Jelly Roll Baskets Quilt
Hello! I am Shannon Mower from Modern Tradition Quilts. It is an honor for me to be with you today on Moda Bake Shop to share my Jellyroll Basket Quilt. I really enjoy working with jellyrolls as they are pre-cut to a standard width of 2 1/2 inches. I seem to need this strip width all of the time. When designing this quilt, I thought it would be fun to sew several strips together then trim them on a 45 degree angle to create perfect triangles. This readily fit an antique basket quilt block design. I also noticed that leftover strips quickly and easily made a checkerboard border. This quilt was a lot of fun to make and I hope you enjoy this tutorial as much as I enjoyed writing it.
1 Rambling Rose Jelly Roll
1 Bella Solid Jelly Roll in Natural
2 yards of Teal Rain for the setting squares
2 ¼ yards Chocolate for the outer border
1 yard Chocolate for the binding
Rotary ruler and mat both with a 45 degree angle
Quilt block diagram.
Finished size of the basket squares: 15 ½”
Step one: Cutting the basket background.
Take one strip from the plain jellyroll and cut it into 9 squares measuring 2 1/2″. Reserve these for the half-square triangle pedestal at the bottom of the block.
Take the plain jellyroll and select 6 strips. Cut these into 18 rectangles measuring 13 ½” long. Reserve these for the outside of the bottom half of the basket.
Take the plain jellyroll and select 7 strips. Cut theses on the bias as shown to yield 90 triangles. These will be used to create the basket tops.
Step two: The bottom basket
Select a chocolate brown strip from the jellyroll. Cut it into 9 squares measuring 2 ½”. Pair it with a 2 ½” natural square. Sew diagonally from corner to corner and trim ¼” away from this seam-line to remove excess fabric. Press towards the dark print fabric and reserve the half-square triangle for the pedestal of the basket.
Take the print jellyroll and select 5 strips of varying shades. Sew these together side by side with a step off-set as shown in the photo:
Tip: To get a quick yet accurate off-set, fold over the strip you will be adding to from corner to corner. This creates a 45 degree angle and finger-press it in place. Align the next strip at the bottom of this crease as shown.
This is a completed 5-strip set.
Use a rotary cutter and rotary mat with a 45 degree angle to cut these into triangles. Ensure the off-set is aligned with the 45 degree marking on the rotary cutting mat and that the bottom of the strip set is even with the straight line of the cutting mat.
I found it easiest to rotate the rotary cutter mat a quarter turn to align the next cut. As you can see, the bottom of those baskets are taking shape rapidly.
Using this method, one strip set will yield three basket bottoms.
Repeat this for two more strip sets. This will yield 9 basket bottoms.
Sew the half-square triangle to one 13 ½” strip. This creates the basket pedestal.
Sew one 13 ½” strip to one side of the bottom basket.
Sew the half-square triangle strip to the other side of the basket. Press towards the cream fabric to reduce bulk. Repeat to complete 9 blocks.
Step three: The top of the basket:
To create the top block corner, take the print jellyroll and select one burgundy strip. Sub-cut this into nine 2 ½” squares.
Take 2 plain triangles cut in step one. Sew them to the right and left side of these burgundy squares. Trim away excess leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance.
For this portion of the block only, the triangles that you will add to set the top square are too large. This is because we cut them on the bias from a jellyroll strip. To correct this, trim away 1/4 inch of excess yardage from the bottom of the block, measuring that you still have a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Alternately, you could cut a 2 7/8″ square in half diagonally (we don’t have that width from the jellyroll) to yield the same size of triangles.
To create the top of the baskets, select nine strips from the print jellyroll and cut these into vertical lengths measuring 15 ½” long, 12”, 9 ½” and 6 ½”. Next, using a rotary ruler, make diagonal 45 degree angle cuts into these pieces as shown in the photo. This will make the bottom of the strip the full measured length and the top shorter. Ensure that the angle points in just like the block assembly diagram above (or strip assembly diagram below). Note: With care, it is possible to get all 4 of these cut from one jellyroll length if using the full length.
I used a block-squaring ruler for this. As you can see, turning it sideways and aligning with the center yields a nice 45 degree cut.
Matching bias edges, sew the plain 2 ½” triangles to both edges of these strips. Press towards the print fabric.
Randomly swap strip color placement as desired. Press all seams up. Sew the top half of the basket quilt block as shown.
You will notice that once the strips are attached to the triangles, they are slightly more wide. This is due to the serrated edge of the jellyroll strip. For accuracy, this edge may be trimmed off or sewn with the presser-foot traveling over the inside edge of the serrated edge. The 1/4 inch seam allowance is measured from the inside edge of the serrated jellyroll strip.
Sew both the top and bottom halves of the block together.
Step four: The setting squares
From the teal print fabric cut two squares measuring 22 ½”. Cut these in half diagonally twice to yield eight triangles for the outer edge of the quilt setting.
Also from this print cut two strips measuring 15 ½”. Cut four squares from these for the setting squares.
Also from this print, cut one strip measuring 11 ½” inches. Cut this into two squares measuring 11 ½”. Sub-cut these in half diagonally to yield four triangles for the outer corners of the patchwork section.
When cut using these directions, it is ensured that the bias edges of the setting squares face in. This keeps the patchwork from stretching when adding the checkerboard borders.
Sew together the quilt top in diagonal rows as shown in this photo.
These diagonal rows create the on-point setting.
Step five: The checkerboard border.
Take 9 of the remaining print strips and 9 of the plain strips and pair them together. Sew these side-by-side then press seams towards the print fabric so seams of adjacent rows nest. Cut these into strips measuring 2 ½” wide.
Sew these 2 ½” strips adjacent to one another alternating light and dark fabric placement.
Sew two horizontal strips to a length of 64 inches. (31 pairs)
Sew two vertical strips to a length of 72 inches. (35 pairs)
Step six: Add outer borders to the quilt.
Quilt top assembly diagram.
Note: When doing on-point settings it is very easy for variations to occur due to individual workmanship. The measurements are for accurate piecing. If your quilt top varies in size, an ease-strip (easily made from the leftover jellyroll) can be inserted between the basket patchwork center and the checkerboard borders to take-up the difference, or the checkerboard border may be trimmed flush to the basket patchwork quilt center (which may result in some squares becoming rectangles, which really isn’t that noticeable).
Measure the center of the basket patchwork center. It should measure 64 inches. If not, add an ease border (if desired) to correct it to 64 inches or trim your checkerboard border to fit your quilt top’s measurement.
Add the checkerboard borders doing the two horizontal strips first, followed by the two vertical strips. Sew the checkerboard borders on top of the patchwork to avoid seams getting twisted.
From the chocolate fabric, cut 8 strips measuring 8 inches wide. Sew these end to end to create the outer border strips. Sew with the patchwork on top so that seams do not get twisted.
Sew these to the patchwork center trimming square the overlying edges.
Shannon Mower
{Modern Tradition Quilts}
