Broadening my horizon with Jelly Rolls

Jelly Rolls.  I have always admired these small bundles of fabric set in small stack around the local quilt shop.  However, they have also always scared me. 

I am a control freak when it comes to colors, patterns and textures.  That’s why I have issues with the scrappy look.  I admire scrappy looks created by others, but have difficult letting go to accomplish it myself. 

My first quilts have all been very carefully planned and executed.  The idea of letting go of that control is scary!  What if I don’t like one of the strips?  What if I need one more strip than came with the roll? 

Then, I deployed to Afghanistan.  My regular stash is on a bookshelf in the US.  I needed a new way to sew that required minimal cutting because my big, beautiful self-healing mat is also in the US.  That is when I discovered jelly rolls - the pre-coordinated, pre-cuts that I now adore.  They force me to leave my tightly controlled comfort zone.  They force me to attempt the scrappy look, to give up control. 

I admit my first effort was a blue and brown baby blanket, so I didn’t go too far out of my comfort zone.  It’s a start though.  This is my first little push in a new color direction.  The fabric is the blue version of Lilly and Will. 

This quilt is “Pandora’s Box” from “Jelly Roll Quilts.”  I only made it half size because I wanted to use it as a baby blanket.  It assembles super fast, and is a quick and easy project that would look good in a wide variety of fabric choices.  The directions were very easy to follow, and even included instructions on which direction to press the seams.  Little things like that make this quilt a no-brainer to piece.  I would recommend this as a good beginner quilt pattern.