Color Stack Quilt Tutorial – A Jelly Roll Quilt Pattern

https://youtu.be/U3YQQo-PJVU Autumn is full of color, and I had to make a quilt to celebrate it before the season ends.  I decided to work with simple blocks made from 2.5″ strips.  While I knew I could look around and find a pattern to follow, I really wanted to just sew and see what happened.  This Color Stack Quilt is the result.


Because it is fast and fun to make, I’m sharing a free tutorial for you to make your own.


If you would like the convenience of downloading the Color Stack Quilt pattern, it is available here .  The downloadable pattern also has re-sized blocks and instructions for making a Baby Color Stack quilt .

This original 67″ x 80″ quilt requires two jelly rolls or 70 strips of fabric measuring 2.5″ x width of fabric (at least 40 inches long).  For the skinny black and white strips, you will also need 3 strips of 1.5″ x 40″ in both black and white.  For my quilt, I chose to cut strips of fabric from stash.


Select your 70 strips and pair them in sets of two.  Set aside three sets, or six strips of fabric, along with your 3 skinny (1.5″ wide) black and 3 skinny white strips.

With the remaining strips, sew each set together to create long strips.  You should have 32 long strips.


Cut each strip into five pieces that are 8″ long.  Set six sets aside to use for partial blocks.


Sew the five pieces together, alternating colors, to make a block that is 8″ by 20.5.”


Make 26 of these color stack quilt blocks.  With two of the remaining sets, sew four pieces together and leave the fifth separate as shown below.


And with the last four, make partial blocks of two and three pieces:


The quilt is made with 8 columns of 4 blocks in each column, and three skinny strips mixed in:


Two of the columns (columns 2 and 7) are made from four full blocks.  The other six have three full blocks and partial blocks at the top and bottom so that the stacks can be staggered between columns.

To make the skinny strips, first pair the black and white fabrics together and sew them into long strips just like the blocks you’ve completed to make three sets of strips.  Cut each strip into two pieces that are each 20 inches long.


Sew these two strips together, colors alternating.


Now cut this strip in half to make two pieces that are 10 inches long.


Stack them on top of each other and sew together again.


Repeat this process twice more, cutting the block in half and stacking until you have a long strip that is 2.5″ wide.  Make three.


With the colored 2.5″ strips that you set aside at the beginning, make three pairs of two fabrics and sew together into a long strip.  Cut these strips into 2.5″ wide units measuring 4.5″ x 2.5″.  These units will be sewn together to make 2.5″ wide strips of varying lengths.  Sew the units together to make ONE of each of the following lengths:  9 units, 8 units, 7 units, 5 units, 4 units, 3 units.


Take the strips that have 9 units and 3 units, and sew to each end of one black and white strip.  Take the strips with 8 units and 4 units, and sew to each end of a second black and white strip.  Finally, take the strips with 7 units and 5 units and sew them to each end of the last black and white strip.

Arrange blocks and columns to your satisfaction.  Sew the 8 inch wide blocks into columns.  Iron each column with seams going opposite directions for easy nesting of seams as you sew.  Sew the columns together to complete your quilt top!


If you’re looking for a quick but rewarding project, I hope you’ll give this a try!


If you would like to download the pattern which includes a diagram for placing the partial blocks as well as a bonus pattern for a baby quilt
, you can find it here.

Please share your projects with the tag #colorstackquilt Happy quilting!
Jennifer

Baby Color Stack Quilt – new pattern

Few things gratify me more than gifting quilts I’ve made.  If that quilt is for a beautiful little baby, then it’s even better.  The Baby Color Stack quilt is a modern quilt pattern which is fast and fun to make.  It’s a perfect gift for the bundle of joy on it’s way to the arms of someone you love.

Baby Color Stack quilt at hopefulhomemaker.com

As I write this post I sit curled up under my original Color Stack Quilt .  It makes me smile to see so many colors and favorite fabrics together.  The Baby Color Stack quilt is no different.  This year has been the year of the boy among my friends and family members and I wanted to make something for them with a modern, yet simple, design and good color sense.

binding on baby color stack quilt by Hopeful Homemaker

I re-worked the measurements for the original design so the block would look good on a small quilt.  I love how it looks, with so many shades of blue, gray, black, brown, and green plus a bit of yellow and orange to pull it together.

Baby Color Stack quilt pattern available at Craftsy.com


The Baby Color Stack quilt measures 38″ x 45″.  The pattern is available in my Etsy shop , b
undled with the original Color Stack pattern for just $5.  Download the pattern today!  Please note, the Baby Color Stack pattern is only available in the pattern download.  It is not included in my original Color Stack tutorial .

perfect stripes for baby quilt at hopefulhomemaker.com

For the quilting I opted for straight lines by ditch-stitching the vertical seams because I didn’t want any quilting to compete with the fabrics as they worked together.

baby color stack quilt from pattern at Craftsy.com Made by Jennifer Harrison

The backing is a print from the Katie Jump Rope collection by Denyse Schmidt, and the binding is an Alexander Henry heath print in a gorgeous vivid blue.

closeup of binding on quilt by Jennifer Harrison at Hopefulhomemaker.com

I have already made a few different versions of this quilt.  It’s my new go-to pattern for baby quilts.  I enjoy choosing the fabrics and I can finish the quilt in as little as a day, making it a fast (and last-minute) option for gifting.

Download the pattern today
and you’ll be ready for your next baby gift!

Color Stack {a finished quilt}

My Color Stack quilt is back from the quilter and finished in time to enjoy during the fall season.  I am grateful for this quilt.  It captures my love of color and also brings back memories of making it.  The exercise of pulling fabrics to try different combinations, looking for the unexpected pairs, was healthy and freeing for me.  I might make another!

Color Stack Quilt by Hopeful Homemaker

Fall is a celebration of color and this quilt perfectly captures it.

You will find my free tutorial for making your own here .  Additionally, you can download the full-color pattern in my Etsy shop
for just a few dollars.  I’m excited to announce that I’ve re-worked the pattern to add a second option for a Baby Color Stack quilt !

The instructions for the baby quilt are only in the pattern on Craftsy
.  Two patterns for $5.00 is an amazing deal!


Color Stack quilt at hopefulhomemaker.com

Melissa at Sew Shabby Quilting quilted this for me in a succulent clamshell pattern, and the design was larger than I pictured when I dropped it off.  I was delighted to see it finished – I love it more than I expected and the large scale is perfect for this quilt!

succulent clamshell quilting on Color Stack quilt

I couldn’t resist a flannel backing on this quilt.  A bright pink woodgrain won out, making this a particularly soft and cozy quilt.

bright pink woodgrain flannel for quilt back - hopefulhomemaker.com

Another picture because I just can’t help it.  I mean, look at all that happy color!

Color Stack quilt pattern available at Craftsy.com

My decision on binding fabric wasn’t easy.  I had several options I really liked but in the end I selected the black and white because it echoes the skinny black and white strips in the quilt.

black and white binding at hopefulhomemaker.com

The Color Stack quilt is beautiful and easy to make.  Use pre-cut jelly rolls or push yourself and choose colors of your own.  It’s a great pattern for a last-minute quilt.

Get your pattern today
!

Color Stack quilt at hopefulhomemaker.com

Happy Sewing, Jennifer

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