While finishing off my 41 row jelly roll quilt (see my post about making a queen size jelly roll quilt), I added rows of jelly rolls to the bottom of the 32 row regular length jelly roll quilt to make it longer. I guess I did this too fast, because when I went to square up my quilt, it had the wierdesst bulge in it. It was actually a bow, just in the rows that I had attached at the end of the process. Then I remembered something I had heard Jenny say, or at least someone quoted it to me. Always sew strips together from opposite directions for each successive row. I did not do that, and after an hour of ripping them all off and all apart, I will never forget that advice! I saw first hand what happens when you don't sew from opposite directions for each successive row. The quilt measured the same width after I trimmed it, but the edge was not straight, it veered significantly in along the cut edge, and significantly out on the folded edge (I was folding it in half and measuring that way). I knew I would never be able to quilt it and make it flat, so I just bit the bullet and ripped it all off.

I am attaching the rows one at a time, spray starching them to keep them from stretching, and measuring them and pinning them and sewing from the opposite ends for each one. I hope this will keep the crazy bulge out of it, and it will be straight once again.

Be forewarned, if you make a long jelly roll quilt, do as I say and as Jenny says, don't make the same mistake I did!

You learn something new every day, mostly by the mistakes you make!