Autumn's Golden Gown - A Quick HST Method and Jelly Roll Quilt Tute

 

 Through Autumn's golden gown, we used to kick our way

You always loved this time of year

"Forever Autumn" by Wayne, Osborne, Vigrass

I haven't made anything using jelly rolls before, so I tried it. It's another quilting method to tick off my list!  I made up the design as I went along, but it was so simple that I wanted to share my method with you here.

A Quick HST Method & Jelly Roll Quilt Tute

So here's my tute for a 50" x 72" finished jelly roll quilt.

I used approximately 40 x 44" x 2.5" strips (usually just one jelly roll, but check the number of strips included in whatever roll you're using).

The Technique
Sew strips together lengthwise in sets of 8 strips using a 1/4" seam.  

 Iron the seams flat (to the side or open, whatever's your preference) and measure the width of the 8 joined strips. Using this width measurement, cut the 8-strip-wide fabric into perfect squares. You'll have sections left at the end of cutting that aren't large enough. Sew these together in any direction to make the fabric large enough to cut more squares of the required size so you can create more HSTs. 

NB: In the photos below, I've used the same method but only 4 strips rather than 8 strips. Please don't let that confuse you!

 

Place 2 fabric strip squares right sides together, varying the strips' direction with each set of 2 squares.  

 Here, I've placed the strips at right angles to each other.

Here's how to make super-fast Half-Square Triangles (HSTs): Sew around all four edges of the 2 layered squares using a 1/4" seam. 

 Now cut straight across both diagonals of the joined squares, creating 4 HSTs.

Cut through where the sewn lines cross rather than through the fabric corners. 

Turn the cutting mat, not the fabric, and cut across the opposite diagonal.

 thus creating 4 HSTs

that open up into squares.

There are so many ways you can then place the HSTs to create different designs/layouts. Here are a few examples, but these will be different depending on the direction of the original 2 squares when you sew them together, and they will also vary when you start sewing together your leftover sections of fabric.

 I played around with the layout, choosing my favourite placement for the HSTs. I then sewed them together in rows, which I then joined. 

 Then, I added a 3" border to the quilt top, creating a finished quilt that is 50" x 72".

The jelly roll fabric wasn't labelled, so I have no idea what the fabrics used in the quilt top are. I do know what the purple border fabric is, though. It's Padstow Range Cabbages & Roses Ltd, Floral Whitestone Lavender by Moda. The backing and binding are Philip Jacobs for Rowan, Cactus Dahlias PWPJ054—Gold.  

I have quilted using a 1" wide vertical straight line. The top thread is Aurifil #2340—Cafe Au Lait, and the bottom is Aurifil #2255—Dark Red Orange.

Here's lots of finished pics taken on my roof garden:

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed the tute. If you use it, be sure to let me know. I'd love to see what you make with it. I'd also appreciate you dropping me an email if something isn't quite clear or if you spot any errors so I can improve the tute for everyone!

ANOTHER MADE BY ME...

Added 8 September 2015:

I made another version of the quilt as a sample for a class I teach - you can read about it here:  

AND MADE BY YOU...

Added 8 February 2014:

Cleo Savala has made this fab version of the quilt - she contacted me via my Facebook page: "Wanted to share a photo of my take on your Autumn's Golden Gown.  I just used the blocks from the HSTs and then used the rest as a pieced border.  It was fun, fast and easy!  Thanks.".  Thanks to you, too, for sharing, Cleo; it's so wonderful to see a tute I've written made up by someone else, and your quilt is gorgeous :D

Added on 20 February 2014:
Last night at the Manhattan quilt store where I work, staffer and tutor Karen Moore Haynes was busy showing off her latest quilt top to students in her class, so I snapped a quick photo.  Inspired by Cleo Savala's version of my Autumn's Golden Gown quilt that I shared earlier in February, isn't it just wonderful - made with a narrow jelly roll called a 'honey bun' - 1.5" strips instead of 2.5".  I hope once Karen finishes the quilt, I'll be able to share that with you, too :D

Added on 15 May 2014:
Take a look at Karen Moore Haynes's finished quilt. She offset the above panel in a solid background with self-colour binding and diagonal quilting; it looks fantastic.

Added 21 January 2016:

Cleo Savala has made another version of the quilt - she contacted me via my Facebook page: "Made another Jelly Roll quilt for my sister who's in the hospital recovering".  Another fab finish, Cleo; thanks so much for sharing, and we send our best wishes to your sister for a speedy recovery :D

Dorothy Calvani, a student from one of my classes, sent me this picture of her finished Jelly Roll quilt.  Dorothy spent time considering the finished design rather than using a random technique, she has created some strong points and staggered continuing lines across the blocks.  She used a pillow turn technique to finish her quilt, making this a super fast, easy quilt finish; thanks so much for sharing the pic, Dorothy. I love how this turned out so much :D  If you'd like to try the pillow turn technique for yourself, I have a tute for it here - you may be surprised, but my fabric coasters are made precisely the same way, on a much smaller scale!

Another student, Susan, from my Jelly Roll Quilt class brought her quilt top along to our May 2016 NYC Metro MOD Quilt Guild meeting so I could take this pic of her with it.  Gorgeous colours, Susan, I love it :D

A Quick HST Method & Jelly Roll Quilt Tute

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