Jelly roll quilt patterns
A jelly roll is 40 strips of fabric, each 2½" wide and the width of the fabric, about 42" long, rolled up together. The strips usually come from one fabric line, often two of each print. 40 strips hold the same fabric as about 2¾ yards.
9 free patterns below come out of jelly rolls. For each bed size the table gives how many strips the quilt takes, worked out from every piece in the cut list.
By Editorial Staff
Jelly roll race quilt
The quickest jelly roll quilt: all 40 strips sewn end to end, then folded and sewn five times into a 64" wide top. The pattern page works out the length for each bed size.
Jelly roll patterns and how many each size takes
| Pattern | Crib | Throw | Twin | Full | Queen | King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nine Patch | 10 strips1 roll | 16 strips1 roll | 25 strips1 roll | 31 strips1 roll | 38 strips1 roll | 46 strips2 rolls |
 Rail Fence | 32 strips1 roll | 50 strips2 rolls | 77 strips2 rolls | 98 strips3 rolls | 119 strips3 rolls | 145 strips4 rolls |
 Flying Geese | 32 strips1 roll | 50 strips2 rolls | 79 strips2 rolls | 98 strips3 rolls | 128 strips4 rolls | 151 strips4 rolls |
 Dutchman's Puzzle | 18 strips1 roll | 27 strips1 roll | 43 strips2 rolls | 64 strips2 rolls | 72 strips2 rolls | 89 strips3 rolls |
 Spool | 4 strips1 roll | 7 strips1 roll | 10 strips1 roll | 13 strips1 roll | 15 strips1 roll | 19 strips1 roll |
 House | 9 strips1 roll | 15 strips1 roll | 18 strips1 roll | 23 strips1 roll | 32 strips1 roll | 37 strips1 roll |
 Scrappy Sixteen Patch | 18 strips1 roll | 28 strips1 roll | 40 strips1 roll | 55 strips2 rolls | 65 strips2 rolls | 85 strips3 rolls |
 Jelly Roll Log Cabin | 30 strips1 roll | 44 strips2 rolls | 59 strips2 rolls | 78 strips2 rolls | 98 strips3 rolls | 122 strips4 rolls |
Counts are for the scrappy fabrics of each pattern. Background, sashing, borders and binding come from yardage and are listed on each pattern page.
Sewing with jelly rolls
- Every pattern here uses the strips at their full 2½" width, so each log, rail or square finishes 2" wide. Pieces that need a wider cut come from yardage instead and are listed in the pattern's fabric table.
- Precut strips often have pinked (zigzag) edges. Measure your ¼" seam from the outer points of the zigzag, or the pieces finish small.
- Don't prewash precuts: the strips fray and shrink out of shape. If a red might run, use a color catcher sheet in the first wash of the finished quilt.
Other precuts: layer cake quilt patterns, charm pack quilt patterns, fat quarter quilt patterns. Sizes of every precut are on the precut sizes page.
Plan a quilt from the jelly rolls you own
Quiltspiration draws the quilt in your own fabric and gives the cut list for any size.