Always listen to Jenny

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!

Ah Jean I'm sorry you had to learn this the hard way, this is something I always emphasize in my classes/workshops. I once had a lady who, despite me telling everyone about this and explaining why it was important, went ahead and stitched all the same way and to her dismay the entire strip set had a big bow in it. I don't know if she wasn't paying attention, thought it sounded silly (which it does) or just thought she knew better, but she spent a lot of her paid for workshop time unpicking and starting again. I used her strip set to show everyone else why it was important and thought maybe I this would upset her but no, she came back for another workshop and laughed about it when I was telling the students this little trick.

Wow, that is a hard lesson to learn. I betcha your jelly roll quilt will be a favorite possession when completed. Big hugs for you.
Blondie

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Originally Posted by Dragonfly

Ah Jean I'm sorry you had to learn this the hard way, this is something I always emphasize in my classes/workshops. I once had a lady who, despite me telling everyone about this and explaining why it was important, went ahead and stitched all the same way and to her dismay the entire strip set had a big bow in it. I don't know if she wasn't paying attention, thought it sounded silly (which it does) or just thought she knew better, but she spent a lot of her paid for workshop time unpicking and starting again. I used her strip set to show everyone else why it was important and thought maybe I this would upset her but no, she came back for another workshop and laughed about it when I was telling the students this little trick.

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I thought the same thing, I thought it sounded silly and guess I have beeen lucky in the past not to have had disasterous consequences, or maybe I just wasn't aware of how badly my strips were bowing. I know now! As I mentioned to another forum member, picking can be relaxing, it isn't if you are in a hurry, but I got it done without a lot of angst, just some time spent doing it. I actually engaged in another skill which I haven't practiced in quite a while, COOKING DINNER, while picking out my mistake!

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Originally Posted by Blondie

Wow, that is a hard lesson to learn. I betcha your jelly roll quilt will be a favorite possession when completed. Big hugs for you.
Blondie

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If the quilt was for me, I would have probably not ripped it out, but I'm making it for a charity auction, and there might be some picky quilters bidding for it, so I thought I'd better make it right! At Least as right as I can make it. Thanks for the hugs!

Whoever gets it will receive a double blessing, I am sure. I always have plenty of hugs. Here's another, sweetie pie. You're a good egg.

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Originally Posted by Jean Sewing Machine

If the quilt was for me, I would have probably not ripped it out, but I'm making it for a charity auction, and there might be some picky quilters bidding for it, so I thought I'd better make it right! At Least as right as I can make it. Thanks for the hugs!

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Thanks for reminding us of this Jean...I have heard Jenny and others give that advice...will defenitely keep it in mind...

I love your attitude about this Jean. It also shows me that the quilters I look up to as the BEST can sometimes make mistakes. ;-)

As ye sew, so shall ye rip....tough, but true. I learned the same lesson the hard way. One thing about learning that way....you remember it! Sorry Jean....Hugs, Barb

Bummer. I will surely have to remember that when I make one. How many are you making for the auction? Can't wait to see pics of them when you are done. Personally have never found ripping relaxing. But then I have a hard time relaxing, not in my genetic make up. lol

Jean...I guess I have been fortunate because I haven't had any bows either and I do something similar to what you do...just in a different direction...lucky for me...but will watch in the future...that's for sure.....a friend of mine when she sewed her first strip sewed it wrong and had to rip out 800 inches...that would have upset me!

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Originally Posted by auntiemern

Bummer. I will surely have to remember that when I make one. How many are you making for the auction? Can't wait to see pics of them when you are done. Personally have never found ripping relaxing. But then I have a hard time relaxing, not in my genetic make up. lol

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Just one, thank heaven!

Quilt is ready to be quilted, I pin (still don't trust that spray stuff), it is ready to go tomorrow morning. It is straight now!

Good for you, is this the Americana one, that I love? Thinkin I would still pin large quilt, but am loving the spray bast on the little ones. Hopefully will get pic posted tomorrow of cute little Elmo one I did today. Just the top, not finished. Even DH loves this one so much he had to call and tell me. LOL Would have, but had to run errand for DD and DH came home from his fishing trip.

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Originally Posted by Jean Sewing Machine

Quilt is ready to be quilted, I pin (still don't trust that spray stuff), it is ready to go tomorrow morning. It is straight now!

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My condolences, Jean! Next time I make a big blunder that requires lots of ripping I'm going to try using the rotary cutter or a single-edge razor blade. Forget sewing rippers. I think I might be tempted to make something else out of those strips and start over. Hahaha.

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Originally Posted by rebeccas-sewing

My condolences, Jean! Next time I make a big blunder that requires lots of ripping I'm going to try using the rotary cutter or a single-edge razor blade. Forget sewing rippers. I think I might be tempted to make something else out of those strips and start over. Hahaha.

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That was my first thought, find some new strips, but I didn't have any more. It worked out just fine. I use a tiny pointy scissors, clip every 5th stitch, and then it just pulls apart very easily.

I have a jelly roll that I want to make into a jelly roll quilt. I probably won't make it larger though than one roll since that is all I have. I have had strips bow like that before, and never knew why. I will listen to Jenny!

A girl in my guild uses a electric/ battery [?] mustache trimmer for ripping seams and says it won't cut the fabric but does a quick job on the stitches. She got it at a discount store for around $10.