Jelly Rolls and Quilts

You would think that, with a quilt top that is just waiting to be assembled, another quilt for which I need to cut the fabric, a hanging quilt I have pulled out of its package in order to start it, and a couple of panels that will eventually be turned into small quilts, I would not be thinking about yet another quilt project. Well, you’d be wrong.

I have to admit that jelly rolls have long puzzled me. Why would you want to buy a roll of pre-cut strips of fabric? I mean, sure, it would save you some time, but I just couldn’t see what type of project could profit from these rather expensive fabric strips.

Well, this week, I discovered that you can make a very quick lap quilt just using a single jelly roll. I’ve been considering making myself a lap quilt because I am always cold and knitting or crocheting an afghan takes forever (I already have made myself a crochet afghan, but more afghans are always better). There are some really beautiful rainbow jelly roll quilts out there that I would love to emulate.

So add the jelly roll quilt to Future Projects I Promise I will Get To As Soon As I Finish The Projects I have Already Started.

My goals for this blog

Figure: I sewed a bag to hold doggie poop bags; pity my husband refuses to use it.

I have two goals for this blog. Well, two public goals and one secret goal.

First, I want to keep track of my own progress. I’ve been using Ravelry to keep track of my sewing projects, but Ravelry was meant for yarn-based crafts and I feel a bit bad about usurping it for sewing. Yes, I know, there are sites that are meant for keeping track of your sewing projects, but I have yet to find one that is as good as Ravelry.

Second, I want to keep track of tips and patterns I find around the Web. I like the idea that somebody else may stumble upon a useful tip or a cute pattern thanks to me.

Finally, my super-secret goal is that, one day, I hope to get good enough to open my own little store, maybe on Etsy, maybe elsewhere, where I can sell my sewn items.

Welcome to my world of craft

 

The above is an image of one of my first sewing projects: a mug rug I made around a piece of bird fabric I had picked up some years ago. I had bought it because I am a birdwatcher but it wasn’t big enough to do anything special with it. Then I discovered the idea of mug rugs (a coaster large enough to accommodate a mug and some cookies on the side) and I knew what I needed to do.

This blog will mostly be about my adventures in sewing, with side trips into other subjects, like knitting, bird watching, or my dog Lola.