What to do with Crumb or Orphan Blocks?

Crumb Blocks: Quilt blocks made up of all the small crumbs of fabric that are off-cuts or leftovers. Different people have different definitions about what a crumb is. Personally, I only use small pieces that are over 2" and mostly square. If I used to keep smaller pieces or triangular ones, but those were frustrating, so now, it's got to have 4 sides, and be closer to 2 inches. I sew these all together then trim into blocks that are 6 inches.

Orphan Blocks: Sometimes when quilting, you have an extra block or two. Maybe you messed up and it's too small, or it just doesn't look as good as the others so you left it out of the quilt. Maybe you only made one before deciding you didn't like that pattern. Sometimes you might get them from a friend, or from a thrift store or yard sale. ​

Here is the first throw I made for myself, with the intention of not giving it away or selling it. It is mine. It's got colors I like, prints I like, and fabrics that are special to me. You can see rows of similar blocks near the top, and then more messy stuff at the bottom. This is because I completed those two sections years apart. My style (and my scrap pile) have changed drastically.

If you want to use individual blocks for their own project, you could:

• Frame them in a picture frame (easy and no more sewing required!)

• Pot Holders

• Small Wall Hangings

• Mug Rugs, Snack Mats, or Coasters

For these small projects, you just need a bit off extra fabric for the back, maybe some for a border, then binding. You have quickly finished something to give you that sense of completion.

If you have a few more blocks, you could make something like

• Table runner​

• Larger wall hangings

• Doll or small pet quilts

• Car seat cover ups

If you want to use a lot of blocks:
You could do something bigger with more blocks, like a quilted jacket, or a quilt.​

Continue to Part 2, to learn how to make these mismatched blocks more cohesive

Resource Videos:

• Crumb quilting with Darlene- Darlene Michaud has a fun personality. She's not very well known, but she's got good information about Crumb blocks

• Crumb Quilting from Missouri Star Quilting

• Just Get it Done Quilts (Karen's Tips, tricks, and strategies)

• Lori Holt's Orphan Blocks

• Pat Sloan's Orphan Blocks (Look at that quilt behind her! Wow!)

• Sewing Channel's Star Orphan Quilt (A good video of the process from start to finish!)