Double Wedding Ring Quilt Patterns, Templates & How to Make One
⚡ Quick Answer
- What it is: interlocking rings made from pieced arcs, set around football-shaped “melons” and a background center, with small squares where the rings cross
- Why it scares people: curves and lots of small pieces. A good template set takes most of the cutting guesswork out
- Our template: the Missouri Star Double Wedding Ring Template Set, designed with Eddie Walker
- Patterns that use it: Scrappy Double Wedding Ring (67" x 67"), Let Freedom Ring (57" x 57"), Jelly-O (64" x 64"), Moody Blues, and a 19" x 57" table runner
- Easiest way in: start with the runner. You learn every seam of the block on a project you can finish in a weekend
The Double Wedding Ring is the quilt a lot of makers say they’ll make “someday.” It shows up on wish lists, in heirloom chests, and in just about every quilting forum thread where someone asks for an easy version. While we wouldn't recommend it as a beginner’s first quilt, it IS a lot more doable than it looks once you have the right templates and you’ve watched someone sew the curves!
This guide covers how the block is built, the Missouri Star patterns made for our template set, how much fabric you need, and the two parts that trip people up most: sewing the curves and binding that scalloped edge.
Key Takeaways
- ➤Templates make the difference. Cutting accurate arcs and melons by hand is where most Double Wedding Ring quilts go wrong. Acrylic templates solve that problem, allowing you to use a rotary cutter to create consistent curves.
- ➤Precuts work. The Scrappy Double Wedding Ring and Let Freedom Ring patterns both start with a jelly roll, Jelly-O pairs a jelly roll with a fat quarter bundle, and the table runner starts with charm packs.
- ➤Pin the curves at the center and the ends. Ease the fullness in between, sew slowly, and let the feed dogs do the work.
- ➤Plan the edge before you bind. A scalloped edge needs bias binding. If you’d rather not, you can trim the quilt straight.
How a Double Wedding Ring Block Is Built
Every Double Wedding Ring quilt is the same few shapes repeated:
- Arcs are the curved bands that form the rings. Traditionally, they’re pieced from small wedges, which is where the scrappy look comes from.
- Melons are the football-shaped pieces that sit inside each arc.
- Centers are the large background shapes in the middle of each ring.
- Cornerstones are the small squares at the ends of the arcs, where two rings meet.
The Missouri Star set consists of three acrylic pieces, and you can make your arcs either pieced or as a single solid piece of fabric. One maker who bought it put it well:
“The Double Wedding Ring Template Set contains every template shape you would need to make a double wedding ring quilt. In fact, it contains templates for making a pieced block for the rings and one for a solid section for the rings. Just perfect!”
— Pamela, verified buyer
That choice matters. Pieced arcs give you the classic scrappy ring. Solid arcs mean fewer seams, which makes your first ring faster and makes a bold print really stand out.
Missouri Star Double Wedding Ring Patterns
All five of these patterns were designed for the Double Wedding Ring Template Set. The video tutorials are free to watch, and the written patterns are sold in print, plus digital download for the Scrappy quilt, Jelly-O and the runner.
Misty’s pick · 67" x 67"
Scrappy Double Wedding Ring Quilt
A jelly roll plus background and border fabric. This is the one Misty sews in the Triple Play video. Shop the pattern
Jenny’s pick · 57" x 57"
Let Freedom Ring Quilt
Red, white and blue rings from a jelly roll. A patriotic take on the classic. Shop the pattern
Natalie’s pick · yardage
Moody Blues Quilt
Made from yardage, so it’s a good stash buster if you’ve been saving a pile of blues. Shop the pattern
New from Eddie Walker · 64" x 64"
Jelly-O Quilt
A jelly roll and a fat quarter bundle. The pattern also includes a 16" x 48" table runner from the leftovers. Shop the pattern
Best first project · 19" x 57"
Double Wedding Ring Table Runner
Two charm packs make a runner with the full ring look. Misty’s At Home with Misty episode walks through it. Shop the pattern
Prefer a digital copy? The Scrappy Double Wedding Ring, Jelly-O and Double Wedding Ring Table Runner patterns are also available as digital downloads.
▶️ Watch it done: Triple Play with Eddie Walker: One Block, Three Quilts Using the Double Wedding Ring Template Set (30 min)
In that episode, Misty, Natalie and Eddie Walker each sew the same block into a different quilt, so you can see how much your fabric choice changes the look.
Jelly-O: Eddie Walker’s Jelly Roll Double Wedding Ring
Eddie Walker, who designed our template set, uses it a little differently in the Jelly-O Quilt. Each block is one pieced arc of jelly roll wedges sewn between a background piece and a center, both cut from a fat quarter, then trimmed to 8½". Set the blocks together and the arcs meet into rings. The Jelly-O pattern includes the quilt and a 16" x 48" table runner with rounded ends, and the fabric amounts below cover both.
| Part | What you need |
|---|---|
| Rings | (1) 40-count roll of 2½" print strips (jelly roll). Only 29 strips are used, so the rest add variety |
| Backgrounds and centers | (1) 20-count fat quarter bundle. Only 19 fat quarters are used |
| Binding | ⅞ yard. If you round the runner’s ends, use ⅝ yard for the quilt and a fat quarter for the runner’s bias binding |
| Backing | 5⅓ yards with a vertical seam, or 2 yards of 108" wide |
| Tools | Missouri Star Double Wedding Ring Template Set |
| Finished size | Quilt 64" x 64", runner 16" x 48". Blocks are 8½" unfinished, 8" finished |
Eddie’s tips from the video
- Cut wedges in multiples. Stack a few strips, cut the first wedge, then flip the template end to end and keep cutting down the strip.
- Test your first arc. Sew about nine wedges, then lay the arc on template B. If it’s longer or shorter, adjust your ¼" seam before you sew the rest. Eddie uses seam guide tape on the machine to keep it consistent.
- Sew from the wide end to the narrow end. Eddie gets a wobble going the other way.
- Finger press until the block is done. Pressing the wedges with an iron can distort them so the pieces don’t fit together.
- Cut backgrounds and centers from 9" squares. A fat quarter gives you two. For the center, line the melon template up at 6¼" on both edges of the square. If you’re making a lot, mark that grid on your mat.
- Sew the center to the arc first. It stabilizes the block. Keep the seam allowances rolling toward you as you sew both curves.
- Make several blocks before you square up. Then trim them all to match your smallest one. Eddie’s came out at 8½".
▶️ Watch it done: Make the Jelly-O Quilt with Eddie Walker
💡 Pro Tip: Alternate light and dark centers so the rings stand out, especially if your backgrounds only have a little contrast. Eddie’s first version came from a bin of Halloween scraps on a darker background, so this block works as a scrap buster too.
Start Small: The Double Wedding Ring Table Runner
If you’ve been putting off the big quilt, make the Double Wedding Ring Runner first. It uses the same template set and the same curved seams, on a runner instead of a bed-size top. Here’s what the pattern calls for:
| Part | What you need |
|---|---|
| Print squares | (2) 42-count packages of 5" squares (charm packs). Only 60 squares are used, so the extras give you more variety |
| Light accent | ¾ yard |
| Dark accent | ½ yard |
| Binding | ½ yard |
| Backing | 1½ yards with a vertical seam, or ¾ yard of 108" wide |
| Tools | Missouri Star Double Wedding Ring Template Set |
| Finished size | 19" x 57". Blocks are 10" unfinished, 9½" finished |
For batting, the Quilter’s Best Blend Bed/Table Runner Batting comes in a 120" x 36" piece that’s already sized for runners.
▶️ Watch it done: Make a Double Wedding Ring Runner with Misty Doan (At Home with Misty)
How to Sew Double Wedding Ring Curves
The curved seams are where most makers slow down, and that’s fine. A few habits make them behave:
- Cut with the template, not around it by eye. Accurate pieces are 90% of a flat ring. Hold the acrylic firmly and use a sharp rotary blade.
- Find the centers. Fold the arc and the melon (or center) in half and finger-press a crease. Match the creases, then pin them.
- Pin both ends, then ease the middle. The two edges curve in opposite directions, so they won’t lie flat on top of each other until you sew them. Add a few pins between the center and ends.
- Sew slowly with the piece you’re easing on top. When you can see the fullness, you can guide it. Stop often with the needle down to straighten the edges.
- Press gently. Lift and set the iron instead of dragging it, because curves stretch easily.
💡 Pro Tip: Make one complete ring before you cut the whole quilt. If your first block finishes at the size the pattern says, you can keep cutting with confidence. If it doesn’t, you’ve only re-cut a handful of pieces. More curved projects are in Beat the Learning Curve: 5 Quilt Projects with Curves.
“The templates made it so much easier. Eddie Walker did a great job!”
— Kay, verified buyer
How to Quilt and Bind a Double Wedding Ring Quilt
Quilting
Many makers outline the rings with a walking foot, stitching in the ditch along the arc seams so the rings pop. Then they add a simple motif in each center. If you’re new to it, our stitch in the ditch guide covers the setup.
Binding the scalloped edge
A traditional Double Wedding Ring quilt has a scalloped edge that follows the rings. Straight-grain binding won’t lie flat around those curves. You need bias binding, which stretches just enough to follow them. Our bias tape guide shows how to cut and join it.
- Ease the binding around the outside curves without stretching it; tug it slightly as you go into each inside “V.”
- At each V, stop with the needle down, pivot, and straighten the edge before you keep sewing.
- Don’t want to deal with scallops? Add a border, or trim the quilt straight through the outer rings and bind it like any other quilt.
Related Articles
- ➤How to Make Bias Tape (and When You Actually Need It)
- ➤Beat the Learning Curve: 5 Quilt Projects with Curves
- ➤Quilt Binding Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide
- ➤Quilted Table Runners: 16 Free Video Tutorials
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Double Wedding Ring quilt hard for beginners?
It’s an intermediate project because of the curves and the number of pieces. A template set and a video tutorial make it far more manageable. If you’re newer to quilting, make the table runner first, since it uses the same block on a much smaller scale.
Can I make a Double Wedding Ring quilt with a jelly roll?
Yes. Both the Scrappy Double Wedding Ring and Let Freedom Ring patterns start with a jelly roll (2½" strips) plus background fabric. Jelly-O uses a jelly roll plus a fat quarter bundle. The table runner uses charm packs.
Is there a free Double Wedding Ring pattern from Missouri Star?
The video tutorials are free: the Triple Play with Eddie Walker, Eddie’s Jelly-O Quilt and Misty’s Double Wedding Ring Runner. The written patterns are sold in print, and the Scrappy quilt, Jelly-O and runner patterns are also available as digital downloads.
What size is the Scrappy Double Wedding Ring quilt?
It finishes at 67" x 67". Let Freedom Ring finishes at 57" x 57", Jelly-O at 64" x 64", and the runner at 19" x 57".
How do you bind a Double Wedding Ring quilt?
Use bias binding for a scalloped edge, because it bends around curves without puckering. Ease it around the outside curves and pivot at each inside point. Or trim the edge straight and use regular binding.