Welcome to my stop on the From the Heart Blog hop hosted by Carol of Just Let Me Quilt. She wants us to share ideas for a small gift, and possibly share a pattern or tutorial to make it. I am making jelly roll pot holders. They are quick and easy, and they can use up your jelly roll extras or binding scraps.
In my Island Batik box, I got a roll of fusible batting strips by Hobbs batting, a precut strip set of Sunset Plumes. I picked up a Jelly Roll rug pattern at my LQS and I want to make one. Before I embarked on this big project, I wanted to try something small to get the technique and also make sure my machine can handle the heavy duty sewing.
I came across two tutorials. The first is a tutorial for a different jelly roll rug pattern that just does straight line sewing instead of a circular or oval rug. This video is by Shabby Fabrics. I love their detailed videos as well as their awesome fabric collection. The second tutorial is by It’s a T-Sweets Day for what she calls quilt as you go pot holders. Both are awesome tutorials.
I gathered a pile of 2.5″ strips and a pile of scrap batting. I cut the batting to 2 ¼” strips. The fabric strips were all different lengths. I joined them to make roughly 40″ strips.
I made several strips using the jelly roll rug technique. They came out all wonky.
Just a thought on wonky and straight strips. Does it matter? After all this is going to be a pot holder. The minute you put that pot of soup on it, you will not know whether the strips were wonky or straight 🙂
Join the strips using a zigzag stitch. I used the widest stitch length on my machine – 6 mm. Use the same thread color for the top and bobbin. You can use a thread that matches the fabric or a contrasting thread. I used a green Aurifil 50 weight. It blends with some fabrics and contrasts with others.
I wanted 10″ wide pot holders. They are useful for my large woks and pizza stones. I needed 16 strips for a 10″ wide strip set. Do the math: Each 2.5″ strip is folded in half twice making it ⅝”. For 8″ strip set you will need about 13 strips.
I was able to cut four 10″ x 10″ squares. I used a dinner plate to draw the outline of a circle with a marker.
I stitched about ¼” from the drawn line to stabilize and to make sure the zigzags do not rip. Then cut on the drawn line.
I still get an incomplete on this project. Only one pot holder has the binding done as of this blog post. Why? I had another idea pop into my head. I took out my collection of old jeans and started cutting 2/5″ strips. Won’t it make a nice warm “jelly roll” rug?
Please visit all other bloggers sharing their projects today:
Just Let Me Quilt
Quiltscapes
Beaquilter
Seams To Be Sew
Pieceful Thoughts of My Quilting Life
Bumbleberry Stitches
Days Filled With Joy
Quilted Delights
Den Syende Himmel
Life in the Scrapatch
Storied Quilts <——Me!
Kathleen McMusing
Food for Thought
Your potholders are coming along nicely and would make wonderful gifts!
What a cute way to make pot holders, thanks for sharing them!
Pot holders are always useful gifts! Good tips for making those wonky strips straight!!! Thanks for sharing.
Clever idea, and a great way to make four pot holders at once. Thanks for sharing!
I haven’t been brave enough to take on the task of a jelly roll rug, but this size seems doable. I love the idea of using some of my leftover jelly roll strips to make this sweet potholder. Great tip on how to get those wonky strips straight. Potholders are a wonderful gift idea…thank you for sharing!
Hi Vasudha! I am giggling here – you had an idea pop into your head. It sounds like you are chasing a squirrel project for sure. YES! A rug made from jeans is just the perfect application, I think. I will wear like, well, denim. I have always wanted to try this myself – I even have a few strips cut from different colored jeans. I can’t wait to see it!! And the potholders are fab – the possibilities are endless with color/fabric choices to match anything. ~smile~ Roseanne
Looks like a fun project! I have a box of 2″ strips, so maybe I’ll give this a try. My experiment with crocheting the strips was an epic fail, but I’m determined to make something with those strips (eventually). Thanks for sharing!!
Great potholders. I always have other ideas popping in my head all day long! Thanks so much for sharing!
Great potholders! I love how they are completed so quickly, and they look like they will really keep the heat away from your hands. Will definitely give this a try! These will make wonderful stocking stuffers! Thank you for the pattern links.
Great potholders. Thank you for sharing an easy to follow tutorial.
Great idea and the sharpie on the ironing board is perfect! I should have done that on the rectangle rug I made, that was not really a success. You may not have had a problem for the potholders, but then again, you might have!
Cute potholder and so useful. Thanks for the tut, too. I agree that the denim would be absolutely perfect. I can see that you have several colors of denim and that should really make them perfect.
Love your potholders! Thanks for sharing!
Happy Quilting! 🙂
What a great idea. They look fabulous.
oh my! I make toothbrush rugs and locker hook rugs…now you have me wanting to check out the jelly roll rugs! Do I really want to?
Great idea and thanks for the mini tutorial. Great gift with much potential for uses.
Really cute potholders! Great gift idea as well. I appreciated the tip and reminder to stitch before cutting!
Thank you for sharing the method. They look nice and thick – no more burnt tables or fingers.
Fantastic idea! Love the pot holders and it seems like they would be nice and thick for heat protection. Perfect for gifts for sure!
Great potholders, and what a great way to get comfortable with the jelly roll rug technique! I also have the pattern but haven’t made one yet and testing out making the rope is a really good idea!
Thank you very much for hopping. Your strips are a lot of work yet the results are lovely and very practical.
Great potholders and great use of jelly roll strips. Thank for sharing.
How fun are these???? I have tons of scrap batting that I just can’t make myself through away. What a great way to stash bust and “trash bust” if that’s a word! LOL!! I think I have to play this weekend with this! Thanks for the inspiration.
What a fun idea – it will make your kitchen all colorful!!
Hi Vasudha, what a great idea for potholders. It was also a great practice project for the eventual rug. Thanks for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks…and good luck with the jean rug – that would be great! Take care.
That was a clever idea, I still haven’t used the batting strips I received. Thank you for linking up to Put your foot down.
Once you get started making jelly roll projects you may never stop! They offer so much creativity. Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.