The last jelly roll

Hi all!  Summer is rolling right along, isn't it?  In May I made myself a schedule of work that needs to be done before September 1, and I can't believe how fast we are creeping closer and closer to that date!  I've made progress on many things, I'm happy to say, but somehow there is always something else to do.  I wish I was progressing as fast as the days are!

As you know if you have been around here for any time at all, I really dislike most precuts and have been trying to use up the ones I have so that they will be gone and not take up any more room in my sewing room or in my head.  I'm happy to tell you that I have cut into the last jelly roll!  Hurray!

First, a nice picture of the blocks I'm making, just to have something pretty to start with:

Okay, the picture is a little artsy, but it does get boring to take pictures of blocks all the time.  Here is the jelly roll (which I know is a term that's trademarked by Moda or somebody, so I should be calling it a rollup or whatever, but really-- does anyone think of these fabric rolls as anything but jelly rolls?):

Yep, it's a bright one! It's a very colorful roll of bright strips from Robert Kaufman.  I don't know how long I've had it but it only cost $28, which tells me that it's been here way too long. It's time to move it out and use it up in something nice.

That is certainly bright and festive, isn't it? I've paired the strips with the gray on white print to make some candy-colored blocks, mainly because I had enough of the print and the strips are nearly solids, plus it's nice to do something different.  I like white backgrounds with brights, but I do that a lot and sometimes I need a (small) change. This is just different enough but doesn't make me too nervous that I've chosen badly.

This is the block that I'm making from the strips. It's a really old block pattern, dating to before 1897. I've already used this block once this year, as a part of the Squared Away quilt project (the tutorial for the block is HERE if you're interested.)  On it's own, the block doesn't look like much, but when you put them together you get great secondary patterns:

I like how these play together and really, how can you turn down an easy, happy quilt like that?  I cut these blocks from the jelly roll exactly the way that I showed in the tutorial and it has worked out great.  So far I've been using them as leaders and enders for the Harry Potter quilt, which is coming along nicely. Since these are 10-inch blocks and I can make 40 of them from the strips, I should get a quilt that measures about 60 by 70.  I'm going to have to use some of the leftovers to make two extra blocks, but there are some generous scraps left after cutting so that shouldn't be a problem.

I've cut a bunch more of these, so they should keep me busy for a while, plus I have to finish up that Harry Potter quilt.  Not that my daughter is cold, but I want to get it done while I still have a little time.  It's easy, too, but a little tedious since it's all squares.  I'm hoping to have that one done next week.

I'm spending the rest of the week in the library, then doing some outdoor painting this weekend.  What an exciting life I have! At least it's air conditioned there.  Hope you are getting a lot of summer projects accomplished, too.  See you next week!

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