Why is there a pastry shop in my sewing room?

I received this in my e-mail the other day…

MODA will be introducing another New Pre-Cut at Quilt Market this Fall. They are called ‘Turnovers’.”

Turnovers! What next? I figured it was time to open a bakery OR get myself (and all you) up-to-date on all the products on the market meant to make our quilting lives easier. And maybe I can find out why they all seemed to be named after pastries.

Jelly Roll

Jelly Roll

Jelly Rolls

It all started with Jelly Rolls…I think. At least that was my first encounter with fabric named after a baked item. I tripped over them while visiting my local quilt shop last year. Interesting, I thought. But what do you do with Jelly Roll? I have no trouble with the real thing, but might have trouble chewing a fabric jelly roll.

Jelly Patch (uses Jelly Rolls)

Jelly Patch (uses Jelly Rolls)

Well, it turns out a Jelly Roll is a roll of pre-cut, matched fabrics, 2 1/2″ in width and 44″ long. You can find them from a variety of sources. I wasn’t really sure what they were, but then I started seeing patterns that use them, such as Jelly Patch. Hey! Someone was doing all the work for me! Well, some of the work anyway.

By the way, click on any of the images to see a large version of it!

Nickel Squares

Charm Pack

Charm Pack

Next I started hearing about Nickel Squares.  Ok, maybe that doesn’t fit the food theme. But I was hearing about them none-the-less!

Accent on Charms

Accent on Charms (uses Nickel Squares)

Nickel Squares are pre-cut 5″ squares of fabric.  QuiltWoman.com carries a number of patterns for Nickel Squares (also sometimes called 5″ Charm Packs). Accent on Charms is just one example.

Layer Cakes

Hopscotch

Hopscotch (uses Layer Cakes)

But it doesn’t end there. In the QuiltWoman offices I heard mention of a new pattern that uses Layer Cakes. Now this is really getting out of hand. Of course, I had to check it out and discovered Layer Cakes are 10″ squares…sort of Nickel Squares on steroids. Betty’s has a gorgeous new pattern designed by LOBO that uses Layer Cakes, called Hopscotch.

Sweet Rolls

Destiny (uses Sweet Rolls)

Destiny (uses Sweet Rolls)

In the process of writing this blog, I found another pastry, I mean type of pre-cut fabric.  Anyone want a sweet roll? These are 5 1/2″ or 6″ wide strips that are 44″ long. (Wondering to self here…why haven’t manufacturers standardized on these widths?) I found this brand new pattern in called Destiny. It’s designed by one of our own designers, Barb Sackel!

Turnovers

Turnovers

Turnovers

And this all leads us back to the Turnovers that inspired this blog entry. Turnovers are 6″ pre-cut squares cut in half diagonally to give you half square triangles. These turnovers are “fresh out of the oven”, so I haven’t seen any patterns using them yet. Give it a week or so! I’m betting we find some patterns that use them at Quilt Market!

Cooking Lesson is over

So that concludes our cooking, I mean quilting lesson for today. I still have no clue why most of this pre-cut fabric is named after pastries, but does it matter? I’m just thrilled to have someone doing some of the cutting for me! If you are short of time (like most of us these days), pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit down and check out QuiltWoman.com’s selection of patterns for pre-cut fabrics. We just might be able to save you some time. And I’m sure we can point you in the direction of a real bakery if our sweets can’t satisfy your craving!

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