Beginner Quilting Tutorial
Jelly Roll Race is a great quilt for beginners because there is no quilt math involved.
Downloadable Instructions Here:
Jelly Roll Race gets its name from two things: the Fabric “Jelly Roll” quilters use to create the top and the “Race” as quilters seek to be the fastest to complete their top.
Jelly Roll Race is a great quilt for beginners because there is no quilt math involved. You use pre-cut components and are able to focus on the technical making skills.
Which is great if you want to try quilting but are a bit intimidated by all the steps, design, plus math. Jelly Roll Race is designed to eliminate a lot of that overwhelm so you can focus on just practicing quilt-making steps. (NOTE: I’ve added direct links to a downloadable instruction booklet and videos where I deep dive into the making of this project.)
All you do is stitch the strips together, fold, stitch, cut, fold, stitch, cut, rinse and repeat until you have the size and shape you want. This is the ‘race’ part of Jelly Roll Race. If you are in a workshop with others making this style of quilt, you’ll see some competition start to take place.
And because of how simple the top is; it is very quick to put together. A baby sized Jelly Roll Race quilt top can take between 45 min – 1.5 hours to pull together. The other components should take you roughly 1.5-2 hours to complete as a beginner. A baby quilt in 3-5 hours? YES PLEASE!
Here’s what you’re gonna need:
- 1 20ct Jelly Roll (any color)
- 2 Packages of Extra Wide Double Fold pre-cut bias tape (any color). This will be used to finish off your quilt on the outside.
- Pre-Packaged Crib-Sized Batting OR 45’ x 60” Bulk Batting (make sure you are getting 100% Cotton for your batting)
- 2 yards of non-directional 100% Cotton fabric
- 2 spools of thread (250 yard) in a color that is close to your jelly roll
- 2-3 Bobbins
Other supplies:
- Sewing machine
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine Needles (Universal 90/14; 80/12; or 70/10)
- Iron and Ironing Board
- Quilting safety pins/basting pins
- Long Quilting Rulers
- Straight Pins
- Rotary cutter
Here’s How Ya Do It:
Downloadable Instructions Here:
1) Prepare your 2-3 bobbins by winding them with your thread. This will save you a little time later on in the race.
2) Open up your Jelly Roll package. Grab two strips and place them at a rough 90 degree angle right sides together (RST).
3) Stitch from corner to corner, a 45 degree angle parallel to the corner to where the two strips meet (see image below for reference).
4) Trim ~1/4 inch from the seam where you connected each strip together, making little scrap triangles. (see image below for reference)
5) Grab your third strip and place it RST with your second strip and sew a 45 degree angle like you did in step one. Repeat until you have used all the strips in your jelly roll. (Note: Steps 4-5 are interchangeable. You can wait to clip the strips until you sewn all the strips together)
6) Trim ~18” from one end of your massive strip. Place the ends of your now single strip RST. NOTE: I strongly recommend pinning your ends RST together, then finding the center of your strip to remove any twists.
7) Sew down one side of your strip until you get to the folded edge.
8) Cut the folded edge to open your strip up.
9) Place new ends RST and stitch down one side.
10) Repeat until you have the size you are looking for. (Note: a baby quilt will usually need 4 turns -> you’re already halfway done!)
11) Press the seams on back of quilt top flat using an iron.
12) Remove batting from package. Place backing fabric flat on top of batting and smooth any wrinkles. Flip it over and continue smoothing any wrinkles. Place quilt top on top of batting, roughly centered on backing.
13) Using quilting safety/basting pins, pin all three layers together, starting from the rough center and moving out towards the edges. Pin roughly every 4-6”. (More pins are better than less)
14) Drop feed dogs of your sewing machine if you plan to free-motion a meander stitch. If not, use a straight stitch following the lines of the Jelly Roll on your quilt top.
Meander/Stipple Stich (Free Motion):
Straight Stitch:
15) Trim the sides of your quilt using your long quilting ruler and rotary cutter (or scissors).
16) Remove pre-cut bias tapes from packages and open it flat on one end. Sew the two tapes RST together as seen in steps 2-4. Clip excess and press flat. (Note: I use the side that looks like little mountains as the ‘right side’. See illustration.)
17) Using a straight pin, mark roughly 6 inches from one edge of the bias tape binding. Pin the binding to the back of your quilt at that mark, leaving roughly 6 inches of binding free. Sew your binding.
“Mountains” made by the folds in the pre-cut bias tape
For Mitered Corners:
Step a) Sew ~45 degree angle roughly ¼” from corner of quilt
Step b) Fold binding up along the 45 degree stitch line
Step c) Fold binding back down over triangle, aligning folded edge to edge of binding already stitched to quilt.
Step d) Continue stitching ¼” seam along edge of quilt
18) Sew the binding to the back of your quilt, until you reach about 6 inches from the beginning of where you started sewing your binding. There should be a rough 6” of unattached binding there.
19) Trim the edge of the end of the binding to where you began sewing your binding. Place the binding ends so that they overlap with each other:
Ending Binding (where you finished sewing your binding to your quilt back)
Overlapping Binding ends (not sewn to quilt and approximately 6” in length)
Beginning Binding (where you started sewing your binding to your quilt back)
20) From the binding scrap you just cut, cut a piece that is roughly the same width as the width of your binding. Pin this scrap to the end of your beginning binding and mark on your ending binding where the scrap piece lands.
Binding Scrap pinned to beginning binding. Mark edge on ending binding
21) Pin this marked area RST to the end of your beginning binding, being sure to leave a small overhang of fabric and sew ~45 degree angle (as seen in steps 2-4). Check that the binding folds the same direction, then trim excess and finish sewing the binding to the back of your quilt. See illustration for more guidance on how to sew binding ends together.
Fold out binding like this. Pinch Quilt together, so you can manipulate binding the same way you did in steps 2-4.
22) Flip quilt over and trim the corners being careful not to cut into the sewing lines. Pin binding to the front of the quilt.
23) For Mitered Corners on the Front: let the binding create a small triangle off the edge of the quilt corner and finger press. Take the top tip of that triangle and fold back on to the binding, making sure the tip of the triangle meets the edge of the binding. Pin this in place.
24) Once you’ve completely pinned your binding in place, sew a straight stitch close to the edge of the binding where it meets the quilt. Make sure you stay on your binding. Sew until you meet your starting point. Backstitch a little bit, then remove quilt from sewing machine and trim threads.
25) Enjoy your new quilt!
Cat tested, Cat Approved
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