Rainbow Rail Fence Quilt Tutorial
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share a commission.Rainbow colors always make me happy and this precious little baby quilt made with the Rainbow Rail Fence block was the perfect quilt to make.
Rainbow Rail Fence Quilt Tutorial
Quilt Size: 48″ x 64″
Today I am sharing a beautiful, fast and easy quilt tutorial – the Rainbow Rail Fence Quilt tutorial. You can easily make this quilt with any 2½” strip pack or you could cut up fat quarters or fabrics in your stash.
Choose a 2½-inch strip set of Rainbow colors to make a quilt like this.
I even have a photo of Sadie on the quilt! Can you guess who she is looking at? Yep, Builder Bob, this was the only time we ever let her hair get this long. She is so much cuter with a puppy cut!
Yesterday I gave you a sneak peek at my cute little granddaughters laying on my new quilt made with a Snack Pack of Marblehead Global Brights by Ro Gregg. There are 42 – 2 ½” strips in the snack pack, I’m not sure if it is still available but you could also use a different jelly roll pack or just cut some 2 ½” strips by the width of fabric you have in your stash.
This bright and beautiful quilt puts a twist on the traditional rail fence quilt block.
Download a PDF of the Rainbow Rail Fence quilt block and quilt.
Materials:
You will need:
- 1 Jelly roll pack of 2½” strips in rainbow colors
- 1 fat quarter for the center section sub-cut to 12 – 4 ½” x 4 ½” squares
- 3 yards for backing and binding
Use a ¼” seam allowance.
Choose 3 colors for your strips.
Each block uses 3 – 2 ½” strips and 1 – 4 ½” x 4 ½” square.
Sew the 3 strips of fabric together and then sub cut them into four 10 ½” sections.
- The blocks have partial seams but are easy to sew.
- Match up one size of the 4 ½” center square with your strip section.
- Stitch halfway done the 4 ½” block ( I have it folded in the photo to show where I stopped).
- Press your seams to the dark fabric.
The following photos show the way to add the other strip sets. Note: I went around counter-clockwise…..whichever way you go……do the same with all the blocks.
When you sew the final seam you will be starting at an end and stitching to the middle of the center block. I like to stitch a couple of stitches into the first seam and then back-stitch.
Here is your finished block – make sure you sew all blocks the same way.
Make all of your blocks and then sew them together. It is very easy and you only have to match the blocks….no other seams.
I have another blog post that has a tutorial for just one Rainbow Rail Fence Block, just click the button below to go to it.
I almost made 2 baby quilts….wouldn’t they be cute! The size would be 32 x 48.
I just did some free-motion quilting on my 15-91 vintage Singer. For the binding, I used my machine binding tutorial.
It is so nice to have the weather nice enough to take photos down by the river! This was a fast and easy quilt to make.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. It has been converted to an optional PDF that’s optimized for printing.
Download a PDF of the Rainbow Rail Fence quilt block and quilt.
I thought I would update this post to show a photo of Mr. Mickey on the Rainbow Rail Fence quilt. Be sure to read more about our newest addition to the family.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you are looking for all kinds of free quilt tutorials you should visit FaveQuilts. This quilt tutorial is featured in their new and improved fat quarter patterns.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please see the full disclosure here. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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About Connie
Hi, I’m Connie Kresin Campbell, the quilter, writer, and photographer behind Freemotion By the River. I enjoy inspiring others with my quilt tutorials and patterns. You’ll also see my sweet adopted dogs from time to time.
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Thank you so much for the beautiful quilt. I am definitely going to make this. It seems you just moved into your house and now you are moving again. Praying that you and your husband are strengthened to complete this move. You seem to be so gentle. Take care.
Very impressed at the simplicity of your tutorial , easy to follow THANK YOU for that ! The contrasts of color really draws the eye and holds it , just darling 👍🏼 It’s so good to see a fresh take on a standard pattern , love to see creativity ♥️WONDERFUL GOOD JOB 👏🧵even as a veteran quilter one can never know enough . Thanks again , this is fabulous!
Your quilt is SO beautiful. And you area wonderful generous lady for taking the time to do this tutorial for us. THANK YOU!
Thank you soooo much for this lovely quilt pattern. I especially love your great (& faster) alternative to a log cabin — at first glance it does read as a log cabin too.
In colors, first love is jewel and bright tones, so that also caught and kep my eye. In color patterns I love love love Rainbow variations! So visually it hits every fave pleasure of mine (including my all-time fave color, purple — which I’ll also use for extra blocks, bindings & mayhap backing).
I’ll be enlarging it to 64″x80″, a 4×5 set, to generously fit a twin bed… Altho’ I am considering a 5 x5, 84″ square, with bordering up to about 90″ square altogether, so it can be used thru college and beyond
The other change is I’ll be doing the centers as fussy cut “I Spy” squares. Four by four inches, finished, is a good size for them, and with 20 or 25 blocks there are enough to have a good mix of toddler thru an older child’s interests.
Thank you for a pattern that is so easily modified as this one! And for such a clear and attractively done set of instructions. Clearly you took a lot of time and care with them, both show in how well they are done.
My grand nephew is going to absolutely and totally LOVE this quilt/pattern!!!! Thank you (again) for so generously sharing it with us.
Great tutorial as always, Connie. I love this block and the twist you have put on it with the strips.b thanks for the fabric inspiration … 🙂 Pat
Love it! The bright colors grabs my attention every time. Nicely done.
II love your quilt, especially that you got a good-sized quilt and only added a tiny bit of extra fabric to your strips. If I worked it outright the 6 leftover strips would be the perfect amount for the binding too!
thank you for the tutorial. I'm a fairly new quilter and need all the hints and lessons I can find.
What a great use of those rainbow colors!
I am so inspired by this design! I have a daughter about the same age as your granddaughters and this would be great to lay out for her to play with Barbies or little ponies!
I love the colors in this quilt.
Very pretty bright and fun quilt.
I love the bright colors and I saved the pattern. Diannia
Love those colors!
Love the Marblehead rainbow quilt you have here
LOVE your Quilt! Thank you for the Tutorial too!
Great little quilt. I make a lot of donation quilts and this would be fun and easy to do.
Adorable quilt and girls!
You make this quilt look so easy! Even with those crazy seams!!
Thanks for the tutorial: fun quilt and quick!
love the quilt and your use of colour. Thank you so much for your tutorial too. I'm thinking this may be a great way for me to start and make my first ever quilt.
I love your colorful quilt! I think your girls like it, too. Thanks for the tutorial.
How pretty! The girls look so cute on the quilt. Thanks for the tutorial, Connie.
-Soma
Love the color arrangements on your quilt. Beautiful and so cheery.
Your quilt is sew cute and bright and sew are the two little girls.
A cool quilt Connie, I can see doing some of those!! Thanks for the tutorial!
What a great setting for your colorful quilt…grandkids and water!
Great pattern to use strips – partial seams scare so many, but really are easy to manage. I like the idea of getting two baby quilts for charity purposes here.
Thanks for all the inspiration that you provide. I love batiks, so I always enjoy your creations.
It has taken me all day long to answer this post Connie. It's been open on my computer since about 845am too. And nope, wasn't doing other things too, just your post. LOL OOoh I know, it's because the water was so riveting against the gorgeous colors your quilt has in it. Yea, that's it. lol I'll stick with that reason. I really do love the bright colors. Your Granddaughters are so cute laying on it too.
Cute quilt – thanks for the tutorial.
Your girls are so adorable and they look very happy on this bright and cheerful quilt. Thank you for the tutorial. Creative Quilting Bliss…
Great use of the precuts for your quilt!
Beautiful quilt!
What a sweet quilt, love those bright colors. And your granddaughters look like they love it also – photos are so helpful….
I just love the picture of your cute little grands on your Rainbow Quilt. That sure seemed like an easy quilt that go together really quickly. Thanks for another great tutorial!
Bright and happy quilt! Thanks for the tutorial. Always a great new idea … 🙂 Pat
Thanks for another wonderful tutorial. Your girls are beautiful models.
Love the quilt Connie…those colors are so pretty! Thanks for the tutorial
Beautiful quilt. Very clear tutorial. Thanks for sharing!
Love that quilt. What a beautiful line of fabric! 😉
Very nice tutorial-I think I can try partial seams now.
Thanks for the tutorial for this great quilt.
Another super tutorial. Great quilt for a quick gift.
Thanks for the tute on partial seams… I'm sure that I could manage them without difficulty now!!
This quilt is spectacular!! Love the bright colors and the design is really neat too! And, your models are simply adorable!!
Love this! I’d have to buy more packs of these strips to make myself a quilt for my California king bed! The colors are delicious and perfect for my room!
You make those partial seams look so easy. This is a must-try pattern, thanks for sharing and the giveaway fun!
A beautiful quilt together with two beautiful girls!
What a fun colorful kids' quilt and you're right – it would have been great baby quilts too.
This partial seam technique is very clever and much simpler than one would think. I just used it on a baby quilt.
I like your colourful quilt. It looks like a sunny summerday. Follow you on Bloglovin
Jeannette
Love the colorful quilt. Follow on fb and bloglovin
I follow you on FB and Bloglovin', I follow her on GFC.
missysaprons@gmail.com
I really love the bright colors of your quilt and thank you for the free pattern!- I follow you via facebook – rachel.gagnon5@sympatico.ca
Love this as it's a fast fun design and is perfect for a child.
The girls look so cute on the colorful quilt.. It would make some really nice baby quilts too. Nice job.