We love getting emails from our customers, and from time to time we hear from people who are new to quilting and just don't know where to start. Inspired by y'all, we figured there was no better time than National Quilting Month than to welcome new quilters and host our very own Jelly Roll Strip Quilt quilt-along.

Now, if you're new to quilting and you're not quite sure what a jelly roll is, you may be wondering if we've got our heads screwed on straight because the last time you checked, jelly rolls were something you eat. So here's what we're talking about when we say jelly roll:

Pretty nifty, huh? But you might still be wondering what this really looks like. So just imagine 40 strips of fabric, already cut to 2.5" wide and 44" long. Now roll them all up together and you get this adorable jelly roll, spirals and all.

We're going to go ahead and get started today with the quilt-along. Today's easy... just gather up your supplies and clear some time off your schedule. Here's what you're going to need:

• Moda Jelly Roll (we're using Aneela Hoey's Little Apples)
• backing fabric - 1 3/4 yards
• quilt batting (45" x 60")
• coordinating 100% cotton thread
• rotary cutter
• cutting mat
• air erasable pen / Clover White Marking Pen / disappearing ink pen
• quilting rulers (6" x 24" and a 12.5" square will do perfectly; other similar sizes will work fine, too)
• Temporary Spray Adhesive/ Spray Basting
• sewing machine, of course!

All this for a finished quilt size that's approximately 42" x 56".

Check back in Monday, when we'll start working on our quilt top!  Part 2