Riverbend Jelly Roll Log Cabin Quilt

Get ready to break out your prettiest jelly rolls to make this gorgeous log cabin quilt pattern! Log cabin quilts are a classic among quilters and this simple but striking design plays with dark and light fabric to create the effect of a gently flowing river. Made using jelly roll precuts, these log cabin blocks are placed in a zig zag pattern to create a wave-like effect. This log cabin quilt also features sashing in a fiery autumn orange and uses earthy tones of mauve and coffee for its borders, showing you how to play with every color in your jelly roll.

Finished Size: Approximately 74 1/2” x 52 1/2″

Designer Note: Scant 1/4” seams used throughout.

Materials:

• Two jelly roll packs (42 strips each)
• 80” x 60” batting
• 85” x 65” backing fabric
• Basic sewing and quilting notions

SEPARATING YOUR JELLY ROLLS:

Separate the 2 1/2” Jelly Roll Strips into dark, medium and light.

Choose:

• 18 dark strips to make one half of the Log Cabin units
• 14 light strips to make the other half of the Log Cabin units
• 2 dark or medium strips for the corner square in each Log Cabin unit
• 8 medium strips for the sashing between the Log Cabin units
• 1 dark strip for the sashing cornerstones
• 6 strips for the inner border
• 6 strips for the outer border
• 7 strips for the binding
• Light leftovers for the inner border cornerstones
• Dark leftovers for the outer borders cornerstones

Instructions:

LOG CABIN UNITS:

1. Cut 24 of the following strips (all 2 1/2” wide):
   1. Round 1 dark corner square – 2 1/2”
   2. Round 2 light – 2 1/2”
   3. Round 3 dark – 4 1/2”
   4. Round 4 light – 4 1/2”
   5. Round 5 dark – 6 1/2”
   6. Round 6 light – 6 1/2”
   7. Round 7 dark – 8 1/2”
   8. Round 8 light – 8 1/2”
   9. Round 9 dark – 10 1/2”
      
2. With right sides together so ‘2’ is on the right hand side, stitch ‘1’ and ‘2’ together. Press the seam towards ‘1’.
3. With right sides together and ‘1’ in the top left corner, stitch ‘3’ to the bottom of the ‘1/2’ unit. Press towards ‘3’.
4. With right sides together and ‘1’ in the top left corner, stitch ‘4’ to the right of the ‘1/2/3’ unit. Press towards ‘4’.
5. Continue to add the strips in number order to the bottom or the right of the unit.
6. Make 24 Log Cabin units.
7. Tip: Chain piece the strips to finish all the Log Cabin units at the same time.

ADDING THE SASHING AND JOINING THE ROWS:

1. Cut twenty-nine (29) 10 1/2” strips from the medium Jelly Roll strips chosen.
2. Cut these 29 strips in half so you have fifty-eight (58) 10 1/2” x 1 1/4” strips.
3. Cut thirty-five (35) 1 1/4” dark cornerstones by cutting eighteen (18) 1 1/4” strips from the 2 1/2” Jelly Roll strip chosen and then cutting them in half.
4. Stitch four medium strips with a dark cornerstone in-between and at each end. Press the seams towards the cornerstones. Make seven long sashing strips.
   
5. Lay out the Log Cabin units in the Zig Zag pattern. Stitch a sashing strip to both sides of the first Log Cabin unit and to the right side of each of the other Log Cabin units. Repeat for all Log Cabin units.
   
6. Stitch the Log Cabin units into pairs and then into rows of four. Press the seams towards the Log Cabin units. Repeat to make six rows.
7. Stitch a long sashing strip to the top and bottom of the first row and then to the bottom of the five other rows. Press the seams in one direction.
   
8. Stitch the rows into pairs and then stitch the three pairs together. Press the seams in one direction.
   

ADDING THE INNER BORDER:

1. Measure the quilt top through the middle for the length and width. It will be approximately 66 1/4” x 44 1/2”. Stitch the six medium Jelly Roll strips chosen for the inner border together to make one long strip and cut two strips for the length and two for the width.
2. Pin and stitch the longer strips to the left and right sides of the quilt top. Press the seams towards the borders.
3. Cut four 2 1/2” squares from the light Jelly Roll strip leftovers. Stitch one square to either end of the shorter border strips. Press the seams towards the border strip.
4. Stitch the shorter border strips to the top and bottom of the quilt top, nesting the seams at the cornerstones. Press the seams towards the borders.
   

ADDING THE OUTER BORDER:

1. Measure the quilt top through the middle for the length and width. It will be approximately 70 1/2” x 48 3/4”. Stitch the six medium Jelly Roll strips chosen for the outer border together to make one long strip and cut two strips for the length and two for the width.
2. Pin and stitch the longer strips to the left and right sides of the quilt top. Press the seams towards the borders.
3. Cut four 2 1/2” squares from the dark Jelly Roll strip leftovers. Stitch one square to either end of the shorter border strips. Press the seams towards the border strip.
4. Pin and stitch the shorter border strips to the top and bottom of the quilt top, nesting the seams at the corner stones. Press the seams towards the borders.
   

QUILTING:

1. Layer and secure the quilt top, batting and backing and quilt as desired.
2. The designer used free motion quilting on the light half of the Log Cabin units and stitch in the ditch around the whole darker section each unit.
3. The designer stitched in the ditch between the sashing and inner border and then the inner border and outer border.

BINDING:

1. The designer bound the quilt with seven dark strips, stitched into one long strip and then folded in half width ways, to double bind and miter the corners.