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.”
What a beautiful quilt, Elise! I’m so impressed. Sometimes, the easiest things are also the most beautiful. Thanks for this giveaway! If I won this fabric, it would actually be my first quilt… I have my sewing machine here ready to go 🙂
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So beautiful, thank you for always inspiring us.
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Ooo I love rainbows and your colours are amazing! What a great giveaway and such a fun project to do!
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It’s amazing. Well done. Hope you and Ellerie had a great picnic breaking it in.
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This is wonderful! I would love to make one and use in our summehouse in Denmark!
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Who doesn’t love a rainbow!!!
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I’m 19 and I’ve only made two quilts before this but I am so in love with how fun this quilt is! I would love to make a quilt like yours! It takes me a long time to pick fabrics so this would help a lot!
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Interested! Your rainbow quilt looks amazing, well done 🙂 I would copy your idea as I’ve never quilted but always wanted to give it a go, and this looks like I’d struggle to stuff it up , right?!
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I love that colours! It would perfectly match as a half quilt for Martina’s toodler bed when Jon moves to her crib!
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I am such a sucker for a good rainbow project. Your quilt is no exception. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
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I would LOVE to win a bundle! I can’t fabric shop right now (overseas on a military base) so this would be a great way to make a super fun project. And I’m sure I can wrangle up enough for backing/binding from my stash. Fingers crossed!
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I would love to make this quilt!
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This is gorgeous! I would love the chance to make one of my own!!
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This would be the perfect quilt for my little girl. It’s so hard for me to choose fabrics and a rainbow quilt is just what i need. i really like to get my sewing machine out of the box 🙂
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I’ve always wanted to do a quilt so I welcome the chance of winning. Thank you
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This quilt is so pretty – very simple but so effective! I made my first quilt last christmas and would love to try another one – preferably in these colours! 🙂
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Beautiful! Always so inspired by your quilts, and even more so by your fabric choices.
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This is so beautiful! I would love to make one and spread some colorful love here in Norway.
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This quilt is simply beautiful. It would be lovely to win some fabric to get started, but either way, this is definitely going on my “to-make” list!
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With all your quilt inspiration I’m thinking of embarking on the quilting journey to make one for each of my kiddos for Christmas!
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Hi! I am living in France and would love to give it a go. Please, send this to Brittany in France!!
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Not often a competition ships to New Zealand ! Making a quilt is on my bucket list and we have our first baby due in November so I’d love to make it for her 🙂
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I am also new to quilting and have saved lots of different ideas to inspire me, but this one just jumps out of the screen – it is so beautiful! I would love to have the fabric to make one for my granddaughter, please. x
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This is amazing, and YOU are amazing! This is exactly what I’m looking for. Would love to win this giveaway!
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Yikes, there are SOOOO many comments already but I have to be in this one – love love love rainbows and am just getting into quilting (halfway finished my first baby quilt, but have already bought fabric for at least 2 other big involved quilting projects, haha, that’s how I roll…might have them done by the time i retire, many years from now!).
Anyway, yay rainbow and yay you for getting s**t done 🙂
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I have a few nieces that might like such a joyful quilt. It’s a bonus that my least favorite part is already done – the cutting.
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Would love this to try my first quilt!
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Wow! That turned out soooo gorgeous! Thanks for the chance to win some fabric. Sounds like a fun/doable project!
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What a cheerful quilt! I would love to make one of my own. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
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I LOVE your quilt, and how quickly the whole process went for you. You are such and inspiration! There’s a biiiig baby boom around me, so lately I’ve been sewing several quilts for babies to be born, and it would be lovely to have those stunning fabrics to work with.
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I’d love to make a quilt like this!
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This quilt is gorgeous! I’d love a chance to make one of my own. Thanks so much for offering this giveaway!
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Really lovin’ this quilt Elise! So bright and cheerful.
I’d love to win! I’ve been meaning to try and make a quilt and this seems like such an excellent first timers project! 🙂
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I love this quilt!! Even if I don’t win I’m going to make this because it’s just too cute.
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I love all of the quilts that you have made! You have such an eye for putting fabrics together.
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It is soooooooooooo lovely!!!! I’d love to have a quilt just like this one!!! 🙂
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Would love to try making one of these quilts.
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Love! So pretty and so inspiring!
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Great giveaway! Thanks for the chance and I’d love to put together a quilt like this.
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Fun and happy! What a great project to end summer.
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Your quilt is beautiful!!
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I would love to win. I just started quilting and this looks like the perfect project for me. Not too hard and so cheerful.
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just beautiful. I’d love to make one for my girls x.
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That’s a beautiful quilt. I would love to make one!
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Beautiful. Would love to tey my first quilt with this fabric.
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Love how it turned out. And I love all the little lines. Thanks for the giveaway!
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I’ve never made a quilt before but always wanted to. This sounds like a good way to break myself in 🙂
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Hi what a super gorgeous quilt I would love to make one for my girls too! Jane
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Wow this is a lovely thing, and I love your approach to quilting! I would love a stack of rainbow brights to brighten up my Autumn crafting. Thanks for the inspiration.
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I would love to make this! Your projects are always “sew” inspiring!
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