burn tests on your fabrics! LOL!

I salute you for using up your scraps to make something useful....Salute!

Teresa

Those purses are absolutely adorable! I think I"ll make one for a makeup bag as soon as I can accumulate some selvages.

Thanks so much for that link! I've bookmarked it because when I have more time I'm going to noodle through it. I expect to find some real creativity there.

Theresa, I laughed when you mentioned the quilt police. I have always used all sorts of materials in my scrappie quilts, and never knew until I came to this forum that there were quilters who limited their fabrics to pure cotton. I appreciated and laughed at your response, but I still don't understand the reasoning, why so many people think 100% cotton is a prerequisite to make all quilts, and limit themselves to it without a rationale. What is the rationale, other than being consistent with fabric when contributing to something like a block lotto or other group project?

I asked this question when I read Salijo's post where she wants to know how to determine if her scraps are pure cotton? Does it necessarily NEED to be? See her question below.
"Actually, I think I have a box of old fabric scraps left over from when I sewed years ago....but I think there are probably blends mixed in with the cottons and I have no idea how to tell if something is 100% cotton or not."
Salijo

Strips of things like old sheets or thin curtains, tableclothes or other large fabric pieces go into all sorts of useful projects at my house. I'm posting a picture of an old chair (my sewing chair, in fact) whose rush seat had disintegrated. I've been sewing on what looked like a potty chair for two years. The only thing keeping me from falling through when I sat down was the breadth of my rear end.

I have a large supply of chair cane and rush, but instead I got into my old fabric stash not good enough to use for anything but foundations for quilts, or rag rug braid, and also my jelly rolls and braided rug coil and wove a new seat for my chair. Then I painted it. I just love it. Viva the rag bag, and look at my 'new' antique chair.

That is VERY fabulous!

I love your "new" chair. My grandmother still has a collection of those with worn out rush seats. Think I will snitch them and use up some old fabrics.

beverly

You all have me convinced, I started mine today, I took a picture of my scrap container before I started, so far I have about 25 blocks put together and I can not miss a thing from the container.lol I am making mine 6 1/2 inches.
Your crumb quilts are so beautiful, I love all those colors together.
bopeep

Calliope,

Your new chair rocks, VERY funny abt what kept you from falling through.

I love the "old" chair!! A very clever use of your fabric, especially for a sewing room chair. It may not be traditional but I bet more then one of our ancesters used your idea rather then rush for their seats.
PS. I am having a ball with these crumb sqs.
Jayne

Calliope, I love you chair and your post is too funny. I'm not as creative with my selvages but I do use them to tie up my tomato plants and other outdoor plants materials that need to be staked.

Geri

wow, here all this time I was throwing those pieces out.

Hi Everyone,

Your quilts are wonderful! I read the instructions & my fingers were itching to get to my crumbs. I made some coasters. It was great practice for quilting & binding.

I've always wanted to make a crazy quilt, but I didn't want to do all the embroidery. This was actually fun to see what evolves.

What patience you would have to have to make "anything" out of selvages, but the dress was wonderful.

Thanks for sharing those websites.

A few years ago I decided to roll my selvages into a ball, then I added the trimmings from sq. up the edges. The ball now wts. over 5# and is almost unmanageable but I keep it going. It is about the size of a socker ball. I always wondered it others had something simular going. Jayne

Hey Nanajayne,

I just recently started rolling my selvages into a ball, w/ an eye to not sure what, maybe crocheting them.

Don't remember where I'd recently read this, but it's in a recycling context. Had read multiple uses for the finished crocheted item from selvages, like rugs, blankets & things like that for vet's offices, for dogs to lay on, etc. I also started a ball of very thin strips, but wider than selvages, actually trimming scraps.

Funny for us both to be mentioning this now.

Okay, I'm hooked! I don't know how many times I've reread these posts and studied the pictures - not to mention also visiting Bonnie Hunter's site several times. My few attempts haven't been especially impressive, but I certainly have the crumbs to keep trying. And I do love calling them "crumbs" - so much more whimsical than "scraps." I'm going to try to make one 6 1/2" inch block every day as a warm-up for working on UFO's. Thanks, imrainey, for coming up with yet another little addiction for me! LOL

Bonnie

Here are my blocks so far, I just have them laying on the bed. I am planning on putting strips between the blocks, I think I will use unbleached mulsin. The bocks are on a double bed, but I will be making the quilt for our bed and it is king size.
bopeep

.

The photo looks nice but deceptive. It looks like it's sewn together already & I think looks quite nice.

You gals who are 'Crumbing' - Just thanks a lot! Now I have to find a place to keep these blocks (and that wasn't even on my list for February!)....but it's fun. They're mostly pink because that's the last quilt I did. I think I'll go through my containers and pull out all those leftover HST's and small practice blocks....I still can't see myself sewing all those itty-bitty triangles together from the Shooting Star, though.....but I haven't tossed them....maybe I'll send them to Gwen. ¦-)

SharonG/FL

Sharon, I think we should all bring a bags of crumbs to the retreat for the LRC game. We can make lots of blocks there.

beverly

Here's the Chocolate Crumbs I'm working with. Maybe a throw quilt for a sofa, maybe a couple of throw pillows for same sofa. For my Patron St. of Quilting, who just gifted me w/ this camera ;>) she'll LOVE them!!

Any thoughts? Sorry abt the underlying green quilt, pls. disregard. Opps sorry for the blur on the 2nd shot.

Thank you Beverly for the lovely parcel of crumbs which you sent me - i have started on my crumby squares already - it is really addictive. Again thank you.

Ann

I just had a visual....everybody send Beverly half a pound of crumbs. She'll mix them up and send 1/2 lb back. Crumby Swap???? Just kidding, Beverly!!!!! Can you imagine the look on Tim's face if he saw all those crumbs scattered around on the floor????? Oh My Word!!! LOLOL

Pirate, What size are your blocks? I like the chocolate look, but they sure are more uniform than my blocks...maybe mine are Crazy Crumbs.

SharonG/FL

Great idea, Sharon! Weight is about the only way you could evenly package crumbs. Personally, I have enough for several quilts without exchanging, but that would be a good way to get an interesting mix for those just starting their crumb stash. I can picture Beverly knee deep in crumbs, mixing with both hands!! LOL

Bonnie

Hey Geezer,

My Crumbs are an unfinished 4.5". I'm a little anal someimes, so I confess that I'm doing this very neatly, pressing open as I go & trimming to maximize my re-using even these cuts scraps which are left overs from several different projects, the common themes of which were browns & earth tones.

Also, I have those clear plastic marked templates in various sizes including a 4.5" one. This helps in the trimming & squaring up & I end up not adding much more than I need to the last couple of strips on the outside -- clear as mud now?

pirate girl - what's behind your crumb? That's fabulous -
as well as the crumb quilt... sorry I couldn't disregard...

Hey Tom8,

The green underneath is another project, a Disappearing 9 Patch. I wasn't able to start a separate thread for it for some reason so I tacked it onto an existing thread.

Pls. see the other thread called something like "Disappearing 9 Patch -- Scraps", where I posted the Greens (the back ) & the Orientals on the front. Those greens have some rockin' batiks which I couldn't resist, the front some pretty oriental-feeling fabrics which are another weakness of mine.

I am a total pushover for interesting/beautiful prints!

Thanks for the compliments.

Just call me Karen, the newly Camera Crazed

If you're going to take crumbs to the retreat, why not do a color theme...such as creams and pinks, or red/white/blue. Then donate the quilt top to the breast cancer auction that one of the forum member's guild holds every year.
Salijo

I agree that the green border is wonderful with your chocolate crumbs!

Karen, After I readjusted my eye to look at a smaller block, I could see they weren't the size I originally thought. I did mine at 6 1/2" like Gwen did....maybe I'll take a picture....

Good idea, Salijo!

SharonG/FL

IMrainey,

No Sorry, that green isn't a border, it's another different & completely separate & unrelated quilt peeking out from underneath.

That's my design wall, but it's got about 5 layers of quilts on it. I'd been working on the green quilt when the discussion started on the crumbs. So I made a few crumbs & threw the crumbs on there (on top of the green quilt) to be able to keep them organized & in good order, to try them out on other backgrounds (the mocha & the dark brown).

Too many quilts, too few design walls.

Sorry to be confusing. I'll try not to do that again.