Jelly Roll Chopping and Inspiration

Yesterday was heavenly. I sat behind my sewing machine for the whole afternoon completely uninterrupted....ahhhhhhhh! That is pretty rare around here. I had decided that I was going to do a baby size jelly roll race quilt. I cut my pieces and loved what I had chosen. I sewed it all together...and didn't like the end result. All my greens had lumped together; matching fabrics sat on top of each other...all the light fabrics at the top and dark at the bottom with a big white strip through the centre like a little target. I ripped seams out to break up the chunks of matching fabrics and still didn't like it. After ripping and sewing and ripping and resewing again, this is what I had....

This is the blurry folded in half version

Eventually I lost my patience with it and pulled out the rotary cutter and began chopping it up! This is not like me. I am a pattern follower...a rule follower.  Normally doing something as radical as cutting up my quilt top would have had me one step away from a nervous breakdown, however, after last it was rather therapeutic. It was very liberating to just say forget it and cut away without any regrets! Then my girls came home and gave their opinions...they pretty much were in agreement with the chopping of the quilt top.  

After cutting the strips I rotated every other strip. I didn't plan it at all and didn't really notice but the second row from the top and bottom is exactly the same. I'm quite happy with that turned out.

This is where I finished off last night...

I have been thinking about putting a stripe of green in the border but I just love how fresh and clean this looks so I think I will quit now before I have to chop up another top. It reminds me of springtime and fresh cut grass. I think now I will just pluck up the courage to quilt it...thinking straight lines to keep with the minimalism of the design. So now you know...when you lose the Jelly Roll Race, make Chinese Coins!

I'm now hanging out in my basement staring at my fibre and considering possibilities.  I just had an inspiring conversation with Joanne at Merry Poppins. (She is making cake pops for my daughter's 12th birthday. I can hardly wait to pick them up.  Her work is beautiful. You can find her on Facebook too at Merry Poppins.)

Anyway, when creative people get on the phone together there is no telling where the conversation may go. We went from cakes to quilting then spinning to felting. My mind is now running through the possibilities of where I could take Twistfully Yours and the idea of teaching workshops. Feeling more inspired than overwhelmed...that's a good sign! This isn't a new thought but the unknown keeps halting me in my tracks...

• how to start a cottage business
• how to price my work
• farmer's markets
• booking keeping and tracking inventory...eek
• how to take a decent photo 

I would love to hear your thoughts on some of these questions.  Wishing you an inspired week!

(PS there are only 118 classroom days left of the school year...

I am completely pumped about summer holidays now! lol)