How to Make a Jelly Roll Race Quilt: Sew A Quilt Top in Under an Hour
Looking for a quick and easy quilt project that comes together in under an hour? The Jelly Roll Race quilt is one of the most popular beginner-friendly quilting projects of all time — and for good reason! All you need is a single jelly roll and a sewing machine. No complicated cutting, no tricky blocks, no fussy seams. Just pure, satisfying sewing from start to finish.
In this tutorial, Jenny Doan walks you through every step. With over 3 million views, this is one of the most-watched quilting tutorials on the internet — and once you try it, you'll see why!
What Is a Jelly Roll Race Quilt?
A Jelly Roll Race quilt (sometimes called a "1600 quilt") is made by sewing all 40+ strips from a jelly roll together end-to-end into one super-long strip of fabric — about 1,600 inches! Then you fold that strip in half, sew along the long edge, fold it again, sew again, and keep going until you have a full quilt top. The "race" part? It's because the whole thing comes together so fast it feels like a race to the finish line.
The result is a beautiful, modern-looking quilt with organic, wavy stripes. Because the strips come pre-coordinated in a jelly roll, the colors always look gorgeous together — no color theory degree required!
What You'll Need
🧵 1 Jelly Roll — a pre-cut bundle of (40) 2.5" x 44" fabric strips. Shop jelly rolls here.
✂️ Scissors or a rotary cutter and cutting mat
🪡 Sewing machine with several pre-wound bobbins (you'll go through thread fast!)
🔥 Iron and ironing board for pressing seams
That's the entire supply list! One of the best things about the Jelly Roll Race is how minimal the supplies are. If you've been staring at a jelly roll in your stash and wondering what to do with it, this is your answer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Unroll Your Jelly Roll
Start by removing the band from your jelly roll. Here's the important part: leave the strips in the exact order they came in. Don't shuffle them around! The fabric designers carefully arrange the strip order so the colors flow beautifully from one to the next. Trust their eye — it'll look fantastic.
Find the loose end of the roll and gently unroll the strips, laying them out in a line so you can see the color progression.
Step 2: Sew the Strips Together End-to-End
Now comes the sewing! You're going to attach every strip end-to-end, one after another, to create one incredibly long strip of fabric.
Place the first two strips right sides together and sew them at a 45-degree angle (corner to corner), just like you would for quilt binding. This diagonal seam helps the joins lay flatter and look less bulky in your finished quilt.
Keep feeding strips through your machine one after another. When you reach the tail end of a strip, grab the next one, place it right sides together (bright side to bright side), and keep sewing. You'll develop a rhythm quickly!
Jenny at the sewing machine — once you get going, it's just sew, sew, sew!
Step 3: Trim the Seam Allowances
Once all your strips are sewn into one mega-strip, go back and trim the seam allowances to about ¼". Clip the little triangle tails at each diagonal seam. This keeps things neat and reduces bulk.
Take your time here — put on a podcast or some music and enjoy the process. It's repetitive but satisfying!
Step 4: Cut Off the Starter Piece
Before you start the "race" part, cut off approximately 18 inches from the beginning of your long strip. Why?
Take the piece you cut off, find the opposite end of your mega-strip, and sew them right sides together. Now your strip is a continuous loop with the seam staggers positioned perfectly.
Step 5: The Race — Fold, Sew, Repeat!
Here's where the magic happens. This is the actual "race":
1. Fold your strip in half — find the center point and fold it so the two ends meet, right sides together.
2. Sew along the entire long edge using a ¼" seam allowance. When you reach the folded end, cut the fold open, bring that piece up to meet the front, and keep sewing.
3. Press your seams open or to one side.
4. Repeat! Fold in half again, sew along the long edge, cut the fold, press. Keep going!
Each time you fold and sew, your piece gets wider and shorter. After 5–6 rounds, you'll have a full quilt top! It grows incredibly fast — this is the part where quilters literally race each other to see who finishes first.
The strips come together fast — you'll be amazed how quickly your quilt top grows!
Step 6: Square Up and Finish
Once your quilt top is the size you want, square up the edges with your rotary cutter and ruler. Add batting and backing, quilt it however you like, and bind it. Done!
Tips for a Great Jelly Roll Race Quilt
🧵 Wind extra bobbins before you start. You'll go through more thread than you expect, and stopping mid-race to wind a bobbin kills the momentum!
✨ Don't overthink the diagonal seams. As Jenny says, just eyeball it. Perfection isn't the goal — having fun and finishing a quilt is.
🔥 Press as you go. Taking a few minutes to press seams between each fold-and-sew round makes the final quilt lay much flatter.
🎨 Try different jelly rolls for different looks. High contrast between lights and darks creates bold, dramatic stripes. A tonal jelly roll gives you a softer, watercolor effect.
🎉 Make it a group activity! The Jelly Roll Race is famous as a quilting party project. Everyone brings a jelly roll, and you literally race to see who finishes their top first.
Finished Size
Using a standard 40-strip jelly roll, your finished Jelly Roll Race quilt top will be approximately 50" x 64" — a generous lap or throw size. Want it bigger? Use two jelly rolls from the same collection and sew all the strips together before starting the race.
Ready to Race?
The Jelly Roll Race is the perfect project for beginners, a great way to use up jelly rolls in your stash, and an incredibly satisfying afternoon of sewing. Grab a jelly roll, sit down at your machine, and see just how fast you can go!