What you need
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Jelly roll | 1 (40 strips, 2½ in × width of fabric) |
| Binding | ½ yd (six 2½-in strips) |
| Backing | 3¼ yd |
| Batting | Twin size (72 × 90 in), or throw size at least 58 × 72 in |
How it works
- Join all 40 strips end to end in random order, with diagonal seams the way you'd join binding: lay two ends right sides together at a right angle, sew corner to corner, trim to ¼ inch and press open. You'll have one strip roughly 1,600 inches long. Wind it loosely as you go so it doesn't tangle.
- Cut about 18 inches off the first end. This keeps the seams of the first two layers from lining up.
- Bring the two ends of the long strip together, right sides facing, and sew down one long edge. Keep going until you reach the fold at the far end, then cut through the fold. You now have a strip set two strips wide and about 800 inches long.
- Bring the ends of the strip set together and sew along the long edge again, cut the fold, and you have four strips wide. Do it three more times: 8, 16, then 32 strips.
- Press all the seams in one direction and trim the ends straight. The top is about 48 to 50 inches wide (the joined length, less the seams, divided by 32) and 64½ inches long.
The exact width depends on your jelly roll. Strips cut from 42-inch fabric give a slightly narrower quilt than strips cut from 44-inch fabric.
Tips that make it look planned
- Shuffle the strips before joining, and check that no two strips of the same print end up next to each other in the long strip.
- Sew with a slightly shorter stitch length than usual; long seams stretch less.
- Don't pull the strip as you sew. On a seam this long, a little stretch adds up to a wavy edge.
- If two seams land almost on top of each other in neighboring rows, unpick a few inches and shift one. That's the only fixing most race quilts need.
Make it bigger
A 4-inch border (cut 4½ inches) brings it to about 58 × 72 inches, which falls inside the size range for a Quilt of Valor if you use a patriotic jelly roll. That border takes 1 yard (seven strips), and the binding grows to seven strips; buy 3¾ yards of backing instead of 3¼. Two jelly rolls raced together make a top roughly twice as long; cut it into two quilts or add a center panel for a twin.
Finish
Layer, baste and quilt. Straight lines along a few of the strip seams, or an all-over wave, both suit the stripes. Then bind it with six 2½-inch strips.
More free patterns: see them all.