Hey everyone. Today we're sewing one junior jelly roll into a cozy lap quilt in blues.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric
This is the Blue Bella Solids Junior Jelly Roll Precuts, from United Notions.
It is a Moda precut.
The group name is Bella Solids.
The designer is listed as the Moda Group.
And the stock number is 9900JJR 48, if you keep notes.
Inside the roll you get 20 assorted pieces.
Each strip measures 2.5 inches by 44 inches.
That is your classic jelly roll strip size, ready to sew.
The color story here is blue.
The tags also call out denim and navy.
So think fresh blue through to deep navy.
There is no print to match up.
There is no direction to fuss over.
You just unroll the strips, sort them, and sew.
These strips were made in Korea, per the product details.
And because this is a solid precut, the color does the talking.
Your order and your quilting lines become the design.
I really like that for a lap quilt.
Blues feel calm on the couch or the porch.
And they go with just about everything at home.
The project: a cozy lap quilt
We are making one lap quilt, about 40 inches by 44 inches.
That is a handy size for your legs on the couch.
It also works nicely folded over a chair.
Here is why this fabric suits a lap quilt so well.
Those 2.5-inch strips are already cut straight and even.
You skip the long cutting session completely.
Twenty strips sew into a top with no waste.
The solid blues let you build a soft gradient.
Go light to dark across the quilt, if you like.
Or mix the shades up for a scrappier feel.
Completely up to you.
I like the light-to-dark order for this one.
It looks planned, even though it is super duper easy.
Materials
- 1 Blue Bella Solids Junior Jelly Roll Precuts (20 strips, 2.5 inches by 44 inches)
- 1 piece of batting, about 44 inches by 48 inches
- 1 piece of backing fabric, about 44 inches by 48 inches
- Binding strips, cut 2.5 inches wide, about 180 inches total joined length
- Thread to match or blend, and your usual sewing supplies
Brief steps
- Lay out all 20 strips in the order you love. Each strip will finish 2 inches wide, so 20 strips give you about 40 inches across.
- Sew the strips together along their long edges with a quarter-inch seam. Press each seam as you go.
- Keep adding strips until the whole set is joined. Give the top a good final press, and check it measures about 40 inches by 44 inches.
- Layer the backing, batting, and top. Baste it well so nothing shifts while you quilt.
- Quilt it your way. Stitch in the ditch along the strips is easy here. Echo quilting looks great too. Or try a simple meander across the whole quilt.
- Trim the edges even, add your binding, and stitch it down. Just like that, you are done.
On my machine, I keep things simple for strip quilting.
I use a regular stitch length, about 2.5 millimeters.
A walking foot helps the layers travel together.
I slow my stitching down over the thicker seam joins.
And I check my tension on a small test piece first.
That little check saves a lot of unpicking later, y'all.
Nothing fancy, and no surprises on the real top.
Practical tips
Give yourself permission to keep this easy.
It does not have to be perfect.
A strip that waves a hair will still keep you warm.
You are your own worst critic here.
Take your time, it is not a race.
Pressing is the quiet hero in this project.
Press each seam before you sew the next strip.
Your top will lay flatter with a lot less fuss.
One honest warning, right at the moment of risk.
Slow down when you quilt over the thicker seam joins.
Slow down or the needle snaps on that bump.
My first strip quilt came out a little wavy at one end.
The fix was simple and a little humbling.
I pressed better, pinned the long seams, and it laid flat.
We're not reinventing the wheel here.
We're sewing strips into something useful and really really cozy to use.
If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Thanks so much for sewing along with me today.
We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the Blue Bella Solids Junior Jelly Roll Precuts at Linda's Electric Quilters.
