JNCT14

I am making a quilt for a friend in Greece and I decided on the potato chip quilt - its a good stash buster and its colorful. I am going to alternate warm and cool tones, no white or black, and I am going to use the Courthouse Steps pattern, starting with 2.5" x 4.5" strips. I am only going to build the one block, I am not going to create blocks and put them together. The quilt will be about 60" x whatever width it ends up - probably about 70".

The intent is to quilt it using some built in decorative stitches off my Bernina 1230 or my Artista 180 (if it comes back from the shop in good shape..).

So 3 questions -
1. Should I press open my seams so I am not wrestling with bulk when I do the decorative stitching? I do not know how my machines will react to 4 layers.

2. Should I cut all my strips into 4.5" pieces and piece as I go? or cut random lengths and piece what I need to finish the strip? I don't want long blocks of color - I'm afraid it will not balance.

3. Should I do a quilt as you go? I would have to be sure the layers are really basted and rolled tight to fit under my harp (9" on a Babylok Quilters Pro). Not sure if its worth the trouble.

Looking forward to feedback!

Lena1952

As to question one: I would press the seams open. But I would also make a small test block using scrap fabrics and the batting and backing you intend to use. This way you can see ow your machine will handle the layers but also how to adjust the decorative stitches will work.
Question two: since I’ve never made a potato chip quilt in this manner, I have no input.
Question three: unless I am misunderstanding how you plan to construct your top, I don’t see a way to accomplish QAYG method. You will simply be quilting the entire quilt which as you wrote entails having a lot of bulk under your machine throat.

stasher

G'day from Downunder JNCT,
I love making to PC blocks, I guess you are going to do a giant block. As you are doing warm and cool tones,are they in alternate rows? You may need some light warm ot cool rows and some dark, otherwise the qlt may look like one fabric. About your other queries:
1. your choice, after you do a test with your machine, I prefer going to the dark side
2. Cutting your pieces @41/2" will be more accurate, and give you choice as to placement
3.QAYG on such small pieces may not work, and frustrate you, better to quilt when top is done.
I am collecting "bricks" for a giant block too, have made 64 bocks of the 12" blocks,, alternating light and dark rows, they sure are addictive and get rid of a lot of bits out of the scrap drawer.
Good luck and post some picks showing us your progress.
Wishing you a happy Christmas, Stasher (in my stash, where I'M warm, safe and happy)

aashley333

I prefer nesting my seams with small pieces.
I do not cut all pieces at once. I prefer to mix it up with stitching some and cutting some.
You can roll it tight enough to fit your harp. My harp is smaller, and I have quilted a king-sized quilt. Once. Never again, but worth it.( I recently acquired a sit down longarm!)

beckyboo1

Karen Brown of Just Get it Done Quilts has a video on YouTube today about a potato chip jelly roll quilt. You might check it out to see if she has any good tips.