Moda Fabrics Jiffy Jelly Quilt - Downloadable PDF

Moda Fabrics Jiffy Jelly Quilt – Free Downloadable PDF Pattern Summary

The Jiffy Jelly Quilt is a free downloadable PDF pattern from Moda Fabrics, designed as a beginner-friendly to intermediate quilting project that makes clever and efficient use of a single Moda JellyRoll™. The pattern is part of Moda's Cutting Table series of shareable patterns and is an excellent introduction to strip-based quilt construction. The finished quilt is built from 80 individual Jiffy Jelly Blocks — 40 categorized as light and 40 as dark — which are then joined in an alternating arrangement to create a visually dynamic, scrappy quilt top.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a patchwork quilt constructed entirely from pre-cut JellyRoll™ strips. The design is based on a simple but striking block unit that combines small squares and short rectangles cut directly from the JellyRoll™ strips. The alternating light and dark blocks create contrast and rhythm across the quilt surface. The overall quilt size is implied by the 80-block layout, with blocks joined in rows of 8, suggesting a generous lap or bed quilt depending on final sashing and border choices.

Materials Required

• 1 Moda JellyRoll™ — the primary fabric source for all quilt blocks
• ½ yard of additional fabric for binding
• Standard quilting backing fabric (yardage not specified in the pattern excerpt)
• Batting appropriate to the finished quilt size

A Moda JellyRoll™ is a pre-cut fabric bundle consisting of 2½-inch-wide strips cut selvage to selvage, typically featuring a coordinated collection of prints and colorways. Because the strips are pre-cut and folded, the Jiffy Jelly pattern takes advantage of cutting through both layers simultaneously, making the preparation process especially efficient and speedy — hence the name Jiffy.

Techniques Used

• Pre-cut strip quilting — working directly with JellyRoll™ strips without unfolding, allowing double-layer cutting for speed
• Rotary cutting — trimming selvages and cutting precise 2½" square and 6½" rectangle sections from folded strips
• Color sorting — organizing strips into light and dark groupings to create intentional contrast across the quilt
• Piece sorting into sets — the pattern organizes all cut pieces into three labeled sets: Set 1 (Center Square), Set 2 (Center Sides), and Set 3 (Long Sides)
• Strip piecing and block assembly — sewing small units together in a structured sequence to build each 6½" x 6½" finished block
• Pressing techniques — seams are pressed away from the center square after adding Set 2 pieces, then toward the long sides after adding Set 3 pieces, ensuring flat, accurate blocks
• Alternating block layout — joining 8 blocks per row in a light/dark alternating pattern to create the overall quilt design

Stitches and Sewing Methods

• Straight stitch — the standard ¼-inch quilting seam used throughout all block construction
• Seam pressing — directional pressing is specified at each stage to reduce bulk and keep blocks square

Block Construction – Step by Step

Each Jiffy Jelly Block is assembled in a logical, three-step sequence that is easy to chain-piece in batches, making this pattern particularly efficient for quilters who enjoy production-style sewing:

• Step 1 – Cut the strips: Trim the selvages from each folded JellyRoll™ strip, then cut three 2½" x 2½" sections and two 6½" x 2½" sections from each folded strip, yielding six 2½" squares and four 6½"