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

Zig-Zag

Recently, when going through my quilt cupboard where I have too many quilts folded-up and tucked into pillowcases, I came across this made-in-2006 quilt. It's one I created and wrote a pattern for when I began teaching quiltmaking. Because of its effective use of scrappy lights and darks, it's a good lesson in starting to understand value as it relates to color.

"Zig-Zag," 48" X 60"

Quilting is easy with a simple stipple design, and effective with variegated thread.

Big, double loops give interest to the border.

Since none of the five Stitchin' Mission lessons I teach are about how to sew on the bias (except for joining binding strips), this pattern allows Stitchin' Mission "graduates" to try sewing on the diagonal to make half-square triangles.

48" X 60"

If you like Zig-Zag, the free download is here, on the Stitchin' Mission website. Linda

Friday Flaunt

Continuing to work on Kellie's Joseph's Coat Quilt Along, and not having much to show for my time, here are a couple little flaunts this week.

Dishcloths. They're not very exciting, but they're a useful necessity I've been making for more than 25 years. I've committed this pattern to memory. It's knitted on the diagonal beginning with 4 cast-on stitches. The yarn is Sugar'n Cream.

Last Saturday Gail Pan blogged about her free Christmas pattern stitched as Redwork. It's small enough to make in a few hours. I pencil-colored the star first, and then used green and gold floss for all the backstitch embroidery. This finished to 8-1/2" X 10-1/2". Thank you Gail, for this sweet design. Click here to download it from Gail's blog. Wishing all my blogospheric friends and family happy, anticipatory days in this blessed season. May the Spirit and joy of Christmas fill your heart.

Each Friday, bloggers who belong to Quilting Down Under chat group post a flaunt of their productivity. Visit Cinzia's blog to find links to all 24 Friday Flaunt-ers.

Industrious Day

Somehow or another, this blog is making me feel accountable about my sewing...even if no one is reading it! So, it's been sew, sew, sew at my house.

Thanks to a new Aussie quilting friend, Glenice, who's a member with me in Quilting Down Under (QDU) chat group, I've made one of her favorite tote bag patterns. Actually, my friend Mary and I are making these simple, one-yard bags for a church mission trip to Jamaica. The free pattern is the "With Love Tote Bag" by Joan Hawley of Lazy Girl Designs. 

I made my version with a kid print, lined with a black and white check. Folding the bag down at the top to make a cuff reveals the lining. Red belting handles are sturdy and make the bag look kid-friendly.