HELP! Jelly roll race quilt too square
 

Hi everyone. I am new here and just made my first jelly roll race quilt. I LOVE the color scheme, but mine turned out way too square for a lap quilt (in my opinion). What can I do? I thought of getting another pack of the Key Lime Jelly Roll material, but I am not sure the measurements for adding another 5 or 6 rows. I don't think if I just do the typical jelly roll race procedure but only using 6 rows that the measurements would work out???

Another option I thought of would be to add a piano border to the top and bottom only (not the sides). But not 100% sure I would like that.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]505908[/ATTACH]

(I know my mitres go in opposite directions, but I think it adds a little visual interest.)

Maggie

Maybe find a fabric a shade lighter than the lightest blue or green and add a border, then bind in a darker shade. Piano keys may detract from the colour and movement you currently have going. Pretty top you have there!

When I made one, I thought it was too square too, I like 48 - 54 x 72 throws. But I "faked" it and added more rows to the ends. The way the colors blend, it was easy to do and not noticeable at all. With your blues and greens, it should be easy to blend.

It appears that the width of your quilt is about 50" wide - a full strip minus one diagonal square, plus some additional. There is no reason you couldn't buy more of the same fabric and add more to one end. You'd need 6-7 strips for each 5 that you want to add. To get the randomness, you'd want to start in a random location, cut the strips to the right width (with a little extra to allow for errors), and mix them up when sewing together.

So I should just maybe "fake" the jelly roll race part and randomly sew strips on the end? I think I could do that.

Should I see if I can get more of the same fabric or get coordinating fabric? I don't want it to look like it was just an add on

Maggie

I had the same concern that it just wasn't quite big enough. It wasn't too square - it just wasn't big enough. My throws are usually 50+' x 72". My jelly roll was too old and I couldn't find anything that I liked to go with it. So it ended up unfinished and sent to a group of folks that make donation quilts. I see what people do on here and that are so creative and I get envious that I don't think like them.

I ended up feeling the same way with my first "race" quilt. I sat on it for awhile, then ended up chopping it up on the bias in an irregular sort of way and making squares that I inset with solid sashing & borders. Ended up a totally different quilt but I liked it! (The seams deliberately don't line up within the squares, I cut them "off kilter" on purpose...not sure I'd do that part the same way again but I had fun with it at the time. This was one of my first quilts so I was just playing with no plans at that point.)

This isn't the best picture of it, but sort of gives you the idea of what I ended up with. The cornerstones and pieced border are coordinating fabrics I found and added in; not from the original race quilt. And look how ruffly all my borders and sashes are! I think I do better now, LOL.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]505929[/ATTACH]

What if you cut what you have to a more rectangle size. Then add a dark thin border of a solid and then the piano key border. You could use the piece you cut off as part of that border. You could take out any parts that have the wedge seam or leave them in and put them in the rest of the border.

I know this will not solve your problem for this quilt, but I think that you must have taken much more than 1/4" seams when sewing the strips together. I counted 32 rows in the quilt, and that is what you should have when you are done. Each strip should finish at 2". 2" x 32 strips = 64". Double check your seams for the next one! :oP
Otherwise, I think the idea of adding more strips to the top and/or bottom would solve your problem. Hope you can find the same fabric or close. It's a very pretty combination.