One Jelly Roll, One Big Lap Quilt: The Rigatoni Shortcut

Eleanor Vance · 2026-10-28

There's a certain magic to a quilt pattern that comes together before your coffee even gets cold. That's the promise behind the Jelly Roll Rigatoni, the newest stitch in the Shortcut Quilt Series from Fat Quarter Shop. And honestly? It delivers. If you've got a Jelly Roll sitting in your stash, quietly waiting for its moment, this is that moment. The pattern was built for beginners, but it's just as satisfying for seasoned quilters who want a fast finish and a beautiful result. ### What Makes This Quilt So Beginner-Friendly Shortcut Quilts lean on precuts, and that's the whole trick. Precuts are already cut to size, so you skip the tedious trimming and get straight to sewing. The Jelly Roll Rigatoni uses exactly one Jelly Roll plus 3 1/8 yards of background fabric to produce a generous large lap quilt. That's it. No complicated yardage math, no fuss. And here's the part that makes it even sweeter: the pattern is completely free. It comes with a step-by-step YouTube video tutorial from Fat Quarter Shop, so you can sew along with a guide instead of squinting at diagrams alone. ### A Vintage Floral Finish The sample quilt was sewn with Collections for a Cause: Magnolia by Howard Marcus for Moda Fabrics. Each block carries vintage florals and an heirloom sensibility, the kind of look that feels classic today and will still feel classic twenty years from now. If you'd like your quilt to match, there's a kit and a coordinating backing set available. ### The Details at a Glance - **Fabric needed:** 1 Jelly Roll plus 3 1/8 yards of background - **Finished size:** large lap quilt - **Skill level:** beginner-friendly - **Pattern cost:** free, with video tutorial - **Bonus:** optional quilt kit and matching backing set ### A Club Worth Knowing About If Jelly Rolls are your weakness (no judgment here), the Jelly Roll Club delivers one fresh roll to your door each month, featuring a new collection from Moda Fabrics. Members save 12% compared to buying that precut on its own. It's a nice way to build your stash without thinking too hard about it. > "A quilt that's good enough to eat" might sound like a stretch, but once you see those rigatoni-style blocks come together, you'll get it. ### Share Your Work When your quilt is finished, share it using #JellyRollRigatoni on Facebook and Instagram, and tag @fatquartershop so it doesn't get missed. Half the joy of quilting is seeing what everyone else makes with the same pattern. So pull out that Jelly Roll, pick a background, and give the Rigatoni a try. It's fast, it's free, and it's a lovely excuse to spend an afternoon at the sewing machine. Happy quilting!