Safe to say this is the EASIEST quilt I've ever completed. Highly recommend if you are new to quilting and looking for something high-impact and fun to start with. The hardest part was actually picking out the colored fabrics, but because I love a rainbow, that was the most fun part too.
I bought 1/3 yard of 36 different colors. This was not the most economical way to go about it, but I was very picky about my colors and so I couldn't just buy a bundle of rainbow fat quarters. I do, however, have enough fabric to make four rainbow quilts, so if you were going to make a bunch to give as gifts or something, this would be ideal. (I'm going to give away three of the stacks of fabric so three of you can make a similar quilt – details at the end of this post.)
I cut the fabric into squares that were 10×10 inches using a cutting mat, ruler and rotary trimmer. After a million triangle quilts, cutting squares (especially this large) was so easy and enjoyable.
I laid it all out to be sure I had the order right. I wanted to go red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple horizontally and then have it fade from darkest to lightest vertically. I sewed each rainbow together so I had six strips of six squares each and then ironed my creases open and pinned it together. Because there were so few corners to line up, this one actually came together pretty neatly.
I screwed up a bit and cut my backing fabric too small. I went with a white extra wide cotton backing but didn't quite give myself enough wiggle room and over the course of sewing all those lines, it shifted a bit which meant I had to lose some of the front to even it out (you'll notice that the darkest red square in particular is smaller than the others). This sort of thing always bothers me at the time, but I know from experience that months (or even days) from now when we're actually using the quilt, it's not the sort of thing I'll notice or worry about.
To give it a bit of dimension, I quilted tons of horizontal lines across the surface. The thread on the top is white and then I alternated the color in the bobbin so the thread on the backing was multi-colored in a rainbow. It's VERY subtle. Too subtle to be worth it, I'd say. In photos it looks particularly lame. In person you can kind of see, but you really have to look for the color change. If I did it again I would probably just use all one color or even just white.
The finished quilt is about 55×55 inches though it will shrink a bit when I wash it. I bound it in gray stripe but black and white stripe would have looked awesome too.
Overall – it's one of my top ten favorite projects. I'm taking Ellerie to the park tonight for a picnic to break it in.
And now! The giveaway! As mentioned, I have enough fabric for four quilt tops and I only made one. So I have THREE stacks of rainbow squares that are already cut to 10×10 inches. You'd need your own batting, binding and backing fabric but you'd be at least partway there if you won. Please leave a comment if you're interested. I'll draw three winners by the weekend and will ship anywhere.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED, drawing winners now and will announce Saturday AM.
enJOY it 
1,233 responses to “super simple rainbow quilt.”
So, so good. Sounds like the perfect first quilt, so count me in, please. And thank you for the chance!
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Love it! Who knew the color on the backside wouldn’t show? I wonder if it’s because the quilting was so dense. It makes for such a great, rumpley texture though. Loved following your progress on this project.
And yes , I would love to win. My 6yo is sooooo into rainbows 🙂
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Would love to win! I have a thing for awesome fabric..Jessica
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Oh I would absolutely love to win! I’m a new quilter and would be so excited to make this beautiful quilt 🙂 Thank you for sharing this wonderful project!
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What a great quilt! Thanks for the chance.
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Your quilt looks awesome! I would love to win and sew my own version! I think the multi coloured backing is a great detail, even if it isn’t noticeable at first.
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this seems like a great quilt design to get my feet wet with
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Looks great!!! Would love to win. I just finished a triangle quilt. https://instagram.com/p/6Ig8C9KXFo/?taken-by=lindsay.overbey
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This is so beautiful! I’d love to make a quilt like this for my son.
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I love your quilt! Your generous giveaway is too good to pass… I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
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I could do this! So yes, please pick me.
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Hi! Oh how I LOVE this Quilt and what you’ve done!! I’d love the chance to win the fabric and make one for my family. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity!
Dawn M.
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This is adorable! I’d love to try making one as my second quilt project!
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This is lovely and may be my favorite quilt you’ve put together!
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It’s so festive and fun! I’ve never made a quilt and would love to try. Now if I just had some fabric . . .
😉
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This is beautiful! I’d love to make one of these for my January baby-to-be… what a bright and beautiful way to cheer up the dreary east-coast january.
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This turned out so awesome! Thanks for offering the giveaway with your extra fabric. :c) Have fun making memories with your fun quilt!
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The quilt is awesome! Nice job!
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This would be one quilt I would like to take my sewing machine out for. Nice!
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Maybe this will inspire to actually start (and finish!) my first quilt!
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It’s gorgeous & oh so fun!! I’d love some rainbow fabric to replicate it!
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I’m a newbie quilter and rainbow lover, and would love the chance to get some more practice in with a beautiful quilt like this! Fingers crossed!
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This post reminds me of Rainbow Brite…remember her? Love it!
That’s the name I’d use for the rainbow quilt project if I was so lucky to win 🙂
kerryberrykirsch@yahoo.ca
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I pinned it as soon as I saw it! I agree it is one of your best. Love it.
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I love this!!! I’d definitely be up for sewing one if I win the fabric. Thank you!
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I would love to make a quilt (my first) out of these beautiful fabrics and colors. So inspiring! 😉
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This is so great and looks amazing! Would love to win!
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Full-time Mom, business woman, pregnant & still you have time to quilt?! You are Super Woman. You inspire me to quilt so this would be a great way to start.
I love your blog & have been following since your move to Washington DC. Congratulations to you & Paul & Ellerie on the pending kiddo.
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This is so cute! Would definitely be a great project to learn on and I love your colors. Thanks for sharing!
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Oh, I’d love to make a quilt like this! Would be great first quilt project and we have a little girl due early October. I’ve been wanting to try a quilt forever, but just haven’t made the plunge yet – I get intimidated by picking the fabrics. I’d pay people to do that part for me 🙂 fingers crossed! And thank you for the opportunity. The quilt looks fantastic!!
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How pretty! I’ve never made a quilt before but would love to try.
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This looks amazing and fun! I love piecing quilts together. It’s the quilting and the binding parts that are tricky for me, but I’d love to practice on this one! I love rainbows too!
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LOVE this so much! Just makes my eyes so happy to look at it.
Would love to have a go at making myself one of these beauties!
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Love the colors. Thanks for the chance to win!
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I am so in love with this quilt Elise! I am having a little rainbow obsession at the moment, perhaps something to do with starting to contemplate the joy of teaching my little girl about colours (she’s almost one!). I would love to win a batch of the fabric you used!
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Such a fun quilt! It’s a great idea; I’d love to try to make one too!
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What a beautiful quilt!! And an awesome giveaway– so hope I win!!
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So simply beautiful! I’d love to try and put my own spin on it. Thanks for the ideas!
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Square quilting is my favorite and I always make these as baby quilts. so easy & fun. three babies need quilts this winter so it would be amazing to make these as gifts! Lovely project.
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love how this turned out! I am so impressed you could find such a great range of colors!
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Love it and I’d love to make one of my own!
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What a neat giveaway 🙂
I’ve never quilted before.. but would love to start!
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This would be fun and fabulous way to lift spirits in the winter months ahead. I just finished three small quilts, so I could just keep on rolling! Appreciate the chance.
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I love it!! And would love to make my own…been wanting to make a quilt for so long!
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This would be so fun to try as my first quilting project. Plus we are having a baby girl in Oct. and this would be perfect!
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Oh, this looks amazing! Thanks for the chance to win.
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This is so fantastic!
My daughter’s been asking to sew and I think this would make an awesome project to teach her the craft! 🙂
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I believe this will be the quilt that will get me quilting. I adore it so much. And LOVE that your pictures will all be so bright and colorful when this is your picnic blanket! This feels like a very generous giveaway…just the glorious fabrics that you chose. I’d whip out my sewing machine if I won. 🙂
Joyfully,
Becca
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After seeing your baby quilts and this new one you have inspired me to give quilting another go. Thanks Elise.
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I would love to give this a try. I am about to finish a quilt that I started 6 years ago and then put away.
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