Jelly Roll Help
 

As many of you know a few weeks back Joann fabric had a great sale on all pre Cutts. I was able to buy enough for several projects I would like to do.
I had the block in mind for my 1st quilt. A quilt for my youngest to take to college this fall. I layed out 1st block every thing was great, love the color, fabric, pattern. Tho when looking at it decided it was a bit larger than I wanted. No problem. I'll save this for a pillow sham. This is when things went down hill and wouldn't work. The blocks on the next set were so off and uneven. At this point I recheck all my work and everything was spot on. I then start measuring the strips and they are all so unbelievably off. (My 1st block was just a fluke.) I can't seem to get the strip even. They are like a roller coaster. I have read that people are just returning them and then others are saying for the price they will trim them up. I have already spent hours going through and trimming them with no significant change. I have also tryed another block Trying to hide the unevenness. This isn't great either. I would call myself a beginner, so it maybe a combination of something I'm missing and the uneven strips.
I'm hoping that someone has a method to trim up these strips. Or help me jump ship and I'll get some moda jelly rolls and fat quarters. Thanks for taking time to read this.

I only buy Moda Jelly Rolls. I have had good luck with them being true to size.

Welcome aboard!! I'm sorry your having such a difficult time with your first project. Can you tell us what pattern your using? Unfortunately pre-cuts are notorious for their inconsistent cutting, some are too big, others too small, some are just right and it happens to all manufacturers. It's always advisable to measure before you begin a project, so you know what your getting into. Also check your 1/4 in seam allowance.
Others will be along shortly with more solutions!!

When you say they are uneven, what are the measurements? In other words, what are the strips at their widest and at their most narrow? Also, do the strips have pinked edges? If so, how are you measuring -- from the tips or the valleys?

Worst case, if the strips are badly off, you might be able to use them for a different pattern that does not require precision.

If you want to make the particular pattern you have started, then your best bet may be to purchase Moda jelly rolls.

Thanks Lisa, the pattern is Summer in the park made with jelly Rolls. My seam are at a 1/4 inch 1st thing I checked. I've been know to go wide. I'm new to this site and can't get a picture uploaded. Will try later this evening.

These strips are all different widths. No consistency at being inconsistent.
They are not pinked. Do you have any suggestions for a quick easy beginner black? I've tryed fence rail.
Thank you.

I went through the same thing with a jelly roll from JoAnns. I bought one thinking to make a bento box pattern for a baby quilt. The one jelly roll should have been enough to make two baby quilts. The strips were so bad that after using what I could of the jelly roll I had to go buy another one to finish the one quilt. I'll never buy another one from JoAnns.

Cari

I'm sorry you're having problems. Not all pre-cuts are created equal. I have heard stories such as yours from many who have purchased inexpensive pre-cuts. Best advice for the future is to stay away from them and only purchase high quality pre-cuts such as Moda.
To help you salvage what you have now you may have to give up using them in strips and cut them into smaller pieces. Another suggestion is to make a strip block where you can use different width strips. These are often sewn on a stabilizer and then cut to size. Google strip quilts and look at some of the pictures to get some ideas. You'll still be able to use your fabric but probably not in the way you intended.

I don't buy any pre-cuts. I cut my own, I have a huge stash of fabrics I want to use up.

Hate hearing this happening to a beginner cause it's so discouraging. sounds like you will either have to cut down the strips and make smaller blocks (say from 12" to 9, etc) OR change the pattern to use these in smaller cuts--either way you end up needing more fabric :thumbdown: Many of us rarely use precuts, instead opting for yardage which we cut to size, as you avoid this problem plus your fabric can be more versatile.
Citrus suggested a string quilt--you can use various wides of strips for these, google them and see what you think. Also google "Easy Peasy" quilt--it's a type of string quilt that uses strips in larger blocks that you then cut diagonally (use spray starch to avoid stretching them) and realign to get a neat block--my avatar is one that I made as my 2nd quilt.

Just wanted to say that Summer in the Park is a pretty quilt (I've made one too) but can be a little tricky even with a jelly roll that is true to size because all of the edges of your blocks are bias. I found it difficult to match things up simply because the seams weren't nesting and everything was getting really stretchy. I didn't use starch because I didn't want the strip to shrink wonky either.

There is this great scrappy strip quilt I've been wanting to make, but haven't created enough strip scraps yet. You could easily make this and it'd be beautiful. Here's the tutorial.

Great string quilt idea

Sephie, thanks for the link! I like the HST string blocks! You could make QST's, too.

If I remember correctly... there is a way to sew the strips without trimming or if they are a bit too narrow.
Cut a piece of card board 2 and 1/4" wide by whatever length. Line up one long edge of the cardboard to the outer (left) edge of the strips. Those are the edges you will match BTW. Then sew your seam at the other (right) edge of the cardboard. It might not be 1/4".
That should give you the finished width of the strips as 2 1/4".
Does this make sense? somewhere on the net there is at least one tute if not more but I can't find them in a hurry and my Pinterest won't display for me for some reason. I know I've pinned this. Possiblly someone could find that particular tutorial. The pictures are excellent.
And I will keep looking myself.

You might be able to do something like this quilt. I made this quilt from a "grab bag" I got from my quilt guild about 6 years ago, as part of a challenge. The bag was full of strips of fabric in different widths. If you are interested, let me know and I will try to write down what I did. :) Any width strips would work, so if they were cut unevenly, you might just have to sew one extra strip on and then cut some of it off....

Dina

I like that your quilt a lot - great way to use strips - and the borders and sashing work very well, too.

Handsome cat - looks he/she approves!

After years of working and collecting all the equipment and fabric for my retirement of quilting, I ran into the very same problem. In fact one project lingers on the edge of the long arm. I don't remember where I bought these, but they are off. I need to make a quilt that uses them up.

Marcia

P. S. There is a huge volcano going off near Mexico City here on 5-18-17 6 a.m. EDT.

Sorry this has happened to you. Joanns is somewhere I would never buy a jelly roll...gut instinct maybe. I have of course purchased many fat quarters there in the past and never really had a problem there, but then they would be easier to trim down if needed. Wish I had a word of advise to give you.

I have never had a problem with MSQC but I do not like the pinked edges. I do not buy from JoAnn's anymore.

I just found Jordan Fabrics and love that they do not use pinked edges. Their site shows the precise way they cut the fabric. I'm waiting for some brights to order from them.

Just yesterday, I found a pattern on jordanfabrics.com using jelly rolls for a table runner. The strips were laid at an angle so odd widths did not matter. You might give their website a look-see & maybe that option would work for you. Happy stitching! Kathy

I received several jelly rolls for my birthday and some of them were unusable. I used what I could for a rail fence. and some for string quilt and threw the rest in a pet bed. What a waste of money. Don't know where they came from. I suspect from the internet. Beautiful in the package; bad to use.

I discovered jelly rolls first from MSQC and I love them. Although I may be biased. I LOVE everything Missouri Star!!! Yes some are pinked but as long as you are consistent on the line you follow you are fine. I have not purchased rolls from Joanns but if I had, and ran into that problem, I sure would have returned them. It must not have been visually noticeable in the strips when you first unrolled them?

ALWAYS ASK IF THE JELLY ROLLS are cut by laser......I had the exact same problem with rolls from Nany's Notions...Hoffman batiks......they put me in touch with hoffmans....they were wonderful. They not only send me new laser cut jelly rolls, the sent 10 yards of a matching batik for my trouble. They said that their jelly rolls had been cut buy a electric cutter, but it was handheld. They have since gone to only laser cut Fabrics. I doubt that Jo-Ann's can make good with their supplier, since most of the boutiques come from countries outside of the US and they do not have the latest laser cutters

I have stopped buying 21/2" strip pre cuts from JoAnns after experiencing the same problem. I even took photos of the strips laid out on my cutting mat to show the uneven cuts and distinct Vee in the center of strips making them mostly unusable.
It's very frustrating as I have difficulty walking and shop mostly online and their online customer service was awful. Essentially I was told "Oh, too bad" and took a substantial loss using bits and pieces that I was able to square up myself.
When I AM able to go to the store the folks there are wonderful and helpful, but I still don't buy the precut strips anymore.
I haven't had any problems with strips bought from Connecting Threads, Keepsake Quilting or Hancock of Paducah or Missouri Star Quilting... all online purchases.
If you bought them in person you might be able to get a refund by returning them and actually show how badly they've been cut.
I'm so sorry that this happened to you and understand your frustration. I hope you are able to resolve it to your satisfaction.

I only use precuts as a "novelty" and check the size before beginning. Sometimes even in a charm pack there are a few that just don't "measure up."

I have been in the same situation with the same pattern. I was using white strips that I cut myself to go with the jelly roll from Joanns. I made do by sewing the 1/4 inch seam on my white strip and not stressing too much if the precut wasn't exact. It wasn't the easiest way to go, but it worked, and it was the last time I would ever buy their precuts. Well, I'll still buy FQ's. Good luck.

Unfortunately, not all "pre-cuts" are the same. :(

If you have several rolls that are similar, I would go through them and set aside the strips that are the most correct, and use those for the pattern you have on hand. For the ones that are just really inconsistent, I would use them up in a "Jelly Roll Race" just to get them out of the way.
Jelly Roll Race #1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEJLnaZQOU
Jelly Roll Race #2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w9UOFj0CSo

By using them in the "Race" quilts, you won't feel quite as cheated, and you DO use them, and they WON'T accidentally get pulled back out for another project (thereby putting you thru all this agony all over again!)

I've very nearly quit buying precuts now, as I end up making my own out of my scraps.

Good luck with figuring this out.

Found it!
How to correct the width problem without trimming...
http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/2012/0...gly-smart.html

I have bought quality quilt fabric, Moda specifically that was all different sizes in a 5" pack. They made it right but what a mess since I did not figure it out until I had sewed it partially. Just check all strips and charm packs would be my suggestion.

Sorry to hear of your distress. Wish my LQS was near you; she'd guide you on how to handle them.

I bought various fabric from Jo-ann for my second-ever quilt. The terrible quality and ensuing headaches taught me never again to use cheap fabric.

Unlike many quilters who post here, I almost exclusively use precuts. I have made SEVERAL quilts using layer cakes, charm packs, and my favorite -Jolly Bars (5"X10" cuts made by Moda and available only through Fat Quarter Shop). I have, to date, only made one quilt using jelly rolls; it was nothing fancy -just a strip quilt, but it was absolutely lovely and remains one of my favorite quilts. I have NEVER had any problem with any of my precuts. I don't think your problem is pre-cuts; your problem is that you simply have to buy quality precuts. I use Moda, Windham, Hoffman, Wilmington, Kaufman, Kona, etc.

Frankly, you have to be very careful about what you buy at Joann's. I considered buying some jelly rolls, but more than one reviewer said that the quality was very poor. The only precuts I have bought from there are the sampler blocks for the Canyon Sunrise quilt; I've made five of the twelve blocks to date, and I am constantly having to measure, remeasure, square up -it is going to be a long process. Lesson learned: I won't be buying ANY precuts from Joann's.

I hope you don't give up on pre-cuts; you just need to buy quality, and if you look for sales, you can get some very nice prices, especially online. Good luck!

I want to thank everyone for all your help,kind words,support and information. So valuable! I ended up returning most of the jelly rolls to Joann fabrics. I took advantage of the opportunity and practiced squaring my blocks and also did a little stitch in the ditch. All your kindness is amazing and another reason why "All I want to do is sew"

inferior pre-cuts
 

So in reading thru a lot of these posts, it's "normal" that pre-cuts are unpredictable? Why is that acceptable? I bought 2 kits from Nancy's Notions and the jelly rolls on them were way less than 2.5" wide. I was shocked. Guess I shouldn't have been. I don't understand why inferior quality is "normal"..........let alone acceptable. Here I had my panties all in a wad over this with Nancy's Notions and they're probably used to it as it sounds like it happens all the time. That's a shame. Seems today that mediocrity is "the norm" and accountability and reliability are going by the wayside.............that scares me.

I don't think it's that it's acceptable, because honestly if I am spending my money it isn't, the consumer just has to be aware and know that you get what you pay for. Jelly Rolls are a Moda precut. I have never had an issue with Moda quality in their bolt fabric or precuts. I use a lot of precuts in Layer Cakes, Jelly Rolls and Charm Square packs. Other companies, or store, may package 2.5" strips, or 5" squares, but that doesn't mean their standards or methods are the same as Moda. They could be just fine but they aren't a product that I personally would use. I don't purchase fabric though just because, I use what I get and move on to the next. If I have to wait and save to buy the fabric I want to use...then I wait. I think like everything out there in the world you can always get a cheaper alternative, and if that's what you can afford use it, just know it won't be like the quality item. I grew up wearing knock off jeans that didn't last but when that's all you could get, you wore them and made them work. Same with quilt fabric, not all fabric or fabric bundles are created equal...but if that is all you can get, use it and make it work for you.

This is one of the reasons I don't buy pre-cuts, although I have received name brand batik jelly rolls as gifts, and I know they paid boocoo bucks, but upon opening them up found so many had the huge elbow and such, that I ended up trimming them to 2" strips.