The jelly rolls and charms that I have were gifts and while I have an idea for one of the jelly rolls, I'm clueless about the rest. But, thinking about it, jelly rolls are 2 1/2" strips and charms are 5" so when I saw an easy baby quilt using charms, I jumped on it! Now, I have 1 less charm pack. :-) I don't think I've ever had a pre-cut, but I ran across a kit I have the other day, that I might cut up and make as soon as these 2 'need to do' quilt tops are done. Guess I'm no help. :-)

I buy yardage and cut it myself. When creating a quilt for someone, I ask for paint chips in order to match colors. I enjoy going to the different stores and buying the fabric.

I tend to have a quilt in mind colorwise, blocks/design, theme and then go shopping in my stash to find the fabrics I need. If necessary, I will then purchase fabrics to fulfill the need for the quilt. I don't think I've ever had a set of pre-cuts (jellyroll, layer cake) in hand and then went looking for my quilt design. However, I do have several nickel quilt books that use 5-inch squares which I cut from fabrics in my stash.

I have used pre-cuts, but prefer to cut my own. Besides the cost of the pre-cuts, I prefer to prewash my fabric because the chemicals bother my hands.

beverly

I'm glad you asked that one Beth. I've been toying with the pre-cut idea and it's good to get some input of things to consider. I have plenty of yardage to choose from here at home so will probably just do the cut your own thing -- unless of course a REALLY good sale pops up somewhere. lol

I'm like Loisflan in that almost everything I make is something that doesn't lend itself to pre-cuts--not that I haven't seen colors in some pre-cuts that make me drool. It's been some time since I have had the leisure to sew myself some much-needed clothes, much less work on the quilt I have had going for several years now--my first stack 'n whack, top about 1/2 put together--but I am thinking about it more and more.

Hi, GrammyP and Glassquilt, I remember you from the good old days before my husband got liver cancer and I turned to polymer claying. He is still alive, thanks to the Budwig protocol, and I still have my stash, which sits in drawers and on shelves in the bedroom, looking at me reproachfully. How are you doing? It's so good to see your familiar names.

Oops, should have mentioned that you probably knew me as Biwako.

Yep....I remember you! Welcome back!

I have tried using pre-cuts, but find them challenging. Though I like the color coordination, it seems like my chosen patterns don't work. But then, I really like the choosing fabrics & cutting portions of quilting.

Hi biwa45, formerly Biwako. Good to hear from you.
Glad to hear your hubby is doing well.
If you get the urge to quilt you won't have to go far for fabric. ☺

Three married grandkids - made wedding quilts for each.
One divorced, remarrying, making another quilt. (Don't want new spouse to feel left out.)
One great, grandkid and another great on the way.
DH is using his walker more than he used to. Not a happy camper when it
comes to being able to do as much as he'd like to but still keeps at it.

Hi, biwa45, I remember you very well and have thought of you often, wondering how you and your husband were doing. So glad to hear your husband is still with you and you at least have your stash to look at. I remember you did some very intricate quilting. Very nice to hear from you.

Hi, Biwako! It's great to hear from you! I'm glad to hear your hubby is doing well. And don't let your stash intimidate you - it can wait till you're ready! (I try to use that technique on the cat when she starts pressuring me for canned food LOL.)

Regarding pre-cuts...I buy FQs but haven't bought other precuts. When I've looked at them in the stores they are often a mixture of prints that I don't think go together very well, though I know they are all from one fabric line. Plus I don't want to get sucked into buying more expensive cuts then having to buy patterns specially designed to use them. :)

Donna

I like both. I will buy a precut if I really like the fabrics in that particular line. It also helps me pick out which ones are my favorites so then I can buy yardage of that one or two. I just needed a quick little project the other day and I used a charm pack of of a line called Snap Pop. I was pretty amazed at how much quicker the project went when I had almost all of the squares cut out for me. I just needed to add a few to round out the number.

It's for the cat, he sleeps up there at night. Nothing special, but it helped me to use up a charm pack that has been sitting here for a long time. Quick project, like one day, LOL. And I was looking around on eBay the other day and I found out that a couple of precut packs of fabric that I have are quite valuable now and I'm thinking about selling them. I will probably double or triple my money because precuts come in limited supply and when they're hard to find, and people want them, they go up in price.

What a cutie! And now he has his own special blankie. :)

Cute kitty on a cute quilt!

I primarily buy yardage or FQ packs of a fabric line and will pick up a charm pack or jelly roll for two reasons...on sale and I like the fabric. I've found charm packs to be the most useful for quick and easy quilts. Jelly rolls, and honey buns in plain white are very useful when you have a design in mind which has lots of block borders, like garden gate. I used white honey buns (1.5") for all of the borders in this design, it speeded up the process.

This top was a charm pack I found on sale...combined with some yardage and it will be a baby quilt some day soon... I hope.

V.

I usually buy fat 1/4'd and yardage but have recently been attracted to the 10" layer cakes (they can be cut into charm sq. easily and are cheaper that way). I am using up my stash as much as I can and am now making a scrappy nickel quilt which uses 5" sq. and I find the charms useful to fill in when I need some variety. I think the jelly roll might be useful as well when 2 1/2" rectangles are needed in a scrappy quilt.

I apologize, after the warm welcome back, for not posting again right away. The days appear to be numbered for my 24-year-old cat, and I am spending a lot of time taking care of him and trying to keep him comfortable, not to mention crying, because I don't know what I'm going to do without him. Not only is he the love of my life, but this will be the first time I lose a cat and don't have any others to comfort me. Hubby doesn't want any more pets.

To the dear old friends who remembered me after 7 years or so--I am touched and grateful. I note that Glassquilt's name is on the quilt several friends made for my husband when he was diagnosed with liver cancer. (I wrote in the individual names on the large label on its back.) He still cherishes that quilt and takes naps under it. Your family has grown since I last knew you, Glass!

Are Anjea and Bonica still around? No doubt the names of some others will come to my mind as well.

Speaking of memory, either mine is getting weak or there have been some changes in terminology or things I never noticed to begin with, when I frequented quilting shops. What are honey buns and 10" layer cakes? Very intriguing names!

I love to look at other people's quilts, and the three here are so cozy and warm and pretty. Is the pattern in your top one called garden gate, LittleHelen? I don't think I've ever seen it before.

I love your cat, too, Flamingo. He looks so healthy, and--I may be wrong, but--I note that as he is gazing up at someone, he seems to be contracting his right front paw as cats do when pleased. Well, he should be pleased, with such a pretty quilt made just for him.

Hugs, BIwako - I'm so sorry about your kitty! I'm thinking of you. We've lost several over the years and it is so hard.

I heard some time ago that Bonica had passed away - heart issues, I believe.

I know layer cakes are 10" squares, but not sure on honey buns...they may be strips that are only 22" long instead of the full WOF like jelly rolls. :)

Donna

biwa45, Here's a link for info on various pre-cuts. Hope it helps. http://www.sew4home.com/tips-resources/fabric-color-texture/lesson-pre-cut-bundles-common-names-sizes-and-shapes

Thanks, guys. What a wonderful link, Geezerfolks. I ought to print it out and take it with me the next time I visit Rosie's Calico Cupboard. It's been a long, long time, though, and I probably should try to use up more of my stash before I go getting interested in pre-cuts. I didn't know that the bundles often include a sample of every print in a collection. That's very useful, as are the explanations about how some of the fabric companies have their own names for certain bundles. I only skimmed through the article tonight, but by the time I found "turnovers," I was really laughing. What will they think of next? Perhaps they will turn to "pot-roasts" or "casseroles"!

I feel sad about Bonica. Was it she who once lived in Mexico and made gorgeous quilts using solid colors? I took a picture of her(?) Shakespeare in the Park pattern quilt, which was done mainly in blues and orange with intricate hand-quilting, and was in love with it. It was one of those things that I have toyed with making and wish I could, but know I will never tackle. Life is still too hectic for me, even in my late 70s. To my great disappointment, I can't find the picture of that quilt anywhere in my computer. I used to look at it for inspiration. All my quilting pictures seem to have fallen through the cracks during the changes over to a new computer that I have gone through in the past 7 or 8 years.

Yes the quilt pattern is garden gate.... But like many patterns it may have more than one name.

honey buns are 1 1/2" wide X 44" long strips, they came in handy while making garden gate.

Sorry to read about your kitty, it's a difficult time for you... Quilt hugs...

V.

Just to add to Val's answer. The pattern is also called Garden Fence and Eleanor Burns calls her version Hole in the Wall.

Same pattern, three names and I am sure there may be others.

Theresa

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat, 24 is just amazing. You have taken very good care of him, biwa. Hugs to you, I know what you're going through.

Thanks for admiring Bizbee. He's a sweet, loving troublemaker!

Biwako, I think the quilt you're talking about was made by Marti in Mexico. I think Bonica lived in NY.

Yes, Marti! That's it, msmeow! I remember that she sort of disappeared from the forum, didn't she? And I have a more vague impression that her marriage might have gone south, or something bad happened that ended in her leaving her delightful home in Mexico. (I used to drool over the picture she once posted over the big sunny room she had for her quilting.) Does anybody have any news of her? I was fond of her and felt bad when she left.

"A rose by any other name would be as sweet," or however that quotation goes. I like "garden gate/garden fence/hole in the wall"! Too bad I'll probably never have time to try it. Too many others in line ahead of it, which also may well never get done. But I am determined to finish my stack 'n whack with its Mexican-y colors. The white that I chose for its background triangles made it unsuitable for a bed that a cat might jump up on, but my poor old boy is past that--though this morning, surprisingly, he did make it in from the bed he insisted on having in the bathroom to sit on a low table beside my bed and cry loudly enough to persuade me to get up and feed him. Hubby tends to get up around 5:00 or 6:00, and I think the cat feels it is my duty to get up then.

Thanks, Flamingo. How did Bizbee get his name? It sounds cute.

Lots of great info on this thread! Thank you, all! and it's so nice to see a re-connect with old friends, too. I guess Quilters really do have Good Bindings!

This Zipper pattern can be made with either a Jelly Roll or Charms.

This inspector's name is FuzzBall.

I've never seen that pattern before; can see how it got its name! It looks easy, yet interesting. Feeling half asleep and ready for bed this evening, I wondered at the words in the email notice I got: "This inspector's name is FuzzBall." lol I should have known! Of course, the picture makes it clear. How old is he/she? Cats do love quilts and piles of clean laundry, don't they!

Biwa, More and more I look for easy patterns to do without needing to buy ta book or pattern. The internet makes it easy. I really should take note where I see the quilts or something that will guide me back to the page that peaked my interest. I have 3 right now that I cannot think of the name used or where I saw them.....although I think 2 came from Bonnie Hunter's page.

FuzzBall and her mother, Prissy, are not really our cats. We offered to 'kitty-sit' about 5 years ago when DD's family went on vacation and they forgot to pick them up when they returned. Their family is quite active, coming and going often, and we are stay-home types. They come and visit, pay for vets and meds.........DH cleans the litter boxes and feeds them. He's an animal lover and is good with them. The grands thought FuzzBall was a he until they took him in to be 'fixed' and he was pg. lol She was a ball of fuzz when little, hence the name. They give us something other than ourselves to look at throughout the day. :-)

Sounds like a really great arrangement with the cats' owners! Let's hope they never move away.

I do much the same thing you do with quilts and have occasionally bought a magazine solely because there was a picture of a quilt that I liked. But there are so many things that I wish I had kept a note (NOT on any old scrap of paper that was handy, as is my bad habit) on where I found them. My keyboard is always full underneath with scraps of paper--sometimes with important stuff on them--and then I have to take the time to sort them all out every so often, or--worse--search frantically, hoping that the urgently needed info will be on one of them.