Jelly roll strips make it easy to play with color and movement in a quilting project. This post pieces, grids, and quilts a set of placemats from one jelly roll bundle. The strips take on three completely different looks along the way.
materials
fabric
- jelly roll kit
- 3 yards [2.7m] of a neutral fabric
- crib size lightweight batting
thread
- 50wt thread for piecing
- 40wt thread for quilting
notions
- universal needle
- quilting needle
- temporary fabric adhesive spray
- 45mm rotary cutter
- self-healing cutting mat
- cutting ruler, 8½” x 24”
Piece the jelly roll strips
Start by opening the jelly roll kit and spreading the strips out to study how the colors interact. Pick eight strips and line them up side by side. Rotate and rearrange them until the combination feels right.
Take a photo of any layout worth remembering. If the choices feel overwhelming, simply arrange the strips from lightest to darkest and build from there.
Once the order feels right, stitch the eight strips together using an accurate ¼ inch seam allowance. The pieced strip set measures about 16½” x 40”. Cut this large piece into three equal units, each about 14½” x 16½”. Each unit becomes the foundation for a different placemat design.
Add a diagonal grid to the first placemat
Turn the first placemat unit into a bold grid design. Press a light coat of fabric sizing onto the back of the placemat and the neutral fabric first. This makes it much easier to sew such thin strips.
1. Cut four ¾” strips from the neutral fabric.
Sewing on ¾”strips add movement to the placemat.
2. Position a ruler at a 60-degree angle across the placemat and cut along that angle at 3” increments. Stitch a strip into each cut, matching the strip alignment as closely as possible. The placemat will look uneven at this stage, but that evens out later.
Sewing the ¾” strips into the placemat creates an indentation.
3. Repeat the process in the opposite direction. Position the ruler perpendicular to the first set of cuts and slice at the same 3” increments. Stitch a strip into each new cut. Once every strip is in place, trim the placemat back into a clean rectangle, sized to fit your dinner plates. This piece finishes at about 10½” x 16½”.
Cutting perpendicularly to the 60-degree strips
Rework the second placemat with mixed strip sizes
Give the second placemat unit an entirely different look by mixing strip widths. Cut the unit apart between the third and sixth strips. Rotate the middle section 180 degrees, then stitch it back in place.
Add two strips of neutral fabric next, one cut 1¼” x 14” and the other 2¼” x 14”. This alone creates a nice finished look, but adding a grid brings even more movement to the design.
Repeat the same grid technique used on the first placemat. Cut four ¾” strips and sew them in at a 60-degree angle in 3” increments. Then repeat the process perpendicular to the first set of cuts. Trim the finished piece into a rectangle, sized to fit your dinner plates. This placemat finishes at about 11” x 17”.
Creating various strip sizes and a grid to add movement to the placemats using the PFAFF passport 2.0
Quilt and bind the placemats
With all three placemats pieced, move on to quilting. Sketch a few design ideas on a phone before committing to one. Circles turned out to add just the right amount of movement to this project.
To free-motion quilt circles, lower the feed dogs and switch to an open-toe free-motion foot set for straight stitching. Slow the machine speed down slightly for better control while stitching. A needle-down setting helps keep the design on track every time the stitching pauses. A tie-off function locks each stopping point without extra fuss.
Finish each placemat by adding the binding. Stitch it down with a curved decorative stitch for a soft, finished edge that echoes the quilting’s movement.
Three strips of the same jelly roll, three completely different placemats. This project proves that color and movement can transform even the simplest quilting shapes into something eye-catching.