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.”
Super cute! Would love to win 🙂
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Love this!
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I would 100% love to win! Your quilt is so pretty and always love anything rainbow and colorful like that.
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I am sooo interested! I have never made a quilt and just recently received my grandma’s sewing machine. This would be a wonderful first project for me to do with it!
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I love this quilt! I just made a tiny rainbow quilt for my daughter’s doll… This would make a perfect quilt to match for her!
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rainbows forever! love it.
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I would love to make this! You are so talented and generous!! Thank you 😀
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I can’t resist so much wonderful color!
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so very interested! this is beautiful.
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This quilt looks amazing! I’m expecting my first baby about two weeks after your due date and would love to make this for my little babe!
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So beautiful! Thanks for the chance to win!
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love love love the rainbow! I would make one in a heartbeat@
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What a fantastic giveaway! I’m impressed with how quickly you made this! This might be something I try.
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I literally squealed with excitement when you announced this giveaway. I am expecting my first baby in February and have been wanting to start a quilt for them, so this would be perfect! I absolutely love your finished work! Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful fabric.
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I’d love to make one like this! Hope luck is on my side 🙂
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I love this project and am very impressed at the speed in which you cranked it out! Thanks for sharing and the chance to win the fabric 🙂
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This is just such a fun quilt – so happy! I’d be thrilled to be able to make my own!
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Such a happy quilt!
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Love it! I have just gotten into sewing and would love to make my first quilt 🙂
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I would love a rainbow quilt for my little girl Lucille!!!
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Dear Elise,
this is the best give-away ever. I think I never stumbled upon anything I would have liked more to win!!
Especially since I’ve had it on my mind for quite some time now to start my first quilt, but I haven’t felt brave enough… but THIS would change everything! 🙂
So I guess, I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed until until the Weekend! 🙂
Have a nice day,
Kathi
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just STUNNING!
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A fabric giveaway?!? I’m a sucker for fabric so I’ll definitely throw my hat in the ring. We’ve been rather obsessed with rainbows as well, and I think a picnic blanket would be the perfect project to wrap up summer. Thanks for the opportunity!
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This would be so fun for my boys!
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Oh yes yes yes yes please!!!! This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing!!!
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Love this so much Elise! I’m in a quilting funk and would love to kick into gear with this one. :)!
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Thank you so much for the inspiration. I am stunned by how beautiful this is. I treasured for years a rainbow silky headscarf that my grandmother had and would love to win material to make a rainbow quilt for our family. Bravo!
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I am in LOVE with this quilt and it’d be amazing to win the fabrics to make it. I am starting to make a triangle quilt for my baby girl due December, let’s see how it turns out.
Thanks for the inspiration!
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Beautiful! I took a beginners class and finished one quilt – this looks like a perfect next step. Love the colors.
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Put me in the drawing please! I received a sewing machine last Christmas and have made a few simple things for my 6 month old daughter, and I would love to try quilting. Thank you!
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Does ‘anywhere’ mean Belgium too? Because that fabric combination is beautiful in all its simplicity.
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Finally reunited with my sewing machine after 2 years of living abroad! This project looks AWESOME for a first quilting project! Thanks for the beautiful inspiration!
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Love the shades of the colors you chose! Looks beautiful!
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Rainbow fabric would be so much fun to win!
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Wow…great quilt. I could do this!!
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I love the quilt and would like to try to make one on my own!
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so pretty! this might just be the kick i need to get sewing again!
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This is an amazing quilt; I’ve been loving it ever since you first shared peeks of it a few days ago! I would love to enter to win a pile of these gorgeous colors; your color choice is right up my alley. You rock.
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Your quilt looks great! I’d love to win the blocks so that I can give them to my daughter for her first quilt project. You’re such an inspiration. I love your blog!
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Definitely interested! I’d love to see all the quilts when said and done. I am sure each will be unique just like their makers. Mahalo!
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SO interested! Would be my very first quilt, if I won. 🙂
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Yes please!!
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Beautiful quilt! Love the colorfulness and would be honored to win the squares and make one myself.
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I would be over the moon to make something like this for my little one!! Thanks for the giveaway!
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Would love to win this! Beautiful!
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I love that you are giving away the rest! I would love to win and save all that time from not being able to pick out such great selection.
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Love this quilt and I’d love to make one too! I think we shop at the same fabric store, so I’d be so happy to win! (And I won’t need to ask the little old ladies to cut 36 different colors for me too 🙂 ha!)
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This is fantastic and I would love love love to make a quilt like this for my little girl!
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Wow, it’s fantastic!! Glad you were picky to get just the right fabric combinations, it was totally worth the effort. Long time reader and infrequent commenter, but I was on my computer today instead of Bloglovin so it works. Congrats on cranking through these projects at 30 weeks, I’m 26 now and trying to curb my project optimism. 🙂
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A perfect set up for quilt #2! Thanks for the chance to win!!!
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