QUILTING WITH A JELLY ROLL?
A what? Sounds messy, doesn't it? Lots of people quilt with Fat Quarters (see my 2 guides on what a fat quarter is and making your first fat quarter quilt) but recently a new cut of fabric has come along - the Jelly Roll.
The fabric firm Moda produced the first ones and now lots of other fabric producers and quilting shops have put together selections of different designs.
A Jelly Roll is a collection of 40 strips of fabric that are 2 1/2 inchescut across the width of the fabric which is usually 44-45 inches. These fabrics are rolled into a fatroll that looks like a slice of swiss roll. They are called jelly rolls because that is what Americans call a swiss roll.
The fabric should not be washed before use (imagine what a frayed mess you would get) and you have to be very careful with seam allowance when sewing. Having said that, what a wonderful excuse to try something new!
You could buy fabrics to cutinto stripsyourself, or use your stash, but it means buying a lot to get the large variety of fabrics that come in one ready to sew roll.
There are a growing number of patterns and books for jelly rolls. I have just bought a book that has some really lovely patterns in it - you might like to try getting 'Jelly Roll Quilts' by Pam
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