Save the Date! National Sew a Jelly Roll Day is September 19th, 2026, and we are looking forward to sharing a fun day together. If you have a jelly roll tucked away in your stash, this is the day to finally use it. And if you don’t, we have BRQ Jelly Roll kits ready to go!
What Is a Jelly Roll?
Well, it may sound like we are diving into a dessert, but what we are discussing is a fabric jelly roll! A jelly roll is a bundle of fabric strips. Each strip is 2.5 inches wide. A standard roll has around 40-42 strips, but the number does vary by the manufacturer and each collection.
Jelly rolls are a great time saver. Using these eliminates having to cut and pair fabric. This is prepared for you directly from the manufacturer. It is already cut and ready to go. All you have to do is start sewing!
The Story behind how “Jelly Roll” got its name?
It all started back in the mid 2000’s. Moda officially coined the term “Jelly Roll”. The jelly roll name is credited to Moda Fabrics back in the mid-2000s. The first rolls hit store shelves in 2007, and Moda trademarked the name in 2009. Seeing that Moda owns the trademark for jelly roll, other manufacturers had to come up with their own fun names. Some of them are called Roll Ups, Rolie Polies, Bali Pops, and Strip-pies.
Today, most quilters will refer to any brand as a jelly roll. The name is a reflection of how the fabric looks when it’s rolled up. Those colorful fabrics rolled up really do resemble a jelly roll dessert.
The dessert names do not stop there. The bakery flair continued with Layer Cakes, Honey Buns, and Dessert Rolls, but it all began with the sweet jelly roll.
When is National Sew a Jelly Roll Day?
Annually, National Jelly Roll Day is the third Saturday of September. This means the date will change from year to year.
This has become quite a tradition for quilters and their quilting communities. Some are in person, while many are online sewing communities. Whether it is in person or online, it is a day when quilters come together and turn those beautiful jelly rolls into works of art!
We Love National Jelly Roll Day
National Jelly Roll Day holds a special place in our hearts. It delivers such excitement in the quilting world. It brings quilters from all over the world together and is a time when we reflect on why we fell in love with quilting in the first place. I get giddy thinking about all the patterns, colors, and all the possibilities we can create with these rolls. But our excitement doesn’t stop there. Making kits by pairing the fabric with the pattern is something I love to do so you can jump right into sewing, instead of hunting for fabric to coordinate with your pattern. And honestly, the best part of this day is getting to sew along with such an amazing group of quilters. Year after year, National Jelly Roll Day continues to bring us together for this very special event.
Will You Be Joining Us for National Jelly Roll Day?
Here are the details on how we will celebrate National Jelly Roll Day together:
- Grab your Jelly Roll Kit or your stash
- Post your progress on our Facebook Page
Each day, we can share around the group what project we are working on and the progress we have made. It is so inspiring to see all the talent! I just love seeing all your beautiful masterpieces come together! Don’t forget to tag us on socials #NationalSewAJellyRollDay #BellaRoseQuilts. We can’t wait to cheer you on!
Now time to get ready, order your kit, grab your jelly rolls, and let’s get sewing!
Here are some helpful things to help you prepare:
- Your BRQ curated “Sew a Jelly Roll” quilt kit or
- A Jelly Roll
- Scissors
- Thread
- Iron
- Flatter
- Starch
- Rotary cutter and self-healing cutting mat
- Sewing machine
- Straight pins or clips
Watch the replay of our live Jelly Roll Showcase!
Happy Quilting!
Sandy & The Bella Rose Quilts Team