Texas Two Step with a Jelly Roll

Today I completed my second Jelly Roll Rug... & I've learned a lot. My first rug was a challenge not only to understand the technique, but also because my Babylock refused to cooperate. (It kept skipping stitches and drove me crazy!)

Before I started this next rug, I cleaned out every speck of lint and fluff. But it still didn't matter. For whatever reason, my Babylock Elisimo hates this rug and it still skipped stitches!!! I tossed and turned overnight and contemplated if it was time for another tuneup at my shop--- (they take weeks & these Texas rugs are for my kids). 

Then I decided to see if things went differently with another machine. I unpacked my Bernina "workshop" machine" & it was a VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. This rug seemed to WANT to be created and DID NOT SKIP STITCHES with the walking foot. Once I got past the first few twists, the rows started joining very easily and I found it to be rather relaxing. The only time my stitching went off, was when I would take my eyes off the needle & glance at the rug to admire my stitch work! 

But, I'm jumping ahead...

I used all the same supplies:

Roma Lambson's pattern, Moda's Bluebonnet Patch 

Jelly Roll, Bosal Katahdin precut batting, 

Auriful 50 thread & a jeans needle.

Since I knew exactly what I was doing this time 

everything moved very quickly. I chain pieced the strips. 

Cut seams & ironed them open to make the endless strip. 

I added the batting, triple folded it in and straight stitched in place using the walking foot. I continued carefully rolling in to a ball as needed. 

I didn't rush... all was relaxed.

Eventually my beautiful ball was ready for... 

UGHHHH!!!

Then I realized I screwed up!!!

SO, Here is what I learned:

I do know the technique to make the rug. 

But,

it is important to glance at the pattern for reminders! (Especially for me!)

I forgot that the outside of rug needed to be the first part of the strip to be prepped, sewn, & rolled...

AND

far more important: 

that is where the tapering needed to be!

That meant that by the time I finished my rug- I would not have a nice edge :( ...

Alas- I did not figure that out until my final 6 inches of rounding...

So there you have it- 

CHECK & RECHECK THE PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS!

My "rope" atop my first rug that I promised to mail out to my daughter:  

The disaster of skipped stitches caused by my babylock... and my attempting to resew over the rows repeatedly

I would eventually give up- 

& put my seam ripper to the challenge 

 I put my Bernina 350 in to the sewing table space

 normally housing my Babylock.

Not having a large flat surface became an issue later,

 since this rug is definitely not as flat as the first... 

but hopefully the starch took care of it.

Bernina 350: RickyTims Special Edition

Zig Zag Stitch 2: with walking foot at 5.5 width at 3 length

Rugs ready to ship for 

my daughter & my daughter-in-love

My Bluebonnet Patch Jelly-roll Rug

Today I finally finished my Jelly roll rug!!! 

I cannot recall the last time I finished a big project (without looking back on this blog!!!)
Since I don’t drive or get about much these days, I was quite late to jump on the jelly roll rug band wagon…
I don’t remember if I stumbled on it on pinterest or FB the first time, but like just about everyone else, I fell in love with Roma Lambson's Jelly Roll Rug pattern (from RJ Designs). 

I finally ordered my supplies on line and was ready to give it a try. But nothing in my life is simple these days… And what started out as a jump on the jelly-roll rug bandwagon came to an abrupt halt. 
A family tragedy would relocate me out of town for 5 weeks. After my return, it would be weeks before I would have the motivation to do much of anything…

Roma Lambson's pattern is excellent! And it seems everyone on youtube & Pinterest was ready to cheer me on and offered up videos of their tips, screwups, and encouragements. So TY to all of the cheerleaders out there- 
My turn to pay it forward.

To make this rug, obviously you need a jelly roll. Since I haven't the patience to cut strips of my overstocked stash that I may need for "something someday"...
I purchased: Moda's Bluebonnet Patch 

You can also use your own left over batting and merge select strips... ummm, yeah- that wasn't happening.
Bosal Katahdin sells a precut 2 1/2" batting to make this more doable & I bought 2 rolls... 

I pretty much left the strip arrangement as is since Moda did a great job of making it flow. But- I wanted a navy border, so I did pull those fabrics to the beginning of my strips... 

The pattern said to make long fanfolds to tame the long strip… but then "THE CALL". 

I knew I was about to leave town, so I wrapped mine around a piece of cardboard and sadly it stayed like that for a hellish 2 months… 

Eventually... I started to stare at everyones postings again and reentered my sewing room and decided to give it another go...

"Roping" takes longer than any other part of this and I honestly wondered why on earth I was not just buying a rug at Target...

I followed all the pattern instructions... except for rationally clipping... I used every clip I owned on that first color strip to get started!!! My Purple Thang had no wheres to go!
But eventually I relaxed and clipped further and 
further apart.

& by the time you create that basketball sized ball of fabric rope it is such a sense of accomplishment- you can't wait to start making your rug.

My biggest problem was skipped stitches. 
I changed my needle 3 times. I could literally hear them getting dull!
I took apart and cleaned out threads & batting fluff from my machine. 
I switched between my straight, open, overlock, & walking feet. I played with different threads & adjusted my tensions... 
Each day I did a few more rows & starched & pressed the hell out of them for a week or "sew".

In the end, I concluded: for my 7 year old Babylock Elisimo- my walking foot was best joining the roping to complete the rug. 
And-
I wasn't going to sweat a slipped stitch here and there- it's a rug, not an heirloom quilt!

Actually- I look forward to making my next one!

and finally: