Jelly Roll Rug/Jelly Roll Rug 2 Pattern questions
 

Has anyone made these rugs? Do they take 20 j roll strips or 40? I have a 20 strip roll that I love and need to know if I will have to add to it or not.

Also, what did you use for batting? I've seen "regular" batting strips and "Bosal" foam??? strips. I have seen some beautiful rugs here on QB, so I know some of you have made them.

Thanks in advance!

I recently got the pattern but haven't made it yet. If you spend a few minutes Googling these patterns, you will see that some of the websites that have them for sale also include supply lists. Jelly roll is usually 42 strips so if you have a junior size you will have to add to it. I think regular batting will work better. I do remember seeing somewhere, maybe Etsy, to have at least 1200 yds. of thread. There is an official jelly roll rug video on YouTube sanctioned by the pattern creator, Roma. Check it out.

Anita, I just made one and it used around 40 strips. I also used that Bosal (?) strip batting but you could cut your own batting strips if you wanted to.
It was much easier than I anticipated. Mine is rectangular and just the 2 short ends had to be bound.
I bought the pattern I think on Etsy.

PS- that Bosal stuff is batting, just in strips

Thanks for the answers!

I'm in the process of making rugs this way out of upholstery fabric. I've had samples sitting around for years and thought a long time ago I'd make rugs out of them. So far so good. I've cut strips of fabric and using batting that I no longer like in my quilts. It took some time to cut everything but it's all working.

You could use the small roll of 20 strips. It would just make a smaller rug. It's been fun. Just take your time and go slow with it.

The Bosal comes in both foam for handbags and batting strips for the rugs. With regard to number of strips it depends on the diameter size of the rug your looking to make. Obviously 40 strips makes a larger version and now there's a new one that's rectangular. You can find many videos on YouTube to help you with the process including Jordan Fabrics. Good luck with your rug.

I have the pattern and the batting, I just can't seem to find a jelly roll that I like so may just cut 42 or so strips from something in my stash. But I digress.....while looking at you tube for some ideas on the rugs, I came across a video from Aunties Two about a Twenty Strip Tote. I had to have that pattern as it uses the same idea as the rugs only you use 20 strips and make a handbag/tote! Here is one of the three videos about that tote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stR8MCvHr44

[h=1]The batting strips used are Katahdin On-A-Roll[/h][h=1] https://www.fatquartershop.com/katah...cotton-batting [/h] I don't know why it's organic cotton. Seems silly for a rug.
You can cut your batting strips but it's time consuming. The tedious part for me was making the strips.. Be sure and keep your jelly roll strips in order. How they are rolled up makes a pleasing rug as the colors are separated for you.

You could use yardage for this. I used a jellyroll but I have a bunch. But yardage would be fine.

I made a rug using a bunch of strips of binding I had left over. I cut my binding 2 1/4" so I cut the batting just a bit smaller. Turned out great.

If you cut your own batting, I strongly suggest cutting it 2 1/4 instead of 2 1/2. Katahdin batting suggested is much thinner than Warm and Natural batting. If you use a purchased Jelly Roll, the batting and a large spool of thread your rug will cost about $70.

A suggestion: in place of a jelly roll use all those pieces of binding strips leftover from quilt projects. Just sew them all together for a scrappy version.

I haven't tried them, but I have a very large one that style on my kitchen floor made by my Grandmother about 60 years ago using sewn together fabric strips, she always had a huge ball of these and she used 3 large plastic needles made from rat tailed combs and she braided them, no batting needed, she braided as she went and so no sewing. I regret to this day not learning this from her.

I made two rugs. I cut my own strips, using fabric that I have but will NEVER use in a quilt. (Can’t say why I liked it at the time). I did not want to use up a “nice” jelly roll for a rug.......When I finished cutting my strips, I had about 60. I cut my own batting. I used up all of my batting scraps that I have saved from squaring up my quilts. Nice to see that pile gone!! I cut my batting about 1/8” narrower than the strips. I did this because I thought when I folded it over 3x’s it would be pushing out of the edges. This worked great for me.

From the amount of strips I cut, I have one large oval and one small oval rug. The nice thing about this project is, you can STOP when you get to the size you want your rug to be. I did not buy the pattern, but I did watch a couple youtube tutorials. I like the way Donna Jordan sewed her folded over strips (in the middle) better than the other tutorial that I watched (along the open edge).

Here is the key: And as Martha Pullen says......”Press (steam), press (steam), press (steam), press (steam)” going around the corners!!!!! And my rugs look great using the fabrics that I never would have used in a quilt..... :-)

Thank you for your post. Appreciated.

The braids are held together by lacing them...took a few classes years ago by a local rug braideder...and we had a bent lacing needle that had two holes in the end where to insert a strong carpet thread for lacing.

I have made one (so far) and plan to make more with some modification on the next one.

My first was the rectangular one made with a jelly roll (40 strips). I had about 3 strips from the roll left over, but that was only because i cut the two binding strips from additional yardage of the same fabric line to match the valance i made for the window in that room.

Some helpful suggestions? If i could offer even just one... which would be to really press everything very flat at every step! If you dont, it will be harder to zigzag the strips together in the final steps because there is a surprising amount of bulk! I was using a heavy duty machine - my Janome 6600 with the AccuFeed engaged and i really had to pay attention and slow the speed down to a crawl in order to keep the zigzag well formed and catching all layers. I would also suggest using variegated thread.

For batting: I used Bonsal 2 1/2”. I am aware that the 2 1/4” is now available, but i already have 4 rolls of the 2 1/2” so will work with what i have. I plan a little experiment - to cut the batting in half width wise to 1 1/8” and see if that makes things any easier. I may also try using the “sasher” by Pauline Rogers from Australia in hopes of streamlining the process of forming the initial strip/batting at the beginning. I have no idea whether i will be happy with the weight of the finished rug once the bulk is reduced, so will assemble 4 strips to see what i think before continuing.

I do like my rug...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]614516[/ATTACH]

Correction to the above - i plan to cut the batting in half to 1 1/4” - not 1 1/8”! My apologies.