.
I had seen a jelly roll quilt tutorial on quirky granola girl's blog and I wanted to try it out. Now I've never done a jelly roll quilt before and in my mind I thought this was something I could knock out in an hour. I have Juki sewing machine that goes REAL FAST - and off I went. What I forgot to consider was if I ever did run a race of any kind I would be the participant that stops about forty thousand times to look at this, and that, and that, and that shiny thing over there, and oh there's white squirrel! (I saw another one last week and this time not in my neighborhood... I'm beginning to think they are stalking me instead of the other way around.) Anyway, just like that previous thought it took a while to get my jelly roll panel together.
I used the Deb Strain Be Jolly collection which you can see here. Two of my friends have made darling disappearing 4 patch quilts with this collection and I wanted to play with it too, so I picked up a jelly roll at Fabric Shack. You only need to sew it to a width of 16 strips which is 4 passes. However, I kept stopping and rearranging the fabrics. It says to randomly sew them end to end, and I did, but when I started to sew them to each other I encountered deep OCD issues. Now I was okay if one red fabric touched another red fabric, but it was the two strips of the same red fabric well...I just couldn't do it! So I'd stop and pick out one strip and replace it with another strip and them move a third strip so that it didn't happen again and on and on and on. Again I succeeded in taking something simple and easy and turning it into a major production ... it's a gift don'tcha know - LOL!
Sooooo....when you finally get your strip set cut down into four sections you arrange it around a center square like this...
Check out the tutorial here. She does a great job walking you through the process. And I bet if you just followed the instructions you could whip this up real fast...like a runner...which I'm not...I'm more of a wanderer. And at this point all you need to do is sew the four sections together starting with a partial seam...but I can't do it... because...it isn't scrappy enough for me. I really don't like those areas where there is only one fabric in a row.. I want more pattern, more color...and I know how to get it. It will involve unsewing some areas and inserting the bits and pieces I had left to make the whole thing scrappier... and it will make me HAPPY!
As I was sewing this I was pondering other variations with this idea. I'd love to do this in batiks but instead of starting with 42" strips I want to use a variety of shorter lengths... and maybe put in a spacer strip here and there... oh the little hamster wheel in my brain is turning now... and you know that's gonna be trouble!
And why do I sit down to sew with precuts wearing a black turtleneck? Here's a selfie I took... and yes I have no head...I didn't crop it that way, it is just the way I took it. So not only am I not a runner I'm also not a very good photographer.
It was very festive fuzz... red, green, navy, white... my first Christmas decor project! The splotch in the middle is chocolate. I can't sew without chocolate... and I have to take my shoes off too...I think that is the Kentucky in me - LOL!
Happy stitching-
carol fun
Where shall I start to comment on your blog. By the end I was laughing, so thank you for my morning laugh. I have the same issue of fuzz/strings on whatever dark item i wear while sewing. And I. never. figure. it. out. in. advance. ARGH. I've always considered myself a quilting raccoon. OOOh, shiny object here, oh, look, look at that quilt. I like that fabric and that fabric and.... you get the idea. Ive never seen a white squirrel but I did see a white fox. And, my first thought was he would make a lovely hat. Lucky for him I don't hunt. And, I probably couldn't wear him either as I would be sad for his mama. Back to quilting now!
ReplyDeleteEasy distraction kills simple projects, as I also well know! I haven't been a fan of most jelly roll quilts but that one has possibilities! Glad your week was busy and full and ended with sewing :)
ReplyDeleteA cute little quilt. I know just what you mean, I am a professional at making the easy complicated!!!
ReplyDeleteWell it's looking great and it will be interesting to see if you do change it!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm going to go check out the directions for doing this. I made the center over the summer but don't like it. Maybe this idea will help get it out of the closet!!
ReplyDeleteWe have white squirels here in West Tennessee too!!!
You are such fun with your descriptive writing about your sewing adventures!! Makes me giggle. I do agree with you about the strip piecing - sometimes you have to move things around to get them looking good and scrappy!! Cute post. Carol
ReplyDeleteScrappy Schmappy! No way will I ever be able to do that. It would HAVE to be tweaked (not twerked) 😏
ReplyDeleteOmigoodness! I laughed myself silly at your post! At first I started nodding about the wandering thing. I know you read my blog; you've probably noticed how many times I say "but I digress..." Then I nodded some more on the scrappiness--understand that perfectly. I love your ideas on where to go with it. And, don't you know the saying: Quilters come with strings attached!
ReplyDelete