Strip Quilt: A Beginner-Friendly, Versatile Quilting Technique
A strip quilt is a popular quilting technique that involves sewing long strips of fabric together, making it a beginner-friendly option with plenty of creative potential. With minimal cutting and piecing, strip quilts offer a quick way to create beautiful patterns and are often used to make everything from lap quilts to bed-size quilts.
What is a Strip Quilt?
In a strip quilt, fabric strips—often pre-cut or cut from yardage—are sewn side-by-side to create the quilt top. The technique can be as simple or intricate as you like, depending on the pattern and fabrics chosen. This method is commonly used to make quilts with a “striped” look but can also be arranged in blocks, diagonals, or other patterns.
Why Choose a Strip Quilt?
- Quick to Make: Strip quilts are one of the fastest types of quilts to complete, as you can often use pre-cut fabric bundles like jelly rolls (2.5-inch wide strips).
- Beginner-Friendly: This technique requires less precision than traditional blocks and can be a great way to practice sewing straight seams.
- Endless Design Possibilities: The simple strip construction lends itself to many variations, such as zigzags, color gradients, and woven or diagonal effects.
Basic Techniques and Patterns for Strip Quilting
- Jelly Roll Race Quilt: One of the most famous strip quilt patterns, the jelly roll race, uses a whole jelly roll of strips sewn end-to-end in a long, continuous line, then folded and sewn in halves repeatedly. The resulting quilt top has a spontaneous, scrappy look with color stripes in random order.
- Bargello Quilt: This intricate-looking design uses strip quilting to create a wave or undulating effect by varying the placement and width of strips. Strips are sewn together, then cut into sub-strips of different widths and rearranged.
- Diagonal or Braided Strip Quilts: These patterns involve sewing strips at angles to create a diagonal effect. Braided strip quilts achieve a woven look, adding dimension and texture to the quilt.
- Color Gradient Quilts: You can create a striking strip quilt by arranging fabric strips in a gradient of colors, moving from dark to light or through the rainbow. This approach gives a modern look and highlights the fabric colors.
Materials and Fabric Selection
- Pre-cut Strips (Jelly Rolls): Pre-cut fabric bundles, like jelly rolls, make strip quilts even faster and easier. Jelly rolls contain an assortment of colors and patterns within a cohesive color palette, which simplifies fabric selection and coordination.
- Yardage: Yardage gives more flexibility for strip width and pattern but requires more preparation. Strips can be cut to any width, depending on the quilt size and design.
- Scraps for a Scrappy Look: Using scrap fabric pieces to create strips brings variety and a unique, handmade look to the quilt. This method also allows you to use up leftover fabric pieces from other projects.
Assembly Tips
- Precision Cutting and Consistent Widths: When cutting strips, ensure consistent width for a clean, balanced look. If using a rotary cutter, work on a cutting mat and measure strips carefully.
- Press Seams: Press each seam as you sew to keep the quilt top flat and smooth, which makes quilting and binding easier.
- Arrange and Plan Before Sewing: Lay out strips on a flat surface to visualize the final look. This is especially useful if creating a gradient or patterned design.
- Trim and Square the Edges: After sewing all strips, trim and square off edges to make binding easier.
Quilting and Finishing
When quilting a strip quilt, you can keep it simple by stitching along the seams, or try more intricate free-motion quilting. The quilt’s pattern can guide your quilting lines; for instance, zigzag quilting looks great on a diagonal strip quilt, while wavy lines can enhance a Bargello pattern.
Final Thoughts
Strip quilts are an excellent way to showcase beautiful fabrics with minimal cutting and piecing effort. Whether you’re looking for a quick project or a foundation to explore new patterns and color combinations, strip quilts offer endless creative opportunities for quilters at any level.
