How to Make Your Own Fabric Jelly Rolls
Fabric jelly rolls are a collection of coordinating fabrics (usually about 40 different ones) pre-cut into strips. At first glance, the jelly roll might seem to be a marketing gimmick to promote a new line of fabrics. Quilters have made them very popular because the time-consuming step of cutting fabric strips for a project is already done for them. They can also get a wide variety of fabrics without purchasing each by the yard. A homemade fabric jelly roll can make a welcome gift for any quilter or seamstress, from beginning to advanced.
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Things You'll Need
- Assortment of coordinating fabrics
- Iron
- Rotary cutter
- Self-healing mat
- 24- to 36-inch plastic ruler
- 12 inches of ribbon for each jelly roll
Instructions
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1
Press your fabric to get any wrinkles out. This will help make your cutting accurate.
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2
Cut fabric strips 2 1/2 inches by the full width of the fabric, usually about 44 inches. Jelly rolls are usually made up of 2 1/2-inch strips, but you can make the strips a different width to accommodate a certain pattern or preference.
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3
Fold each strip in half width-wise, wrong sides of fabric together. Stack the strips, but stagger the selvage edges of each about 1/8-inch. (The selvage is the bound edge of the fabric, not the raw edge you just cut.) As you roll the strips, the folded edges will fan out to a 1/2-inch stagger. When the entire length is rolled up, you will be able to identify the fabrics.
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4
Tie a ribbon around the jelly roll---the folded edges, not the cut edges---to hold it together.
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Tips & Warnings
When rolling the fabric strips to create the jelly roll, it might be easier to start rolling just a few layers and add the rest of the strips as you go, remembering to stagger that 1/8-inch.
Because of the popularity of jelly rolls, many pattern designers are highlighting their creations that require 2 1/2-inch-wide strips.
Read your project directions carefully to determine if any other fabric sizes are needed before cutting it all into strips.
