Sparrow Tracks: Jolly Bar Row Along

Welcome to the Fat Quarter Shop’s Jolly Bar Row Along week 1 when we sew our Sparrow Tracks blocks! I received an advance copy of the new Jolly Bar Book Vol. 2 from the Fat Quarter Shop, so I can share a few tips with you. You’ll find all the information you need to start at the Jolly Jabber kick-off post.

Jolly Bar Book Vol 2

Creating a Quilt Plan

I’m using a Catalina layer cake instead of a jolly bar because that’s what was available when I placed my order with the Fat Quarter Shop at the time. So, if you have either a layer cake or a jolly bar (or even leftovers from a fat quarter bundle) and a background fabric, you’re ready to begin.

I spent some time sorting through the prints and pulled out the reds because I wanted to use them sparingly. (If you’re using a jolly bar, you will need to use every piece.) My favorite color palette includes blue, green, and yellow. Yet, a few touches of red will add just the right amount of sparkle to the quilt top.

red fabric and Scotty dog clock

Next, I formed a plan based on where I wanted to position certain fabrics in my quilt top. Large-scale prints are perfect for the heart blocks (Crushing on You) and the butterflies (Blissful Kisses). Low-volume prints work well as the “thread” in the Spinning Spools blocks. After setting those aside with labels, the remaining fabrics will work for all the other blocks in the quilt.

Jolly Bar Row Along Kit
Jolly Bar Row Along quilt made with the Bloomington jolly bar.

Week 1: Sparrow Tracks

Sparrow Tracks was my favorite block to make because it’s fun to customize just a little bit.

Sparrow Tracks quilt blocks
I created contrasting “beaks” and “toes” in the Sparrow Tracks blocks.

I shuffled the flying geese blocks to create a little contrast in the “toes” and I added red into the mix.

Sparrow Tracks 2
Sparrow Tracks with Contrasting Toes

The next set of Sparrow Tracks reminded me of birds in flight, so I added yellow and red “beaks” using the folded corner method and a one-inch square of contrasting fabric.

Sparrow Tracks with Beaks

Be Jolly: Have Fun!

Jolly bars were named after Kimberly Jolly, the founder of the Fat Quarter Shop. Kimberly always encourages people to sew for fun and make a quilt your own – customize it! My sewing room is my happy place, and making this quilt is fun. It’s a great beginner quilt.

And since I’m all about fun today, here’s a fun photo of me holding Kellogg the rooster at my brother’s farm. It’s a little bit of “beak” and bird “toes” inspiration for your Sparrow Tracks quilt blocks.

Kellogg the rooster
Kellogg the Rooster

Recently Kimberly Jolly’s husband, Kevin, joined her on the Fat Quarter Shop YouTube live stream and talked about their family-owned business. Watching this gave me many more reasons to love the Fat Quarter Shop! They truly love their employees and customers and want to support their community. If you like to listen to a podcast or show while you’re quilting, you’ll want to listen to this: Behind the Seams: Q&A with Kevin and Kimberly Jolly!

Thank you to the Fat Quarter Shop for providing my supplies and inviting me to share my tips with you. The links I provide are for your convenience. If you choose to make a purchase when you click on a link, I receive a small commission that helps support my blog. Thank you for your interest and support. I enjoy sewing along with you!

Joyfully,

Tracie

Week 1 Jolly Bar Row Along