Just one jelly roll. That’s all that the pattern called for as well as a couple of yards of fabric for borders if desired. The pattern, The Keyhole Quilt, was from Jenny of the Missouri Star Quilt Co. fame. You can find it here.
I wanted to participate in “Quilting with Kris” last Friday afternoon with my AZ quilting group. I didn’t intend to start another project as I have many projects already started in various stages of progress. And I didn’t have one jelly roll on hand. But “Quilting with Kris” is almost as good as being in the company of Jenny. They both have the same friendly smile and bubbly personality.
Speaking of being in the company of Jenny
In January, I actually was in the company of Jenny. I was lucky enough to get a ticket and lucky enough to have friends take me.
She delivered a fun and interesting trunk show at a neighboring village very close to where I live.
We tried to find the closest seats.
Jenny is every bit as much fun and delightful in person as she is on her YouTube videos.
Would your husband do this, hold up a quilt in the company of several hundred women?
She even posed for a picture with me and a friend.
Too bad the others decided to leave and wait for us in the car. Jenny’s husband took our picture.
Back to dealing with the jelly roll dilemma
Instead of rushing out to the fabric store (believe me I wanted to go), I decided to use this fat quarter bundle that I had. I bought that bundle and yardage for borders, backing, and binding last year. The colors are perfect for a friend so a quilt is in her future. It doesn’t need to be made just yet so I hadn’t yet chosen a pattern for it. I decided this would be a good one.
I watched Sandra at mmmquilts use this fabric for a quilt for her aunt. You can see that quilt and the pattern she chose here.
So instead of unrolling my jelly roll as all the other members of the class did, I cut lots of 2.5″ strips instead.
Here’s just a small sampling of the strips I cut. I decided not to include the stripes as I bought a yard of the blue/white stripe for a binding.
I cut some into 6.5″ pieces.
I sewed some into sets of three
which I subcut into 2.5″ widths.
After the 2 1/2 hour “Quilting with Kris” session, I finished 7 blocks while most of the others finished a whole lot more. Yesterday afternoon I completed 12 more but without Kris so it wasn’t quite as much fun.
What I Learned Today:
- Buy a few jelly rolls and a couple of yards of matching fabric to keep on hand.
- It takes a whole lot more time to cut 2.5″ strips out of a fat quarter than it does to unroll a jelly roll.
- Maybe the extra cost of a jelly roll is justified by #2.
- Being around someone who is smiling and happy is contagious.
- Do not wear stripes when I might have my picture taken.
- Do not wear stripes at all.
- Having a bad hair day looks worse on pictures than it does in the mirror.
- There is no better time than the present to start a new project.
Question: Do you buy precuts or cut from yardage? Up to now, I’ve been a yardage-only gal. I’m definitely rethinking that.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
Linking to:
DrEAMi! (Drop Everything and Make It) at mmmquilts
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
I am such a FQ girl. Also a layer cake girl. Trying to turn into a yardage girl, because I never ever ever have enough of any fabric to finish a project….so I’m definitely a scrappy girl. Great fun to read post as usual.
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Numbers 5 and 6 made me bust out laughing, especially because I’m wearing horizontal stripes at this moment! I love your color choices, blue and yellow are my favorites!
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Oh my! So many lessons and understand all of them. I have rolls, charms, cakes, FQs, yardage and I can say I feel like I never have the RIGHT stuff for the pattern. But I am trying to keep within the stash and only buy “staples” – you know like flour and sugar and salt and pepper (only they are quilting staples) according to my standards!!!
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I buy pre-cuts more than yardage – but always have some yardage available
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I have never bought a jelly roll. I have won a couple of charm packs and a strip pack and have not opened any of them. I buy fat quarters usually but have been buying a meter or more lately. My worry about the small cuts – I wash my fabric before using and I am afraid there will be shrinkage and a lot of fraying so the fabric may end up useless for the intended pattern.
I always enjoy your lessons. And I am sure your friend will be thrilled with the quilt, especially with a copy of the blog post. 🙂
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I always keep jelly rolls on hand but then I have enough fabric to start my own fabric shop! I always wait to find out what lessons you learned today! You sound like me when I see a picture of me….by the way you looked great.looked great
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I always keep jelly rolls on hand but then I have enough fabric to start my own fabric shop! I always wait to find out what lessons you learned today! You sound like me when I see a picture of me….by the way you looked great. I have discarded my shirts after seeing myself in pictures! Lol!
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Great start on your quilt, Karen! Your lessons learned ring so true. I usually buy fat quarters or half yards. Jelly rolls are available in only a very few of the fabric lines at the store. On the other hand, they’re usually the cutest fabric lines in the store. I have 4 JRs in my studio right now. They’re so much fun to look at and hold. I used one up on Sew a Jelly Roll Day last year. And then I won one that day. In that case, they did multiply!
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I usually buy fat quarters and charm packs, but it would be nice to have a jelly roll or two on hand for when you see a patternn idea that you just can’t resist! Your beginning is really pretty – I love the blyes and yellows together!
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Hi Karen,
You made me burst right out loud laughing at #5 and #6, too. You are too harsh on yourself! I have a lot of precuts around and some yardage that match some for borders. There is one annoying thing about jelly rolls though – they do not have an industry standard. Sometimes they are 2.5″ including the pinked edges and sometimes between the valleys of the pinked edges. You nearly have to check each strip to determine which – so you may be ahead of the game and much more accurate by cutting your own! I’m going to share a lovely photo of a cactus in bloom from my friend in AZ in honor of you in this week’s Thursday’s post. You’ve inspired me! ~smile~ Roseanne
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I think, you look real nice in the picture!
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How exciting to meet Jenny! Your keyhole quilt is coming along beautifully, and I recognize that fabric from one of Midnight Quilt Show’s episodes! I’m a precuts gal, specifically FQ bundles which I think are very versatile. I think jelly rolls are so cute but I find them challenging to work with as they’re not always cut to 2.5″, in fact I haven’t had one that was cut accurately.
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Hehe, I’m laughing at 5 and 6 too. I am guilty of buying pre cuts and not using them, actually I unrolled one to use it a few months ago to find I didn’t like it unrolled, so annoying. The good thing is having such a variety of fabrics, maybe I should just take more care choosing instead of being attracted to the bright colours, like a child!
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I am glad that cutting the FQs into 2.5″ strips worked so well for the pattern! I personally really prefer FQ bundles and while the cutting takes more time, I am much less likely to use a jelly roll. It sounds like you had a lovely day with Kris!
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I have only bought a jelly roll once for a jelly roll strip quilt. I did like not having to cut out anything. I do buy fat quarters.
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As soon as I saw your thumbnail in the linkup I thought Hey! that’s Boundless Dutch Garden! Yup, when I came here. Thanks for the shout-out for my aunt’s quilt which she has told me more than once how much she loves and how beautiful it is. If your friend is a blue/yellow lover, she will love the quilt I know it! Ha cutting those 2.5″ strips seems to take longer than sewing them doesn’t it? I did that on National Sew A Jelly Roll Day so I know! And yes, sewing with friends is ALWAYS better. Thanks for linking up with DrEAMi! I definitely will be chasing the Jenny squirrel Keyhole quilt!
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Love those blues and lemons. And the stripes, reminds me of a pair of pyjamas I made years ago, when we went on a year long caravan trip, Thick, extra thick fleecy cotton, and huge stripes. Hugh called them my ” Prison garb”. But they were SO warm and comfy. What a great event to go to, and a photo is always a lovely memory to keep. stripes, large flowers, plain fabric, a lovely group of 3 lovely ladies together.
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What a beautiful quilt this will be! I love the fabrics. I like precuts because I don’t like cutting. 🙂
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I rarely buy jelly rolls but I do cut my own strips! Every time I finish a project, I cut 1 or 2 strips from each leftover fabric and keep them together in a bin, so I can make my own jelly rolls. They are scrappy, but that works for me.
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Those a wonderful colors and that is a great jelly roll quilt layout. How cool you got to meet the goddess of MSQC! 🙂
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Everyone I’ve ever met from MSQC seems to be super-nice and genuine! I’d love to visit there some time. Your fabric choices are delightful–so cheerful. As far as precuts versus yardage? I used to stock up on precuts that I found great deals on, but I’m trying to break myself of that habit. I got a used Accuquilt Studio cutter a couple of years ago, and occasionally have cutting days where I take leftover fabric and scraps and turn them into standard precut sizes instead.
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I really like the start to your quilt! I usually do not buy jelly rolls as I do not like dealing with the pinked edges (and a lot of the time they are not exactly 2.5″ wide).
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I love your ‘what I learned’ list! and can commiserate with all of them 🙂
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