Summer in the Park Quilt: A Stunning Jelly Roll Pattern by Jenny Doan
Some quilts just look complicated — dramatic diagonal lines, bold geometric movement, fabrics that seem to dance across the surface. The Summer in the Park Quilt is one of those quilts. But here's the secret Jenny Doan lets you in on: it's made from a single jelly roll, some background fabric, and a clever cutting technique that turns simple strip sets into stunning angled blocks.
With nearly 2 million views, this tutorial is one of the most popular on the Missouri Star channel — and for good reason. The "wow factor" is off the charts, but the technique is completely beginner-friendly. If you can sew a straight line and use a quilting ruler, you can make this quilt!
What Is the Summer in the Park Quilt?
The Summer in the Park quilt is a stunning design that creates a bold zigzag or chevron pattern across the quilt using fabric strips sewn into sets and cut at 45-degree angles. The magic comes from a tube technique: you sew three jelly roll strips together, add a strip of background fabric to form a tube, then cut the tube at an angle to create perfectly angled blocks.
The result? A quilt that looks like it took weeks to piece, but actually comes together in a weekend. The diagonal lines create incredible movement and visual energy, and because jelly rolls are already coordinated, the color flow is effortless.
What You'll Need
🌀 1 jelly roll (40 strips, 2½" × 44") — the star of the show! Shop jelly rolls here.
🧵 3 yards background fabric — a solid or tone-on-tone that coordinates with your jelly roll. Shop fabric here.
📐 Square quilting ruler with a 45° line — this is essential! The diagonal line on your ruler is the key to the whole pattern. Shop quilting rulers.
✂️ Rotary cutter & cutting mat — for precise angled cuts. Shop rotary cutters.
🪡 Sewing machine — with a ¼" presser foot
🔥 Iron and ironing board — pressing is crucial for accurate angles
Quick note: You'll also need about 1½ yards for binding and 5 yards for backing if you're making the full-size version.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sort and Sew Your Strip Sets
Open your jelly roll and divide the strips into groups of three. Try to mix lights, mediums, and darks within each group for variety. You'll get about 13 strip sets from a full jelly roll.
Sew three strips together along the long edges using a ¼" seam allowance. Press the seams to one side. Your finished strip set should be about 6½ inches tall.
Step 2: Add Background Fabric to Make a Tube
Measure the height of your strip set (about 6½"). Cut a strip of background fabric the same width and sew it to the top of the strip set. Then sew the bottom edge of the strip set to the other edge of the background strip to form a tube — a continuous loop.
Press the seams. The tube technique is the secret weapon here — it lets you cut perfectly angled blocks without any waste!
Step 3: Cut at a 45-Degree Angle
This is the most important step — and it's easier than it sounds! Flatten your tube and grab your square quilting ruler. Find the 45-degree line on the ruler.
Place the ruler on the tube so that the 45-degree line sits right on the stitch line (not the edge of the fabric, the actual stitch line). Cut along the edge of the ruler to create your first angled cut.
Then slide the ruler to the opposite stitch line, align the 45-degree line again, and make your next cut. You'll get beautiful, angled blocks that alternate the direction of the strips.
Step 4: Open and Press the Blocks
After cutting, carefully open each block by clipping the seam at the point where the tube was connected. You'll have beautiful angled blocks with the colored strips running diagonally and background fabric filling the corners.
Press all seams flat. Each block should be roughly square — you may want to square them up to a consistent size with your ruler.
Step 5: Arrange Your Blocks
This is the fun, creative part! Lay out all your blocks on a design wall or the floor. The key to the Summer in the Park pattern is alternating the direction of the diagonal strips from block to block. When one block has strips going upper-left to lower-right, the next should go upper-right to lower-left.
This alternation creates the stunning zigzag pattern that makes this quilt so eye-catching. Play with the arrangement until you love the flow of colors.
Step 6: Sew the Blocks Together
Once you're happy with the layout, sew the blocks together in rows. Use ¼" seams and press seams in alternating directions from row to row so they nest when you join the rows.
Then sew the rows together, matching seam intersections carefully. The diagonal lines should create a continuous zigzag flow across the quilt top.
Step 7: Add Borders, Quilt, and Bind
Add a border using your background fabric to frame the quilt. A 4-6" border gives it a clean, finished look and adds extra size. Then layer with batting and backing, quilt as desired, and bind the edges.
For the quilting, consider following the diagonal lines with straight-line quilting to enhance the geometric design. Or go with an all-over stipple for a softer look.
Pro Tips for Success
📐 The 45° line is everything: Double-check that you're lining up the 45-degree line on the STITCH line, not the fabric edge. This is the most common mistake and it throws off the entire block.
🔪 Use a sharp blade: You're cutting through multiple layers when cutting the tube. A fresh rotary blade makes clean, accurate cuts — this is not the time for a dull blade!
🎨 Sort your strips thoughtfully: The zigzag pattern is most dramatic when there's good contrast between your jelly roll strips and your background fabric. A white or cream background with jewel-tone strips is always stunning.
📏 Square up every block: Take a few extra minutes to square each block to the same size. This makes assembly SO much easier and gives you crisp, clean zigzag lines.
🧵 Press toward the background: When pressing your seams, press toward the background fabric whenever possible. This reduces bulk at the seam intersections.