The team at Robert Kaufman Fabrics kindly sent me a number of different size pre-cuts of my Designer Palette (Rita Hodge) ~ Kona Solids including a Skinny Strips pre-cut bundle. Skinny Strips pre-cuts are just like Jelly Rolls but rather than strips that measure 2.5 inches wide the strips are only 1.5 inches wide (by the full width of the fabric); perfect for sashing, inner borders and strip piecing.
My work and experience with Jelly Rolls is limited and I haven't previously seen a Skinny Strips pre-cut but I was curious to see more ... so I peeled off the label ... unfurled the strips ... only to then realize that there was no putting it back together again. The only thing to do was make something! Which I did, right then and there.
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| Skinny Strips ~ Baby and Toddler Quilt 34 inches x 43 inches |
When sewing long strips of fabric together there is a tendency for the piece to curve or bow, and then it simply will not lie flat. One way to avoid this is to alternate the sewing direction of the strips. For example, with this quilt top I first pieced the strips into pairs sewing from the top down, then pieced the pairs of strips together by sewing from the bottom up. Skinny Strips are also precision cut (and the strips were cut remarkably on-grain) which eliminates inaccuracy as a result of rotary cutting the full width of fabric. All you need is a constant width seam.
I then went a little crazy with the quilting, stitching 5 vertical lines for every one inch wide strip and for the full width of the quilt, matching the top thread with each of the Kona colors. This I love to do! It's very labor intensive but the texture created by the closely spaced quilting lines is amazing, and worth every color change, every bobbin change, and every stitch.
For the back of the quilt I have used a text fabric from the Love Notes collection by Echo Park for Andover Fabrics; I rather like that the colors of the larger size words match the colors of the quilt top. You can also see that for the quilting I matched the lower/bobbin thread to blend with the quilt backing fabric. Quilting with different top and and bobbin thread colors poses no problems provided your sewing machine tension is well balanced. My machine was having a good day!
This quilt is for sale and is now listed in my Etsy Store.
See the listing details here:
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| Binding ~ Kona Cotton in Pepper |
I loved working on this project! More work with solid fabric is definitely part of the plan for 2015.
Thank you for stopping by,
Rita
RELEVANT LINKS:
Red Pepper Quilts Etsy Store
Rita Hodge Kona Designer Palette
More RPQ projects with Kona Cotton
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This is incredibly Beautiful. Your work is such an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThis is just lovely! Elegant 'simplicity' - it's not simple at all with that attention to colour matching!
ReplyDeleteI just love the colors in your palette! And the backing really coordinates perfectly. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteПотрясающее одеялко!!! Думаю, что будущему маленькому хозяину оно очень придется по душе!!! И спасибо Вам за подсказку, что при сшивании длинных полос, необходимо чередовать направление при сшивании!! Для меня , как для новичка, очень ценная информация, а Ваши работы - настоящий источник вдохновения!!
ReplyDeleteThis is just beautiful, Rita. And a testament to the size of your thread collection if you had a match for every one of these colours!!
ReplyDeleteLove it! I will be buying these for sure!
ReplyDeleteLovely. I have made a few toddler quilts with jelly rolls, they are so simple and satisfying to make. x
ReplyDeleteReally lovely and I really like the matched quilting threads. Such a simple idea, elegantly executed.
ReplyDeleteSimple and very clever!
ReplyDeleteOh, the patience! and such precision. I really love the effect that you created with this simple design. makes for a stunning quilt.
ReplyDeleteOh! What a great idea!!! I've got a jelly roll of bright colors and I've been wondering what the heck to do with it ~ thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteJust so simple and beautiful! Love it! Moda sells honey bun precuts that are 1.5 inches. Love those solids!
ReplyDeleteAnother amazing quilt! I love the quilting, really makes each strip pop!
ReplyDeleteYour straight line quilting is so inspiring. LOVE this.
ReplyDeleteWow - this is amazing! Love how you put all the colors together.
ReplyDeleteSo gorgeous, as always.
ReplyDeleteI was just looking at the final prize for the Kona 30th anniversary and wondering what one can do with the skinny strips - what a great demonstration of their potential! I would love to know which threads you match to the solids, if you're willing to share.
ReplyDeleteWow, Rita! So happy! And I love the backing!
ReplyDeleteEverything about this quilt is stunning.
ReplyDeleteThought the skinnies would be too narrow to do anything with them. Boy, did you change my mind! And I love that you went to all the trouble to match thread. Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteI love everything about this quilt and that backing is PERFECT!! You're right every stitch was worth it :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda
Very very cool - and the backing is ideal! Great work!
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is great. Love the dense quilting in matching colors.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I have discovered when using skinny strips besides alternating sides is to iron the seams open. It really makes a big difference, I think, and I can tell where/if my lines are uneven and fix them, too...love this quilt and really adore the back fabric. Perfect for a baby or even an adolescent quilt.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great quilt. I love your work and all the different quilts you make.
ReplyDeleteJust wonderful.
ReplyDeleteReally beautiful. Your Kona palette is a lovely mix of colors, Rita!
ReplyDeleteSo delicious!! And congrats on your bundle!!! Woot!
ReplyDeleteI just love the simplicity and beauty of this quilt. You do such a beautiful job with strip sewing and quilting.
ReplyDeleteSo fun to revisit these beauties, Rita!!
ReplyDelete