Noodles?

We were in a fabric shop recently where I saw one of those for the first time. Marion called it a "jelly roll" which I guess she got off this group. What you will find on googling for *that* I can't imagine. The ur-meaning is *not* about food.

I still don't know what you're meant to do with them. The ones I've seen had well-coordinated colour choices. How many FQs does a bundle correspond to? The price is about 6 or 7 times the price of an FQ.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts

I'm not really sure, but the ones I saw today were $26.00 USD !!!!! And the label said 2.5 yards..

But I think you are correct in that where I originally heard about these, was "jelly roll" so I will try searching the group for that instead of "noodles" and see what I can come up with!

Thanks Jack!!

Can't help with the noodles, but is SO good to see you back. I was just thinking about you the other day and wondered where you've been. I miss you. Gen

LOL, just when one would think there's nothing new... Thanks for asking!

" Collecting and/or stashing fabric noodles is becoming a hot item in the quilting world because there are so many practical uses for these noodles. A few ideas for using noodles in your quilting include:

• Use them to make bindings for quilts (and to give a quilt some "zing", use a variety of colors and/or textures from your noodles to bind a single quilt!), * Cut them into smaller pieces and use the smaller pieces in quilts, such as 2.5=A1=E5 squares, * Use them as sources of your stash to appliqu=A8=A6, * Use them as the whole noodles to make a "noodle quilt", * Use them in a "braided" border, * Use them in the "Tessellating Stars" pattern, * Use them to make log cabin blocks, * Use them to make rail fence block, * Use them to make piano key borders, * Use them in Half-Square and/or Quarter-Square Triangles, * Use them to make diamonds using the LeMoyne Star pattern, * Use them in "I Spy" quilts, * Use them in a "Lasagna" quilt, * Add them to your stash for future projects."

Colisa

There are loads of patterns these days that call for "jelly rolls", and I even bought one where you use the jelly roll strips to make stars. I haven't made the pattern yet, but I can definitely see the benefits of purchasing pre-cut strips.

Trixie

Hello Tina - wondered where you had got to!

I think Noodles were re-named Jelly Rolls by Moda who have a big range.

They are 2.1/2" strips cut the whole width of fabric and tend to be one of each item in a range. There are 40 strips in a roll, although in the roll I have there are 41!

There's a whole page on their site

with patterns at the top and Jelly Rolls at the bottom.

I was lucky enough to win a roll in a magazine competition recently - its the Moda Summer's Basket of Flowers, and actually spent yesterday morning sorting out the colours for the pattern I'm using. Its called Twin Stars and is from the Jelly Roll Quiilt book by Pam and Nicky Lintott. You can look inside the book on Amazon uk, but onAmazon US you can't see inside.

I bought a book because I wanted to be sure I used a pattern where I wouldn't run out 3/4 of the way through. The star patterns recommend the use of a 'triangle ruler' though you can of course use the angle lines on an ordinary one. When I was doing my first sampler quilt and was at the stage where I believed everything the shop/teacher said, I bought a special triangle thingy which has remained in its packet ever since as I usually do my half square triangles using the 'put 2 squares together' method. However, I can now justify its purchase!

Jelly Rolls are so pretty that it was ages before I actually unrolled mine. Here they are £26 each - which converts to $38, so yours are c h e a p!!!

Hope Billy is recovering and glad that your health has improved.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

T> I have to tell you ladies something I found really funny!

Great explanation. Thanks.

Mary's Patch in West Calder (West Lothian, Scotland) has them at

16 pounds.

They may have potential for making a stuffed model of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts

Tina, great to hear from you. Hope B is okay and the surgery was minor.

Noodles is one name for the 2 1/2" strips. Jelly Rolls is Moda's name for a set of 40 strips, all from one line (if there are more than 40 fabrics in the line you miss a few, if there are fewer you get duplicates to make up the 40) Bali has "Bali Pops", and so on. Different names for the same thing. There were a couple of books out a while back called "Noodle Soup" was the first, author is Debbie Caffrey. The second was "Open a Can of Worms". She also has other books and patterns that are based on 2 1/2" strips. When the "jelly rolls" started to be popular, many authors jumped on the band wagon and there are lots of patterns and books now available for these pre-cut strips. Because you generally get a variety of fabrics the resulting quilts are scrappy looking, but are coordinated because they are often one line of fabric. Of course you can cut your own strips of any fabric for these quilts too.

This brings up something that has been a topic on the "Quilt Designers" list..... the proliferation of "precut fabric bundles" (5" charms, jelly rolls, sweet rolls, layer cakes, and more). Are these a passing fad or here to stay? why do quilters like them? are they really worth what you pay for them? (figuring a per yard basis) and so on.

I love the charm packs but haven't gotten into many of the others. What do you all think?

Have Fun, Pati, > I have to tell you ladies something I found really funny!

Welcome back Tina!

i received a charm pack for a birthday a couple years ago, it was of Batiks. I used most of it for applique.

i'm not real jazzed with the jelly-rolls. i cant seem to get any ideas that i can wrap my head around for them.

have fun, tho!

amy in CNY

TINA!!!!! You can make really cute quilted bags in different sizes - which is what I'm doing with the ones that I bought. I'm hoping to get a bunch made by the time of the March craft fair, and have a variety of fabrics that I'm mixing and matching. Catch me on yahoo if you get the chance and tell Billy that Bek and I say hi (btw, she just had her hair chopped of from the middle of her back to her shoulders....said it's her BIG girl haircut).

Larisa

I think I have decided I am going to make that blues quilt for John and I that I never made! I had been collecting blues, thanks to many here at RCTQ and I think I will buy that noodle I saw full of blues. I went to JoAnn's today - can you believe, they don't even send me coupons anymore! AAAaaarrggghhh. But fortunately, Simplicity patterns were only .99 cents, so I bought some patterns for Madison (my grandbaby) and some fabric to make her an Easter outfit.

And the quilting calico's were all 50% off, so I bought about 6 different blues and some whites with light blues for contrast.

And I think I am going to use the blues (and that noodle) to make us an Irish Chain! I am SOOO excited to finally be making a quilt for US! LOL

Thanks to everyone for the input on the "noodles" and "jelly rolls"!

And it is SOOOOOO wonderful to talk to good friends again! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

HUGS! Tina

Pati,

This is a great question. I have avoided these things for the most part. Partially because of the cost, although convenience does have its price and is sometimes worth it. My primary reason, though, is that I am a rabid "pre washer" and can't even imagine the mess that a jelly roll would turn into - resulting in the loss of the precision benefit that is the whole point in the first place.

Rita L. (Some content deleted...)

This brings up something that has been a topic on the "Quilt Designers" list..... the proliferation of "precut fabric bundles" (5" charms, jelly rolls, sweet rolls, layer cakes, and more). Are these a passing fad or here to stay? why do quilters like them? are they really worth what you pay for them? (figuring a per yard basis) and so on.

I love the charm packs but haven't gotten into many of the others. What do you all think?

Have Fun, Pati, in Phx

My book says 'do not prewash', so I'm relying on Moda to be colourfast and behave itself, though I will use a colour catcher when I wash the completed quilt. I'm using a background fabric I had already prewashed (fabric goes through door into washer then into stash) so am keeping fingers crossed there will be no shrinkage probs.

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Rita L > Pati,

You pre-washers mess up everything... ~:o)

Actually, I'm a starcher, so they're just as bad for me. I bought one of the Moda jelly rolls and it's probably destined to be a decorative item in my studio, just like the Featherweight. I love the idea of pre-cut strips, but I dread the idea of sewing them together unstarched.

Having said that, I do like Layer Cakes, bundles, and charm packs. Even though the price is a bit high, they give me great variety of fabrics without having to buy yardage, most of which would go unused anyway. My fabric pulling philosophy is "why use one fabric when 20 will do?" And I kiss a lot of frogs before finding those 20 perfect fabrics. I like the most variety I can get. If a pattern calls for a 2 yards of red, I'm likely to buy 1/2 yd of 4 different reds or a 1/4 yd of 8.

If I then decide I want yardage from one of my charms, then I can go in search of it or something comparable. In the end, considering the sheer amount of fabric I like to have around when choosing, they are cheaper for me. It's either that or open a quilt shop. And I never want to work that hard.

That's my story and I'm stick> Pati,

I am also a rabid pre washer. The pieces *do* shrink and so you have to be careful the size of the washed piece is large enough for the pieces in your pattern.

The precuts are a great way to get all the fabrics in a collection.

I probably will consider only layer cakes or fat quarter bundles from now on.

Karen in WI

Rita L > Pati,

I'm a pre-washer too! I've had colours run and fabric shrink alarmingly! The only "noodle" in my collection are the ones I cut from scraps, and leftover bindings (I cut mine at 2 1/2 inches). I do buy fat quarters from time to time, especially when it is a colour I need for accent, but don't want a larger amount in my stash. I've been trying to use up some of my stash lately, but keep finding great sales while I spend the winter in Florida!

It's either that or open a quilt shop. And I never want to work that hard.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it... ~:o) Regards, anthony in Clearwater