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I love scrap quilts but used to kill myself finding fabrics that worked well together as I tried to make one. It is said that all reds clash together nicely, and they do! But the same is not true for blues or greens.
Adding to my scrappy-look-misery was a book that nearly killed me as a quilt-maker. I bought it in 1999 when it was first published. It’s called Freddy’s House by artist, Freddy Moran. She is the quilter who famously said that 100 colors work better in a quilt than ten because the more colors you have in your quilt, the less you have to worry about them playing nicely together. She also used red as a neutral in her gorgeous, joyous, vibrant quilts.
I am thrilled that this game plan works so well for Freddy Moran – and it might work for you too – but I must confess, it does not work for me. Indeed, as I tried to use more and more fabrics in my quilts after reading her book, I stalled out for a time as a quilter.
When I came back to quilting after a seven-year hiatus, the quilt world had changed dramatically! Specifically, jelly rolls and other pre-cuts had come into existence, giving quilters an easy-peasy way of finding forty fabrics that blend well.
The quilt pictured here is called A Square in a Square. I used a Moda jelly roll to create it. There is absolutely no way that I could have chosen 35 fabrics from my stash to come up with something as aesthetically pleasing…and that’s with 30+ years of experience as a quilter!
Want a scrappy look without going insane choosing fabrics? Try a jelly roll today!
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Need a jelly roll friendly pattern? I offer two in my Etsy shop:
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