Quilt in a Day

Or more accurately, quilt top in a day. The trouble started 2 or 3 (4?) years ago when Ellen, her Texas friend, Ann, and I spent a day shopping the bead, yarn and fabric stores in Ventura. 

I found this jelly roll, in "my" colors, and just had to have it. I had no idea what a jelly roll was, or what one did with it, but home with me it came.

Fast forward to July, about a month before I got my new sewing machine. Kaity posted about a quilt top she made in less than a day, using jelly rolls, and included a video of quilt races. I was hooked.

I've gotten a little smarter as I've aged, so rather than using my perfect - and expensive - original jelly roll for my first try, I went to Joann's and picked up two coordinating jellies. 

First I mixed up the strips so I'd have a more random pick of colors and patterns. 

Then I miter-joined each of the 40 strips to its neighbor, giving me one loooooong strip that was 1600" - over 44 yards. 

The next part was definitely the hardest. Without twisting the fabric, you're supposed to join the start and end of the 1600" strip and sew them together, right sides facing. You end up with a piece 2-strips wide and 800" long. (No picture of that part; it was late at night and I was too tired to think of photos.) 

You cut the end apart, then fold the bottom up to the top and - right sides together - sew them together again, this time getting a 4-strip wide piece that's only 400" long. 

Lily, of course, was helping me every step of the way. 

 Fold it again - 8 strips wide. 

And again - 16 wide - 

until after the 5th and final fold, you have a piece that's 32 strips of random stripey goodness. 

Cat included for scale (and because I couldn't get her to stay off the d*mn thing.)  

The almost-final step is ironing all the seams - and learning -again- that steaming your fingers hurts. 

And the final step? 

Start worrying about how to attach the batting and backing, and get this baby sewn up.