I humbly request suggestions for jellyroll quilt pattern
 

I have just purchased my first jellyroll. It is William Morris fabrics (subtle colors, complex patterns), with eight different fabric patterns included. I love William Morris patterns. Love them.

I want to do right by these fabrics, but it occurred to me after I placed my order that the jellyroll strips cannot be washed before quilting, and all of my stash fabric has been washed, so now I am uncertain about including fabric from my (extensive) William Morris stash holdings. Then I thought I would do a 1600 quilt - quick, simple, only requires the jellyroll...

...but the WM fabric seems too orderly (in a wild, untamed, beautiful way) to put it in such an asymmetric quilt.

So, my question is: can anyone suggest a pattern that is symmetrical, but naturalistic; subtle, but dramatic; full of movement, but restful...and thus worthy of my WM jellyroll? And would it matter if I added stuff from my stash? Does modern fabric shrink that much? (I have always washed all of my fabric - no experience not washing it.)

Looking forward to picking your brains...

Alison

PS Did I mention that I love Willliam Morris fabric?

Moda bakeshop has lots of great patterns. This is one of my favorites. I think I have pics in my album.

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2009/10/...uilt.html#more

I added muslin, and used it also for the 9 patch blocks. I did mine in batiks and didn't prewash because i used a jelly roll. I also didn't prewash the muslin. When done, I used a few color catchers and it came out great. The pattern was easy!

It really is not a problem at all mixing washed and unwashed fabrics in a quilt as long as you do a reasonable amount of quilting, since all of the fabrics will conform to how the batting shrinks. A fabric that shrinks a lot when washed alone will not shrink in the same way when quilted. Shrinkage differences from mixing washed and unwashed fabrics in a tied quilt can be a problem because the ties are not enough to "bind" the fabrics to the batting.

I used to pre wash all my fabric, but several experienced quilters convinced me that it was not necessary with today's fabrics. I still pre wash reds, blacks and navy blues. Everything else gets put into a quilt and then washed with Shout color catchers. So far I have had no problems.

I just bought my first jelly roll at the Dallas Quilt Celebration last week. I thought about the 1600 quilt, but haven't seen one that I particularly like. Thought about some kind of log cabin or Court House Steps. Then a friend on another site suggested this: http://sonnetofthemoon.blogspot.com/...lt-step-1.html

She uses 3" strips, but some one suggested in the comments that you could use 2 1/2" strips and a 5" center for the two blocks that you cut in quarters. I bought Wildflowers V by Moda and I think it would be pretty.

Strip Tube patterns and I also like Jelly Squares by the Pattern Basket and several patterns by Cluck Cluck Sew are great jelly roll patterns.

Most good fabrics will shrink 3%. (cheap ones may shrink much more.)

They have books out there called strip therapy that are based on jelly rolls, I have one and really like the book

http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/sum...t-jelly-rolls/
I really like the Summer in the Park. I made this for a baby shower and got rave reviews. One jelly roll was enough for 2 good sized baby quilts, so I imagine it would probably do a nice sized twin.

Wow! Thank you for all the ideas, and the advice on mixing washed and unwashed fabrics.

SylivaK: I like the bento box patterns quality of "featuring" the fabric
HandcraftsbyJen and F'n'F: tube piecing is awesome - and those tutes make it look easy (and very tempting). I will definitely try a Summer in the Park quilt at some point...

Now that I am not as worried about mixing up the washed and unwashed fabrics, I will be comfortable adding from my stash. I was also thinking about trying bargello for the first time...If any of this ever happens I will post pictures. (Don't hold your breath.)

Alison

There is a pattern called Hidden Wells that might look great with your fabrics:
http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/hwells.htm

There are some wonderful older patterns (i.e. traditional blocks from the 1800's) that would work beautifully with the jelly rolls.

That is stunning...now I wish I had bought multiple jellyrolls

*...must...resist...more...jelly...rolls.....must. ..resist...*

I like this one:

http://youtu.be/L5Ixvjje310

I did "Jellystone Park" by Legacy.

I bought a jelly roll on sale after the holidays, just to try it out. I didn't want to do a strippy quiilt, but had no idea what to do until I saw this video from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. I added a couple of fabrics from my stash and had a great time piecing it... quick fun and easy! I haven't decided on a set yet because I was having too much fun playing with the blocks. And now everything is packed away because we are moving in 2 weeks (I get a new sewing space!!) I can't wait to finish this one and try another jelly roll.

Here's the vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5Ixvjje310

Post pics when you're done... your fabrics sound lovely!

Laura

go to U-TUBE or GOOGLE & put in search............missouri star quilt company & then add jelly rolls & you'll come up with the EASIEST patterns from pre-cuts, an amazing site :)

I started quilting over 30 years ago, and have prewashed about once. I found that I didn't like the 'feel' of the fabric and I was less accurate with a washed fabric. I have not even prewashed reds, blacks, or any dark colors. I have never had anything run. I guess that is because I wash the quilts in cold water and usually hang to dry. I continue merrily on my way. I enjoy discussions on to prewash or not to prewash. I consider a quilt a 'fine fabric.' I treat it as I would a silk blouse--carefully but understanding that it is a fabric and meant to be washed when it is necessary. Just my .02 cents today...

Thanks again to all of you for responding! Most of the patterns suggested fall into the same (beautiful) category: sew strip sets, cut to square, line up and sew around the edges, cut into diagonal quarters, re-sew, spend hours arranging and finding new secondary patterns. Hidden Wells, Summer in the Park, and the Three Dudes are like this. They look fascinating, and endlessly amusing (I feel your pain Laura! Hard to settle on just one arrangement!)

Also, there seems to be consensus that I will not face a disasterous outcome if I mix my (prewashed) stash fabric with the (unwashed) pre-cuts. I have been following the wash-or-not-to-wash discussions on other threads on the board since I joined a couple of months ago, and it seems as though everyone has very good reasons for doing it the way they do it! My reasons are mostly selfish - I like the extra fabric handling I get to do when I wash, line dry, iron and fold my new fabrics away. I did have one occasion where the fabric disintegrated along invisible flaw lines after washing, so at least in that case pre-washing saved me some grief! (But mostly I do it for the tactile pleasure.)

Since we are just talking, and no one is going to hold me to any of this (right?) I am sort of thinking of trying a bargello, but putting a little convergence applique on it, or maybe three...Just talking...*takes deep breath to calm racing heart*...not saying I'm actually going to do this...just a thought...

I just finished my first jelly roll quilt. It is called Lighthouse from Sweetwater quilts. It was so easy and fun. I love it when I see quick results for my work! Here's a website: http://www.crazyquiltgirlfabricshop....pattern/Detail

Hand wash the jelly roll strips an put them in a nylon net bag in the dryer. You won't have too much thread unraveling that way.

And I prewash every fabric I buy (except 5" or 10" blocks) because I found a major problem with a fabric only because it was prewashed. Using it 'unwashed' would have ruined the quilt I planned to make using it.

We all have our reasons for why we do what we do, and that's ok!

Oh, i just love these quilts, thank you for sharing.

you can preshrink your jelly roll fabric by dunking it in hot water and the drying it if you are concerned about it.

I have mixed fabrics washed and not washed and never had an issue or could tell which was washed or not. Hope this helps.

It does! Thanks!
And thank you for jellyroll shrinkage tip, riutzelj. I may have to do that, just because I now know I can. (Old habits die hard...)

If you figure out how to resist jelly rolls, I (& my Visa, for sure) would be interested to know what method you used... LOL! I can't help it... I'm hooked!

This can be done fairly easily - and you can just lay the strips out on towels and air dry if you are worried about fraying/raveling.

It really is NOT that big of a deal to wash strips. I've had to, when one of my cats 'anointed' some things I had left out a few years ago. I was not thrilled about it, but it can be done.

Moda University pattern - State of Grace ...... it is beautiful!!!