jitkaau

It's cheaper to use what you have - just cut from different pieces to make up the amount.

vivoaks

42.5 is fine for the length. Use what you already have - no sense in buying something if you don't really need to.

ksea

Use your stash, I make my own jelly rolls all the time :lol:

Wanabee Quiltin

Welcome to the board from Southern Illinois.

Your strips will be fine, I read that most patterns are based on 40 inches.

carslo

I personal do not wash priior to cutting and sewing as a rule. I use Shout Color Catchers when I was them.
**** Important ****

I read this in a jelly roll book I bought and have started to use this method when cutting strips.

"If you have strips that have been cut selvage to selvage(WOF) along the crosswise grain (which most are as it is easiest), just cut the strips in half on the fold. This works well for a number of reasons.

- it helps keep fabrics on-grain and eliminates the bowing or curving that may occur when fabrics of differing thread counts are used.
- You can get more fabric variation in your quilt design also.
- You can use fat quarters too
- some pre-cut jelly rolls don't have many multiples and this lends itself to more variation."
The above quote is taken from
Nancy J. Martin's Rolling Along - Easy Quilts from 2 1/2 strips ISBN:978-1-56477-841-3 p. 13.

I found out even in high end fabric the strips can curve when sewing the longer strips together.

Good luck and have fun

Annz

I would use what you have.

Monika

Welcome from northern CA!!!

kwilter

Waving a welcome from Illinois....go ahead and cut (accurately!)

trolleystation

Welcome aboard the quilting board. Use your stash. You are going to do well.

wanda lou

use what you have.