One strip WOF is about 40" .... if you're cutting them 2-1/2" wide, then they'll finish at 2". So that's a tad wider than your 36" wide.
25 strips would take you to 50" in length.
So
25x40 = 1000 inches should be enough for your baby quilt.
Choose random lengths of your strips to avoid the seams coming in the same place and keep the random look.