Jelly Roll and Tea

My friend L came over yesterday afternoon. She brought a jelly roll. No, not the one you eat--it's a roll of fabric strips, like this.

That's how it looks when it's unrolled. When it's rolled up it does look a lot like the edible version. A jelly roll can be a fun and convenient way to buy a variety of fabrics. Several of my students have been working with jelly rolls in class lately. They're a cute little bundle of fabric sweetness. But like most things, there's an inherent challenge. It's easy to be attracted to the fabrics on the outside of the roll and the nifty arrangement. Fabrics on the inside of the roll are hidden, except for the very edge. You need to work out what's really in that fabric bundle before you can use it well.

We brewed ourselves a cuppa each and had a look at the collection of fabric. About a third of the strips were cut from a fabric which L didn't particularly like. It's the one you can see right at the bottom of my pic--pinky-apricot is the predominant colour. Let's be honest, as we discussed the fabric and possibilities it became clear that L really didn't like that fabric. So, out it went. Then we played a bit more, rearranging the colours and supplementing the collection here and there. For me it was fun to look at the potential without having to commit to any sewing of my own. Meanwhile I had yarns in the dye-pot and good company on a sunny afternoon.