Jiggle-Joggle-Jee Quilt

Jiggle-Joggle-Jee Quilt, 43" X 43"

When Kristy @quietplay invited me to use her new Create fabric collection by Riley Blake...

...to design a project, I headed to EQ8 to come up with this foundation paper-pieced design. 

The quilt name comes from a repeated phrase in the poem The Baby Goes to Boston.

What does the train say? Jiggle-joggle-jiggle-joggle

What does the train say? Jiggle-joggle-jee

The quilt's jiggle-joggle-looking bars made me remember that nursery rhyme. 

Here's the free pattern, and/or keep reading below for the quilt tutorial.  

Download Jiggle-Joggle-Jee quilt pattern and foundation papers

Jiggle-Joggle-Jee Tutorial

Note: The supply list and cutting instructions are also on the printed quilt pattern. 

Supplies – all fabrics should be 100% cotton; yardages based on 40"-width

• 25 different fat eighth prints: I used Riley Blake Designs Create collection for 61 blocks
• 1⅔ yard background fabric: I used Riley Blake Designs Bee Background Cross Stitch Gray
• 12"-long Add-A-Quarter Ruler
• ⅓ yard, for 2¼”-wide binding
• 2½ yards backing fabric
• 1 quilt batt (approx. 47" X 47”)
• thread

Foundation Paper for Piecing - My preference is to use 8½" X 11" unprinted newsprint paper

Print foundation papers (link here), remembering:

Fabric is sewn to the paper on the back (unprinted side)

Machine-stitching is done on the paper from the front (printed side)

Printed blocks should measure 5½" X 5½" unfinished. (Finished blocks are 5” X 5”.)

• 31 MIRROR blocks
• 30 RIGHT blocks
• 6 Top/Bottom side A blocks
• 4 Top/Bottom side B blocks
• 6 Right/Left side C blocks
• 4 Right/Left side D blocks
• 1 each of four CORNER blocks: Corners 1, 2, 3, 4

Fabric Cutting - for 61 full blocks, and 24 partial blocks. 

From PRINTS, cut:

    36 - 5¾” X 5¾" squares for block
    49 - 2" X 8" rectangles for a block center strip

From BACKGROUND fabric, cut:

    2 - 8" strips. Subcut 8" strips into 40, 2" X 8" rectangles (36 rectangles will be used)

    7 - 5¾" strips. Subcut 5¾" strips into 42 5¾" X 5¾" squares

From binding fabric, cut 

5 - 2¼"-wide strips

Foundation Paper-Pieced Blocks - 

In this example, we're using a MIRROR paper. Note that the printed side of the paper looks like the insert is "facing" right. Fold paper on the lines. 

To make a print fabric block (with background insert), pin a 5¾" X 5¾" square to the wrong (unprinted) side of a paper. 

Use an Add-A-Quarter ruler to trim 1/4" from a fold line. 

Pin a 2" X 8" background rectangle to the trimmed edge, being sure background fabric covers the left-hand tip of the paper (as shown). 

Pin and sew, using a shortened machine stitch length (1.90 on my Bernina 770QE). 

Press.

Fold foundation paper to trim the raw edge of 2" X 8" background rectangle.

Pin the remaining print fabric to the 2" X 8" background rectangle to the trimmed edge.

As shown, be sure print fabric covers the right-hand tip of paper. Pin.

Stitch.  

Press.

Trim block to measure 5½ X 5½”.

Remove papers. It's okay to do this now, rather than wait until the quilt top is finished. Because the fabric edges are on the grain or cross-grain, we have no worries about fabric-stretching. 

This is a MIRROR foundation paper that makes a MIRROR block. 

Keep making blocks for a total of 61 blocks as shown below. These designations M-P, M-B, R-P, R-B are used on the diagram as a guide for laying out your quilt top.

I found it helpful to arrange full-size blocks on my design wall, laying fabrics in the openings that I then sewed as I went along. 

Foundation Paper-Pieced Partial Blocks

Once you've made the full-size blocks, you'll have no problem making the 24 partial blocks for the quilt sides and corners. Simply use the printed foundation papers to make them in the same manner, noting that all side and corner blocks are pieced with a print strip and background fabric. 

Again, I found it helpful to arrange the print strips along the outside edges, to see where I wanted to place them. Then, I pieced them. 

Complete the Quilt Top

I used my favorite web-piecing method to assemble the quilt top. 

1. Join blocks in diagonal columns - upper left to lower right. Press seams open.
2. Join columns. Press seams open. 
3. Your completed quilt top should measure approximately 43" X 43”.

Though the block seams are pressed one direction. I prefer to press-open joined blocks seams, to reduce bulk for domestic machine quilting.

Completed quilt top.

Download Jiggle-Joggle-Jee quilt pattern and foundation papers

Quilting

I used a combination of walking foot quilting, ruler quilting, and free motion quilting.

First was walking foot quilting on both sides of insert strips, following along the "jiggle-joggle" to quilt from one side to another.

I've drawn the ruler quilting and free motion quilting on my acrylic board, so you can clearly see where the gentle curved arcs appear. Those were done with a curved ruler. 

Quilting was completed with free motion quilting an open ribbon candy wave through the inserted strips. All quilting was from one side of the quilt to the opposite side, so no stops and starts for thread-burying (unless your bobbin runs out!) 

For backing, I dug into orange stash to cut and piece 11-1/2" X 11-1/2" squares for this 16-patch. Binding is made from 5 - 2¼"-wide strips of solid orange fabric. 

Another finished quilt hanging in our Bismarck palm! My favorite view.

I am happy to share my Jiggle-Joggle-Jee quilt with you, and hope you will make a quilt with this pattern. If you do, please let me know so I can see a picture! Tag me @flourishingpalms on Instagram, and use the hashtag #jigglejogglejeequilt. Linda