Hey everyone. Today we're sewing one design roll into a fast jelly roll race quilt — long seams, no pattern, and a finished throw top in an afternoon.
Here we go.
First, the fabric
This one is the 2025 Tula Pink True Colors Design Roll in Gray, from Free Spirit Fabrics.
What you get is right on the label. Each roll holds 40 pieces. Every strip measures 2 and a half inches by 42 to 44 inches. The designer is Tula Pink. The group name is 2025 True Colors.
At Linda's, this SKU sits with the pre-cuts. Its tags point to gray and Grayworks, and to jelly roll, design roll, and strip roll. That gray family is calm and modern, with light strips beside darker ones for easy contrast.
I love a design roll for a race quilt. The cutting is already done, folks. Unroll the strips, sort them so neighbors are not too much alike, and you are ready to sew. Just like that.
The project: a jelly roll race quilt
A jelly roll race quilt is simple. You sew all 40 strips into one very long strip, then fold and sew it in half again and again. Every round doubles your rows and halves your length.
Why does this fabric suit it? Every strip is the same 2 and a half inches, so the math stays honest. And an assorted gray palette makes those long rows look planned.
Finished size is about 50 inches by 64 inches. After five folding rounds you will have 32 rows. Each row finishes at 2 inches tall, and 32 times 2 is 64. The length settles near 50 inches. A generous lap size, y'all.
Materials list
- 1 roll of 2025 Tula Pink True Colors - Design Roll Gray, 40 strips at 2.5 inches by 42-44 inches
- Batting: about 56 inches by 70 inches
- Backing fabric: about 56 inches by 70 inches
- Binding: about 1/2 yard, cut into 2.5-inch strips
- Thread for piecing and quilting
- Rotary cutter, mat, ruler, pins or clips, iron, scissors, and your sewing machine
For piecing, I like a fresh size 80/12 needle. Set your stitch length around 2.0 to 2.5 millimeters. Press as you go. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Brief steps
- Join the strips end to end. Sew the 40 strips together on the short ends with a quarter-inch seam to make one long strip. A diagonal join lays flatter. A straight join is faster. Completely up to you. Trim any dog ears.
- Offset the first strip. Cut about 18 inches off one end and sew that piece onto the other end. This keeps the end joins from lining up in the same spot later.
- Fold and sew, round one. Bring the ends together, right sides together, and sew the long edge with a quarter-inch seam. Go slow — the weight can pull. Cut the fold open, then press.
- Repeat four more times. Fold in half, sew the long edge, cut the fold, and press. Round two gives you 4 rows. Then 8, then 16, then 32. Slow down near the end or the bulk can shift under the foot.
- Square the top. Trim the short ends even, to about 50 by 64 inches. A wavy row is fine — quilting will settle it.
- Layer and quilt it. Backing face down, batting in the middle, top face up. Smooth from the center out and pin or spray-baste well. Stitch in the ditch along a few rows, then echo a quarter inch away, or add a soft meander. My preference is ditch first, meander second.
- Bind it. Trim even, sew on your binding, miter the corners, and finish the back by machine or by hand.
Tips from our table in McKinney
Clear a big table first. That first folded seam is over 800 inches of fabric past your machine.
Keep scissors at the machine. You will cut a fold five times.
I have sewn a fold twisted before. Oh my goodness. I caught it three feet in, laughed at myself, and unpicked that stretch. Check your strip is flat before you sew.
And here is the permission part. Your joins do not have to line up. That is the charm of this quilt. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. Even a race is not really a race.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Super duper fun, and really really satisfying when that last fold opens up.
Alrighty. Thank y'all so much for sewing along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 2025 Tula Pink True Colors - Design Roll Gray at Linda's Electric Quilters.
