Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Looking Ahead

As always, I'm looking ahead, wondering which quilts will be in the hoop next. Is it possible to do a combination of machine and hand quilting on anything? That's always in question these days as I am trying to speed things along. These four quilt tops keeping grabbing my attention, so I suppose you'll be seeing one of these 'in progress' by early next month.
Quilt tops
Maybe earlier if I put the peddle to the medal with the stitching. haha  I've also been talking to a friend of mine about doing a bit of long arm quilting for me. She's wanting to get started in the business and I have a couple quilt top I've decided I don't want to bother hand quilting or actually even try to stitch on my domestic machine. They are much older quilt tops, quite large and my heart just isn't in it to spend a million hours each on them. It's expensive though as I certainly don't expect my friend to do this for me out of the goodness of her heart. And that's why I'm thinking maybe two this year. Maybe a couple more the next?
Jelly Rolls
And these Jelly Rolls keep looking at me from the corner of the quilt room, probably wondering if I have even noticed them hanging around. Two are identical so I suppose together they could make a lap sized quilt. Anyone have any incredibly wonderful jelly roll patterns they could point me to? I always pre-wash my fabrics so I'm nervous about combining these strips with anything from my stash. They were all given to me in the last year, so I'm not out any money {thank goodness}, but I can already see this is an odd way to approach quilting for me. Not in my wheelhouse at all.....

29 comments:

  1. love your jelly rolls. I rarely pre-wash so can't help you there - so many jelly roll patterns on line I bet you can find something to give you ideas.

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  2. So many lovely quilt tops to choose from! I do mix machine and hand quilting, if I have applique in a quilt I do not trust my machine skills to quilt around it, so do that part by hand. Great idea for your friend to build her long arm skills. I have only used one jelly roll in a quilt I made for our charity quilt program, I used a Kim Brackett pattern. I am a 'washer' too so did not mix any of my stash fabric with it, I bought new fabric.

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  3. Decisions, decisions! I have taken to sending out a few tops a year for machine quilting too. It does add up, but when I'm making the veteran's quilts or other larger donation quilts it just makes sense. And as for the jelly rolls, I tried using them once and I have just one comment - don't wear Polar Fleece while stitching! Those little buggers shed!

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  4. Before you open a jelly roll, use your lint roller over both sides until very little or no "linty" stuff comes off. Works like a charm.

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  5. I've done a Twin Stars jelly roll quilt from http://www.amazon.com/Jelly-Roll-Quilts-Pam-Lintott/dp/0715328638 , which turned out beautifully.

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  6. I like the idea of machining and hand stitching. I think SID always looks good on a quilt, but a thankless task if you are hand stitching.

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  7. I like to combine machine quilting with hand quilting. Though I usually do big stitch when I add the hand quilting.

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  8. I know what you mean about jelly rolls and pre-shrinking. (They also shed on everything which bugs me.) but, I've had to put them with pre-shrunk fabric before. . . so far so good.

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  9. I used two jelly rolls to make 16 patch blocks and It turned out great.Pair a light strip with a dark strip and do the best you can.If you sew carefully you can get two blocks from each pair.Of course you can add yardage for borders to make the quilt larger.I am not fan of pre-cuts so I just wanted to make something pretty and,really,the quilt turned out great.

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  10. I always look at jelly rolls with covetous eyes, but I can never figure out what I'd do with them, so I pass them by. Though when confronted with a bunch of 2.5" strips, my first thought is usually squares and HSTs...

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  11. There's a reason and a season for all techniques, machine or hand quilting. I'm okay with having a combo in the same quilt, especially if you're quilting in the ditch. Let the machine do it. Lots of jelly roll patterns out there. Maybe you could use them to create backgrounds for some of your delightful appliqué or if you need to make a give away quilt.

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  12. Oh my!! They are all drop dead gorgeous!! Wow!! I can't wait to see which one you start with!!
    P

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  13. I've seen jelly rolls used to make log cabin blocks. I thought of trying it but have never bought a jelly roll. :) The quilting is always the most challenging part of the quilt for me. Like you I try to quilt most of them myself. Some days I enjoy it more than other days!

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  14. I have a few jelly rolls waiting to be made up. I`d like to get a creme bunny roll 1 1/2" strips to make a curved log cabin quilt. Fig Tree Quilts has a pattern which I have called `Jelly Baskets` using 1 jelly roll. :)I also have gone to the library for jelly roll quilt books. Happy Stitching.

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  15. Michele Foster did a wonderful jelly roll quilt called Unban Neighbourhoods it was free download but think it now has to be paid fro, worth checking it out as it only used a small amount of other fabric unlike most jelly roll patterns. I really enjoyed making it mind you I am a big fa of all Michele`s designs and have made quite a few of her things

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  16. The picture with the different tops intrigues, what I can see looks great (as always). I think you do not have to worry about not washing the jelly rolls, just use them and wash the quilt carefully afterwards. Warm greetings Aurora

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  17. I rinse jelly roll strips in very warm water w a tablespoon of Retayne, roll in a white towel [carefully and flat], inspect for any dye bleeds. If all looks okay, hang over the shower rod in your bathroom to dry. Weed out any dye bleed culprits. I don t iron them then, just fold and store.

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  18. I have not worked with any jelly rolls but those sure do look colorful and pretty! :)

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  19. I think your Jelly Rolls would make a nice Trip Around the World; they're fun to make. I bought a Jelly Roll once, not my favorite but used some of it in a Sixteen Patch as well.

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  20. I've only used a couple jelly rolls that I was given, never buy them and don't like the pinked edges. I often hand rinse small pieces to be sure they don't bleed and just hang them over the shower rod to dry. And do both machine and hand quilting in the same quilt occasionally. Never have sent anything out to a longarmer. Would rather buy fabric with my quilting budget!

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  21. http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/quilt-patterns/projects-using-precut-strips
    http://quiltville.blogspot.ch/p/free-patterns.html
    https://www.youtube.com/resultssearch_query=missouri+star+quilt+company+tutorials+jelly+roll+
    You could go there for some inspirations!
    I love your quilts! Beautiful!
    Best wishes!

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  22. I've used jelly rolls to make the jelly roll race quilt. It was fun to try at least once just for the process. Like other commenters said- they do shed a lot! I never pre-wash fabric unless I'm sewing clothes. I can't imagine pressing all those strips when they come out of the dryer!

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  23. You know, I am very uptight about washing everything. But, my first quilt was half washed and half unwashed, and now that I have been using it and washed it a few times, it has all melded together beautifully. So, I think it would be safe to combine the rolls with stash!

    And, I've really enjoyed using the F&P ruler to make HSTs from strips...

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  24. If you google Pam and Nicky Lintott, you will find their several books on using jelly rolls. I no longer prewash fabrics, but if I have to wash a finished quilt, I use a colour catcher to soak up any loose dye. I would mix machine and hand quilting - enough machine quilting (perhaps in the ditch)to hold everything together, then hand quilting for the details. If you have a quilt longarm quilted with an edge to edge pantograph pattern, it shouldn't be too expensive.
    ADonald466@aol.com

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  25. I decided the other day that I need to "Audrey" my hand quilting (I so admire how many you get finished in a year), and counted up the tops that are basted, waiting for basting and started....... I can't bear to say the number out loud, so I'll just say it's lots! "Simple Quilts" from Me and My Sister Designs has some quick easy jelly roll friendly quilts. Have fun!

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  26. I have never been able to get my head around jelly rolls, but that is a lot of fabric you have in yours. I'll be interested to know how you find the experience of handing a quilt over to someone else for quilting - some people seem to love it but it scares me!

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  27. A friend long arm quilted one of mine last year (for pay) and the quilt is beautiful. Like you, I decided to send it out because I'd never get around to it and knew the woman well. It was expensive, but it's done. Large quilts are always useful, aren't they. Two a year sounds like a good plan.

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  28. I am a prewasher of fabrics. The pinked edges are meant to keep it from fraying, but contributes all that fuzz!! If you hand wash and let dry, with out a lot of wringing---you should be good. I then press & that takes care of shrinkage. They tangle so bad in the dryer (unless you have them in a net bag). In reading blogs, Lisa Bongean (Primitive Gatherings)----likes to Prewash. She saturates her strips in spray starch & lets the air dry. Then she presses them dry. Lots of ways. I don't like the chemicals---so I will always prewash.

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  29. Jelly rolls are a little different to work with for quilters that kind of let their quilts evolve. Kim Brackett's books have a lot of good patterns for strips.

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