From the Vault: A Christmas Jelly Girl!

Hi everyone, and happy Friday to you all! Today I’m launching a new series on my blog called “From the Vault.” I’ve been designing sewing & quilting patterns for over 20 years, and I’ve honestly lost count of how many patterns I’ve written over those years—but it must be in the hundreds. These days, it feels like we’re always looking ahead with excitement to the next fabric collection that’s coming out, so I thought it would be a fun change of pace to take a look back at some of my earlier patterns that maybe you haven’t seen before (or not in a long time) and at the same time, freshen them up with a few of my current fabrics.

Today’s pattern refresh doubles as a “Christmas in July” project! I decided to pull out Jelly Girl, an old favorite that I just knew would look fantastic in Fig Tree reds and greens.

If you’ve been following me for even a short time, you’ve probably learned that I will do anything to avoid having to use special templates or sew “Y” seams, so I’ve designed quite a few patterns that use simple techniques to create the look of more complicated designs. Jelly Girl is one of those patterns! The swirls in Jelly Girl only look complicated, but they come together easily using jelly roll strips and a basic ruler. Each strip set yields 2 totally different blocks at the same time… I love that!

Before I show you the updated version, here’s the original pattern cover for Jelly Girl:

… the original quilt used my Patisserie collection. One of my favorite “memory” collections, inspired by my first trip to Paris.

And here is a version of Jelly Girl made with Aloha Girl, which I used as the sample for my Bluprint class called “Smarter Strip Quilting.”

And here is one we did several years ago from Chestnut Street for a totally different feel…

So I thought Jelly Girl was definitely due for another refresh! I just knew that this pattern would be perfect for a Christmas quilt because when done in reds and greens, those swirls look just like peppermint candies! What do you think?

Jelly Girl calls for just one jelly roll—gotta love that! You can use one collection or mix and match strips from a couple of different jelly rolls for even more scrappiness. In this recoloring, I’ve used fabrics from Christmas Figs and Christmas Figs II.

I promise that this pattern is very straightforward, and you’ll love the clever construction method that makes Jelly Girl come together in a jiffy. But if you’d like to walk through this pattern with me step by step, check out my Bluprint class HERE.

I hope you’ve enjoyed revisiting one of my older patterns with me today! This was a fun opportunity for me to give an older pattern a chance to have a few minutes in the spotlight again. I’ve got lots of patterns to refresh, so watch for the next “From the Vault” post soon!

(Oh, and if you want to grab a copy of Jelly Girl, you can find the PDF version HERE and the paper version HERE. Christmas Figs II is in stores now, so check with your favorite local quilt shop for a jelly roll!)

About The Author

joanna@figtreequilts.com

1 COMMENT

  1. Bonnie Madura | 17th Jul 20

    Well, this is a good day, I have not , before this, was able or know how to access your blog page (old lady trying to learn new tricks)! Your featured pattern is very intriguing, thinking that, at this time, I will pass but keep it on my list. Without going into details, I have not been at my machine for almost a year, I’m thinking that I might be ready to immerse myself in this great activity. My first mountain is making friends with my machine. My long time machine developed a problem that couldn’t be fixed, and just in the midst of a terrible time. I purchased a new machine Janome and I just cannot master a scant quarter seam. Hopefully I can figure it out, I have read many suggestions and now to work on it. Your posts, patterns and fabric inspire me. Thank you!

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