Hey there, fellow Bakers! Here's another idea using Jelly Roll strips and some yardage. Create a simple monkey bar background for a cheerful little primate that can be embroidered, appliqued, or used as a quilting motif.

I used Moda's Bright Sun line by Sherri and Chelsea and grunge white from Basic Grey. This makes up in just the right combination of softness and bright for a baby or kiddo and it's so nice to be sharing it with you.

This quilt finishes at 45” x 52”.

1 Bright Sun jelly roll or Jr. Jelly Roll (for bars and binding)

1 1/2 yards grunge white 30150 (background and bars)

1 yard Bright Sun Pebbles in Aqua (37507 27) Framing fabric

2 1/2 yards backing fabric

From Grunge White, cut (56) 2 1/2" x 7 1/2" strips and (7) 2 1/2" x WOF strips

From Aqua Pebbles, cut (9) 2 1/2" x WOF strips

From jelly roll, select 7 strips and subcut (14) 2 1/2" x 7 1/2" strips (2 per color)

This quilt is made up of six strip sets plus the monkey. Sew the strip sets together in the order shown.

Strip Sets 1/2/3

Lay out the strip sets on the floor or design wall and arrange so color is balanced. Sew together as shown below, starting with the 7 1/2" bars. Sew 21 bars in total - 14 light and 7 color to form bar set. Press seams toward color.

Mark/pin centers of bar set and framing strips. Sew framing strips to bar set, sewing from the centers out. This will help to keep thing straight. Take care with pressing as long strips tend to stretch. Press toward the framing strips.

Repeat for strip sets 2 and 3. These three sets should all be the same size.

Strip Sets 5/6

Sew (3) WOF white + background strips together. Mark centers and sew from centers out on these long strips. Make two sets and press to avoid most bulk. I pressed seams open on these.

Sew these background strip sets in between the 3 bar strip sets, forming lower section of quilt. Sew from centers out. Press toward framing strips. Square and trim lower section.

Strip Set 4

This set get sewn across the top of the lower section.

Sew like sets 1/2/3 except add one more white strip to each end. Press.

Sew two framing strips together end-to-end as you would with binding to achieve same length as strip bar.  Repeat with two more framing strips. Mark centers and sew from centers out.

Mark/pin center of strip set 4 to lower section of quilt. Sew from centers out and press. Trim and square quilt top.

Print out monkey templates from Printer Friendly file at the bottom of this post. Line up the image and tape the pages together. Use monkey template to prepare an applique piece or trace image onto quilt top for embroidery.

Here are a couple of quilting suggestions -  Quilt around the monkey close to embroidery stitching and use straight line quilting for remainder of the quilt or quilt around the monkey shape and echo quilt out from monkey in varying widths. Add some kind of quilted filling inside the monkey body, maybe some small circles inside the tummy. An overall quilting pattern could also work!

Use five jelly roll strips to bind the quilt and you’re ready to give it to a favorite little darling.

One sweet little quilt for baby or small child that finishes out at approx. 45” x 52”.

I printed out a few of the monkey line drawings (full size) at a big box store with an over-sized printer. Be sure to stop by the Craft Sisters blog at http://www.craftsisters.com/robinx27s-blog and put your name in the hat if you would like one of them.

As always I hope you have fun with this.

Robin Nelson
{Craft Sisters}