Make More Fun: The Jolly Bar Row Along

Fun arrived on my doorstep: the new Jolly Bar quilt pattern book and a Catalina layer cake. I’ve been waiting for both of these products for months! What is a jolly bar? It’s a special precut collection of fabric that measures 5-inches by 10-inches. I recently made my Bakewell quilt from a jolly bar, which provides just the right amount of material for a crib or lap-size quilt.

Catalina layer cake and Jolly Bar Book

The book has twenty quilt patterns — a bargain! And the Fat Quarter Shop is going to host a Jolly Bar Row Along to celebrate the book’s release. I’ll be sewing along and share tips as I plan, stitch, and quilt. Will you join me?

Preparing for the Jolly Bar Row Along

The beginner-friendly row along will begin on June 29, so you’ll have time to order a copy of the book, a jolly bar, background fabric, backing, binding, thread, and batting. It’s always exciting when a box from the Fat Quarter Shop arrives, right?

Kimberly Jolly’s Row Along – Bloomington

Did you watch the sneak peeks on YouTube and Instagram during the last quilt market? There were two fabric lines I loved: Catalina by Fig Tree & Co. and Bloomington by Lella Boutique. Catalina will be perfect for my vision of a summer picnic quilt. But you can’t go wrong with Bloomington. That’s what Kimberly Jolly used for her Jolly Bar Row Along quilt. You can see it on the Jolly Jabber blog.

I chose one of my favorite Fig Tree & Co. Chantilly prints to back my quilt, Bella Solids Off White for my background, Aurifil 2026 chalk thread, and Happy Cloud cotton batting.

quilt supplies

I received a promotional layer cake from Moda before the Catalina jolly bar was available. So I’ll show you some options if you decide to purchase a layer cake rather than a jolly bar.

I fanned out all the fabrics in the layer cake and decided to pull out the red prints. This color range with a bit of red “sparkle” is my favorite color palette. (When I was a child, these crayons and markers were the first to wear out from use.)

Catalina quilt fabric

The red prints are cute too, so they might make an appearance in the quilt in a unique way. I have a few ideas.

red fabric and Scotty dog clock

Find Details at the Jolly Jabber Blog

Jump on over to the Jolly Jabber for a photo of the row-by-row quilt and all the #jollybarrowalong details. If you join me, we’ll have a new picnic quilt ready for the Independence Day celebration on July 4.

A special thank you to the Fat Quarter Shop for supplying my materials in advance so I can share my progress with you.

If you’re a Minnesota Gopher fan, we say Row the Boat! Get on my team and make a quilt for yourself or a gift for a special person in your life.

Joyfully,

Tracie

As a Fat Quarter Shop affiliate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases. Clicking on product links I provide will not affect the price you pay.