Eight ways to cut your own Jelly Roll

Hey!! It’s Annelies here, aka Elisabeth DeMoo.
Who is getting excited for Jelly Roll Day?? I know I am!! In preparation for the party, I have been busy writing patterns and testing out quilt samples. I am trying to decide on what pattern will be mine as part of the pattern bundle. I always try to use my stash while testing out a new pattern. Most of the time, I can’t come to a decision and end up buying more fabrics. For my Café Terrace Quilt, the pattern I am leaning toward, I decided to create my own Jelly Roll to test out the pattern. Yes!! You can make your own Jelly Roll.

Creating your own Jelly Roll is simple and there are so many ways you can do it. Here are eight ways you can create a Jelly Roll using different yardage and cutting different amounts of strips.

Eight ways to cut your own Jelly Roll

• 40 different fabrics cut at ⅛ yard, cut 1 strip for each fabric
• 13 different fabrics cut at ¼ yard, cut 3 for each fabric
• 10 different fabrics cut at ⅓ yard, cut 4 strips for each fabric
• 6 different fabrics cut at ½ yard, cut 7 strips for each fabric
• 4 different fabrics cut at ¾ yard, cut 10 strips for each fabric
• 3 different fabrics cut at 1 yard, cut 14 strips for each fabric
• 2 different fabrics cut at 1 ½ yards, cut 20 strips for each fabric
• 1 different fabrics cut at 2 ⅞ yards, cut 40 strips for each fabric

How to cut 2 1/2" stripsLine up your fabric to the grid on your mat. Make sure there is a little above the grid line. Place your ruler on top of the fabric. Line up the ruler to the grid marking. Cut. Now line up the fabric with the 2 ½ inch mark on your ruler. Cut. Repeat for the number of strips you need for your project.


Time Savor Tip: I like to stack two or three fabrics on top of each other, but if you do this, you want to double and triple check your measurements. One error here triples your error.​

If you liked this blog post, head over to Brown Bird Designs and read about The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on The Yard + Make Your Own Pre-cuts. There I share some great quilty tips. You can bookmark the page, so you have easy access to some of the amounts quilt shops sell.


The Great Jelly Roll Bash is on September 21, 2024. Are you ready?? You can plan ahead and get jelly rolls at your local quilt shop, and our sponsor The Fat Quarter Shop has a beautiful assortment of them. Find the one that makes your heart go pitter patter.