Crumb Block Swap! (Signup by Jan 2, 2012)

I am sooooo excited about this swap. I have lotsa crumbs. Pretty little pieces of fabric. I have never made a crumb block before.

If anyone needs a video tutorial let me know - I think Bonnie's images are good but just in case people need something else I might be able to make something to help.

This is so cool but I may have to start making them now to make sure I would get enough done. Plus, it looks really addictive.

@dlyn67 - you can definitely start now! I'm probably gonna start very soon too, haven't made one in a while and need to make sure I've still got the process down.

I have a huge tupperware bin full of crumbs that need to be played with.

I updated the swap requirements so that unrated people that have never swapped before can join. Hopefully we don't have flakers but if we do, I'll angel for this swap.

Just to make sure, the blocks I send should measure 4.5"? Thanks!

yes 4.5"

DARN!!DARN!! DARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fine Time for my Spare sewing machine to Break..!!!!!!.

I was in the middle of making blocks and it locked on ME!!!! I Decided not to use my Computerized/Embroidery (Expensive) machine for block making cause the last time it started acting Up...I guess tooo much sewing.

So instead i used my Spare one (regular stitches). AND GO FIGURE!

Trying to see if my son(Yes...S-O-N) Lol... Lends Me the one I got him(same as my spare).

This could not happen at the WORST TIME!!! I have 4 Projects I'm commited too. and I was comming along fine with these Crumb Blocks. I was on a ROLL!!!

Well ....I'll have to continue on my Emb machine for now.

Sorry I had to VENT!

TTYL

Boy, I think I'm using way too small crumbs--it's taking me forever and a day to make enough for even a few little blocks. I re-looked at the tutorial and think I'm over-thinking it all, too. The pieces don't have to be postage stamp sized! lol The finished blocks don't have to look like patterned blocks do they? Mine are looking very crazy-quilt like and random.

@twobluecrows - the crumb blocks can include anything! Squares, triangles, rectangles - etc. You can have big pieces or small pieces. I recommend evening them out so you don't have TONS of seams in each block - would make it difficult to quilt.

Have fun with it! It isn't supposed to be stressful!

Hi!...everyone.... answering to ~Twobluecrows~ post..... I had the same issue(since it was my 1st time making these) I thought I didn't: Have enough; Were making them right; Were sewing them right; Have enough....etc, etc, etc.... In other words "OVER THINKING IT"..... When in realityyyyy... I did have enough scraps; where sewing them with a strait 1/4 inch stitch... was having FUN....and at the End!...... I made More than I really needed(but that will never happen cause I can sure use them and continue adding to them for Future use). So like QuiltedMagnolia said....."Have Fun Sewing Them". What I did was.....Sewed Lots of strips and scraps and made a BIG PIECE (like a it was 1/2 yard of fabric or a Fat Quarter then meassured it (cut it on the sides to square it UP) and then dived it into 4.5 and that gave me the total of blocks I could get out of it. Next thing I knew.....I was done! then I got Sad....hee-hee-hee

Whew! I just finished them!My biggest problem was that I had too few varieties of fabric, and lots of really small pieces to put together. I finally dug around my stash and found a bag of "scraps" my sister had sent me, and it had a good number of larger pieces and colors and patterns, so I cut them into 2" strips and went to work. Before I started with this batch, I only had enough sewn together stuff for 11 blocks, so I cut them all out, and used the scraps from that made up of all little pieces to start new bigger pieces to cut out the rest of the blocks. I only took me about an hour and at least wasn't not-fun lol I do like the way they look after all. They'll be in the mail tomorrow. Next I'm doing string quit blocks, so I'll make more not-too-small pieces to try this again sometime! :)

Is it desirable or not to make these on a foundation piece? I didn't, but I had started out that way then re-read the tutorial. I like having the foundation to fill. Maybe I'll make some to go with the string blocks in a quilt, for a border or something.

Oh, and having one of those little 4.5" square quilter rulers is great! It's zip-zip-zip-zip and the block is done!

@twobluecrows - I think foundation is up to you! It depends on the size of the pieces I think. When I do "string" crumb blocks I use tear-away foundation and when I'm doing regular crumb blocks (squares and triangles) I don't tend to use it.

I gotta GET myself a smaller ruler... I only have the Big ones...Time go small.... Like the Economy...Hee-hee-hee

Well I'm Sewww HAPPY you got the hang of it and had ~FUN~ making them.