Turn Unused Jelly Roll Strips Into Beautiful Quilted Fabric

A few months ago, I rediscovered an old project from 2016—a colorful batik Log Cabin Flying Geese quilt. After checking out the two finished blocks, I thought, “Do I really want to make this quilt in 2024?” Turns out, not so much!

Rediscovering Old Fabric & Starting a Jelly Roll Race

So, I had this bag of jelly roll strips sitting around and thought, “Why not make a Jelly Roll Race quilt instead?” It’s super easy—just sew, sew, sew until you end up with one big piece. Perfect!

I decided to go big and make a large piece of quilted fabric rather than a full quilt. I also remembered I had another batik jelly roll (let’s be honest, I have a habit of tucking fabric away for years!). I tossed all the colorful batik strips into a pile, wound a few bobbins, and off I went. Before I knew it, I had a 62 x 126-inch piece of vibrant goodness.

My giant piece of quilted batik strips

Quilting the Batik Strips with Best Fronds Pantograph

Next came the quilting—my favorite part! I used an older sheet for the backing, loaded everything onto my trusty Innova machine, and chose Glide Key Lime thread with Jess Zeigler’s “Best Fronds” pantograph. The result was gorgeous, and I love how the design turned out.

Creative Uses for Quilted Fabric: Upcycled Reusable Bags

So, what to do with all this beautiful batik quilted fabric? I’ve been trying to go plastic-free at home, so I decided to make reusable grocery bags. These are going to be the coolest shopping bags ever! I found some coordinating yard bundles for the linings and a free pattern that works well with directional fabric. Now I just need to figure out the perfect size, customize the pattern, and get busy cutting and sewing (hopefully soon! and I'll be back with the finished grocery bags! ).

The possibilities for quilted fabric are endless. I once had a client bring me three yards of beautiful fall-themed “cheater” fabric to quilt, which she then turned into a fabulous quilt coat. From bags to clothing to home décor, let your imagination run wild!

Susan's quilted fabric ready to be transformed into a beautiful fall quilt coat

Can't wait to complete my grocery bags and share the pattern, tips, and results.

Piece be with you, Lisa