Have you made a list of your UFOs and started tackling them? My January UFO is Take It Easy, a jelly roll quilt pattern by Primitive Gatherings. I started it a couple of years ago and it has been sitting in a project box half finished for a while.
I do love a red and white quilt, and think this one may be a gift for one of my brothers-in-law. A quilt I made for my sister that he always loved has been damaged by his dogs and he asked me if I could replace it. I think he would like this one. Actually, she would have liked it too. She was always so appreciative of the quilts I gave her.
At any rate, I digress. I finished all the blocks for this project and plan to see if I can sew them together this weekend. I have a major tip for any of you who plan to make this quilt:
TRIM YOUR BLOCK UNITS AS YOU SEW.
Because of the nature of jelly rolls, I was dealing with more variation in the width of the strips than I would have had I cut 2 1/2 inch strips out of yardage. Consequently, I don't think two of those block units came out quite the same size. They were real close, but not precise.
I did trim the final 12 1/2 inch blocks to size, but I sure would be happier with these blocks had I trimmed each of the block units as I made them. Construction is super simple, although you can get mixed up as to the placement of the 2 1/2 inch square in each unit if you aren't careful.
This is what the finished quilt top will look like.
Say, I have a question for you all. I have a friend who is taking a trip to Tuscon, Arizona next week. She would love to visit any quilt shops in the general Tuscon area. Can any of you make a recommendation? She would sure appreciate it!
This quilt will so be worth your time and effort, Nicole! Just gorgeous!
Posted by: T Holzer | January 26, 2023 at 05:13 AM
I’d suggest Quilters Market, Cactus Quilt Shop (most fabric), and Quilt Basket (cute, plus coffee and yarn shops in the all in the same small strip mall). If she plans to head south of Tucson, there is also a cute shop in Green Valley called Quilt Central Studio. Also, next week is the beginning of the annual gem & mineral show season, so if she likes rocks…
Posted by: Sandy KN | January 26, 2023 at 05:30 AM
That red & white quilt will be a great one for your brother-in-law! Trimming blocks as you go is often a pain, but it really pays off to do it. And, good for you tackling a UFO & getting it finished up! I haven't been to Tucson, but I'm going to take a peek at websites for quilt shops other readers recommend. Have a happy sewing weekend!
Posted by: Jan | January 26, 2023 at 07:29 AM
There is a book calledNeedle Travel that is updated yearly. The 2023 edition is published. It lists quilt and yarn shops open by city in the US. There is a code for each shop listing if it has quilting, yarn,spinning, or other needle crafts. It’s about $10.
Posted by: Betty Meyer | January 26, 2023 at 08:15 AM
I have a huge bag of jelly roll strips that I won from Bunny Hill Design like 8 yrs ago.
I would love to make a log cabin with them but I just don't know where the edge of the fabric is to get an accurate 1/4" seam with the pinked edges. I mean, where do you sew?
How did you handle that? I'm so unsure. ;p
Posted by: Ina | January 26, 2023 at 09:18 AM
This quilt will be very nice. I was gifted many "discount"jelly rolls and found that from strip to strip there was a difference, so I was trimming EVERYTHING as I went along. The first time, like you, I hadn't paid attention to the difference in sizes. I do now!
Posted by: sue s | January 26, 2023 at 10:26 AM
I really like this quilt. I think I need a red and a blue one. I did find the pattern on Primitive Gatherings website.
Posted by: Dianne | January 26, 2023 at 07:31 PM