Quiltingboard Forums - First jelly roll rug...for me

Here goes the tips: These are the things I learned and processes I didn't use.

I am a novice at the rug making….nothing like Quiltah Mama. Learned a lot on this first try.
I took my project on a trip where there wasn’t a quilt shop or Joann’s….so had to purchase batting and cut my own strips. Ok, but you have to butt them together…didn’t have tape, so used a long , large basting zigzag on the batting ends. Then, at the end of the project, I used glue stick on the fabric and batting ends to butt them together. Worked fine.
1. Try to use a Jelly Roll that is Not pinked on the edge. It makes it more difficult to fold over the fabric and batting to the center. If you used one with pinked edges, and make your own batting strips, make the batting strips slightly less than 2.5”. Easier to fold to the center of the cording before stitching.
2. I did not stop and iron each of the Jelly Roll strip seams after sewing them together.
3. I did not use clips, just held the folded fabric and batting as I went…Sure wish I had one of those Sasher things.
4. I did not have rubber bands, so I used those tiny bungee cords to wrap around the cording ball as I was making the “cording”.
5. Then I removed the bungee cords and placed the ball in a huge salad bowl and put it on the floor under my machine.
6. Be sure to test your zigzag before starting. Use the recommended settings in the pattern first, then adjust so you are catching both “ropes” of cording as you go.
7. Use a Jeans needle.
8. The first curves are a challenge, but it gets better as you go.
9. As you go into the curves it is important to “push” the right cording into the presser foot to give the cord or rope slack to make a flat curve. If you just turn the corner without this pushing on the cord to the right side of what is under your foot, you will get cupping in your rug.
10. The instructions say to get a bar stool and place your machine on it and put a large table to the left of your machine. Yeah, right. I would not put a $8000+ or even a $1000 machine on a bar stool. I didn’t have a table to put on the left side either. I had about 8” of portable sewing machine table to the left.
11. I did not keep the rug flat, my space was too small, so I curled up the left side of the rug loosely as I went where it was nearly touching my machine. It was nearly covering me by the time I was finished. This is about the time dear hubby asked if I knew what I was doing……well, no.
12. I did take the rug out from under the machine twice to check to see if I had any cupping. Make sure you back tack before removing.
13. I sprayed the two curve ends with Best Press, ran the iron across. No cupping. Yeah!
14. Finished the last straight away, tucked the end and back tacked. Sprayed with BP, dried flat.
Conclusion: This time there was:
• No ironing of fabric strip seams. – Finger pressed
• No using tape to butt the batting strips. – Long, wide zigzag basting stitch and glue stick when I was in a pinch and had to add three more lengths of batting at the end. Like the zigzag though.
• No using pins and clips.- Used fingers to roll and secure as I went.
• No using rubber bands.- Tiny bungee cords
• No keeping the rug flat.- Curled it up or folded it over towards me when it grew large.
• No using a bar stool for machine.-only had portable/fold up machine table.
• No table to the left.
• Did use Best Press and ironed twice as I went along and when it was finished. Sprayed the rug and laid it on the floor to dry.

I hope to get better with technique as I make more. These are only suggestions that may or may not help you. It is an individual choice. But in a pinch, working out in the middle of nowhere, you do what works. I will try Quiltah Mama’s technique of using a serpentine stitch when making the cord or rope and a multiple stitch zigzag for sewing them together. Love her ideas. Thank you for staying with this long explanation. Happy sewing.