Jelly Roll Races

Let the Races begin!
The Nimble Thimbles Quilt Guild recently hosted a Jelly Roll Race/ Sew-In For Charity.
The goal was to make as many charity quilts as possible in a few short hours.

Each guild member was asked to pre-sew 40 (2 1/2" WOF strips) end to end before the start of the race.
*approximately 1600- inches in length.
Most of the fabric strips were scrappy and donated for the cause.

Ready, set, go!
The clock was set, and the races began.
Who would be the first to complete the quilt?

You know how competitive quilters can be!
Machines began humming away.

Matching ends, the first two rows were sewn together creating large piles.

Some served as pit crew, helping untangle the long rows of fabric.

And some, like Barbara brought her son as a personal attendant.

Matthew really did a great job and made quite a difference in helping his mom get ahead in the race.

Others nearby began bribing Matthew with candy and food if he would jump ship and move over to help with their untangling.

Pit crew members helped with the ironing.

Soon we had a winner.
Nancy finished in 1 hour 17 minutes.
Many others came in close behind.

This technique can also be called a "lasagna quilt".
Finished size around 48" X 60"

I loved seeing how each quilt turned out differently using a variety of fabrics.

A great way to go through your stash and use up a certain color.

This really is a win-win competition.
A great way to use up all those old scraps of fabrics you no longer want, and provide charity quilts for your community.
Plus we had a lot of fun.

If you want to know more about how to host a Jelly Roll Race for your guild or church group, there is a great video available on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EomX7t7to_o