Showing posts with label beechwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beechwood. Show all posts

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

How to: Quick Jelly Roll Quilts

The smaller quilt on the quilting machine
These quilts were made to accompany an article I'm writing for Popular Patchwork about group fund raising for charity, by having a race to see who can make their jelly roll quilt the fastest.  The winner gets half the entry fees, whilst the rest goes to charity.  The quilt top can easily be made in less than a day.  I heard about the ‘Jelly Roll Slam’ race when Ruth Higham held one at The Studio,Loch Lomond.  It is definitely possible to make this quilt top in a day; even I managed in under four hours and I am not known for speedy piecing.
 
The larger quilt
 To make the quilt top, you will need:
  • One jelly roll and a fat quarter of fabric.

Cut the fat quarter into 21/2in squares. You will need one square for each strip.

To make the quilt:
  • Stitch a square to the end of each strip.
  • Join all the strips together at the short ends into one hugely long strip.
  • Fold in half right sides together and stitch along the long edge.
  • When you get to the end, cut the fold, fold in half again and repeat.
  • Keep repeating until you have the shape of quilt top you want – that’s it!
Detail of the larger quilt

It really is amazingly simple.  If you don’t want all the squares to line up, you can offset how the strips line up when you fold in half for the first time.
The smaller quilt - I didn't realise that some jelly rolls have 30 strips not 40 - so watch out!
In keeping with the quick piecing, I ‘quick-quilted’ them at Beechwood Quilting on their long-arm machine.  They will be great for the kids to play with and to throw over the sofa. 
If you are part of a quilting group why not hold your own jelly roll slam? I’m all for finding new (and fun) ways to raise money for charity.

 

Friday, 11 October 2013

In my studio: what I didn't finish this week

On many other blogs I see lots and lots of finished work and I sometimes wonder how they get time to make it all.  My working processes are a lot, lot slower.  I can't work out whether I'm good at starting things but never quite finish them, whether I'm a slow worker or just that my work is more involved and I like having lots of things on the go.  Obviously I want to believe it is the latter!  The drawback of this is if I only posted when I had finished work, this blog would be very quiet.  So here is a glimpse of some of the things I have been working on this week.
Dyeing 
 

As the last blog post suggests I have been dyeing loads of fabric.  Partly for fun, partly for an article I am writing about fabric dyeing and partly to replenish my stock for the next batch of artwork I am planning.

Thermofax Printing

I got some screen printing inks last week and having been trying them out with my thermofax screens.  I don't know exactly where this is going to fit in, whether they become part of more complicated art or are left as 'simple' design pieces; perhaps a bit of both.

Coffee Cup Patchwork

I've also been progressing on the coffee cup patchwork - here are the first pieces stitched together.  Only another 37 to go...

Oakshott Logcabin Quilt

This quilt has been underway for ages, so I was thrilled to finally finish piecing the top and even more pleased with how it looks.  Using the shot cotton really brings the quilt to life and I just adore the colours in the Oakshott range.  I've booked into Beechwood Quilting next month to do a load of longarm quilting and this has been added to that pile.

Rail Fence Quilt

With some of the dyed fabric I have given into my desire just to have some fun making a simple quilt and have been piecing it into a rail fence pattern.  Sometimes it is lovely to do some stitching I don't really need to think about and just enjoy the process.

Sketchbook

Although I don't keep a beautiful, 'proper' sketchbook, I do use a notebook and have been planning things out more and more.  These are some little thumbnails for a new piece.  I'm desperate to start, but I'm trying to be good and wait till I have some other pieces finished.

City & Guilds
This weekend, I'm teaching Patchwork and Quilting City & Guilds at the Studio, so I have been making some samples, meeting other tutors and doing some drawing for it.  It should be a good weekend.

So that's this week.  Maybe I would achieve more if I just concentrated on one thing at a time, but it wouldn't be as much fun...
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