What's Under Foot?

What's under foot at your house?  There's something colorful, soft and scrappy at mine! I have always wanted to make a Jelly Roll rug. I have all the components, I just haven't actually gotten around to making one yet. Something about cutting ten miles of batting into 2.5" strips has been enough of a deterrent toward progress on that front that it has stopped me in my tracks. Then, someone smart and enterprising began marketing the jelly roll rug batting pre-cut. Brilliant!! But, I am far too practical (read: cheap!) to NOT use ends and edges of batting piled high in my own closet to buy a roll! And, yes, A Jelly Roll rug is still on my agenda. But, in the meantime, I saw some Fuse, Fold and Stitch rugs earlier this year, they were made from pre-cut 10" squares (Layer Cakes). I caved. What can I say? I can be easily distracted.

I bought the pattern and a 25 yard roll of the fusible, pre-cut foam on the spot (my rationale: I DON'T happen to have any of that lying around!), I knew that I had a Layer Cake languishing on the shelf in my sewing closet. One rainy afternoon last week I laid out all the squares on the floor into rows in a random color pattern and labeled my rows. Then I began sewing and fusing. The foam is fully encased in each stitched row, on two sides, and then folded down the center for double cushioning. 

I kept my rows labeled, in order, as I moved through the process. 

Before joining the rows together they are stitched down the center. I used a walking foot and a Jeans needle (#100/16) and had no problems at all sewing through the extra thickness. 

The labeled rows after joining and trimming. I still need to add conventional binding all around.

Fuse, Fold and Stitch Rug ~ 25" X 38" 

This beauty will live in my laundry room, it is fully reversible too! Doesn't it brighten up the space? Even the most mundane of all chores is now a colorful and cheery experience. And, that Jelly Roll rug? Yes, it's still on the back burner. Now that I have this one done it has spurred me on. I WILL cut the batting for it! It will live in the laundry room, too, in front of the washer and dryer, a companion rug for this little cutie!

Life is Good!