It’s Race Time: Ready, Set, Sew!

Please join Motley Fabric in celebrating International Sew a Jelly Roll Day with this fun quilting event! Registration is only $15 with prizes for the fastest quilter and race favorite!

Call (970) 306-3802 for more information and to register.

There are a lot of designs available for purchase in the shop, but fabric from any source is allowed in the race. Check out the poll in the discussion section for a preview of what’s in stock at Motley Fabric.

So how does it work?

You start the race with 40 fabric strips that are 2.5″ x 44″. They are sold in a bundle often called a Jelly Roll, but can go by other names (you may also cut your own). Anyway, sew them all together, end-to-end, until you have one gigantic strip. Then you line up the ends and sew down the long side. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Depending on your skill and speed, you’ll have a quilt top in 60-90 minutes. And that’s the race! We’ll have a quick review before starting if you’re new to quilting.

But wait! There’s more…

Here’s where it gets extra crafty. Sew the strips together with an angle, or put little triangles, squares, or hexies between them. (By the way, this kind of embellishment will be allowed at the race because we’re measuring and timing each participant to get an iph, or “inches per hour” to determine the winner.) When your top is done, you can cut it into squares – or vertical or horizontal strips – rotating some before sewing them back together with or without sashing. You can also add a border or even appliques to make it truly your own.

For pictures, ideas, and tutorials, enter “jelly roll race” into a Google search.

See you at the race!