Rainbow Blocks Jelly Roll Quilt Pattern

The Rainbow Blocks Quilt Pattern is a bright, colorful, and oh-so-simple simple quilt pattern made using a jelly roll and a single background fabric. The free quilt pattern comes in 4 sizes and includes a free printable pdf pattern for you to save.

Rainbow Blocks Jelly Roll Quilt

I am so excited about today’s quilt pattern! I just love how it turned out; so colorful and pretty. Perfect for all those spring and summer picnics.

I especially love how quickly the quilt came together. You are basically sewing jelly roll strips into sets of four, trimming them into blocks, and then adding a sashing strip to each block. All that is left is to sew the blocks together.

Easy peasy! (My favorite type of project, lol.)

Why Make The Rainbow Blocks Quilt

• Eye-catching: The quilt is a charming, modern twist on a jelly roll quilt. The bright colors make for a fun and eye-catching quilt.
• Simple in design: all straight lines! The Rainbow Blocks Quilt Pattern is a perfect easy project and great for beginners.
• Comes together quickly: The quilt pattern was designed with jelly rolls in mind. Using precuts makes it sew together so fast! To make the assembly even faster, you can even use a single-color jelly roll for the background color.
• Multiple sizes: The quilt pattern includes fabric requirements and templates for crib, throw, twin, and full-size quilts.

Quilt variations

For my quilt, I used the Violet Craft Modern Classics Jelly Roll (which seems to be no longer available) and the Blossoms in Grey from Riley Blake yardage as the background color.

There are quite a few different ways you can change up the look of the rainbow blocks quilt pattern. Try using various fabric prints or color combos or changing the orientation of the blocks. Just a few examples are:

• Diagonal rainbow blocks: (as shown in today’s sample quilt.) Depending on what you prefer, the blocks can be vertical or horizontal Tip: If you are making the version with the diagonal color theme, make sure the jelly roll you use has two of every color. Any jelly roll will work if going for the random color look. (As shown in the other variations.).
• Patriotic stripes: Using all red, white, and blue fabrics and turning the blocks horizontally. This version is made with the Land of the Brave Jelly Roll from Riley Blake Fabrics. I also added an additional border with cornerstones.
• Spring Blocks: Use a pretty spring Jellyroll and rotate the blocks in various directions. I love the look of the additional border with cornerstones. (This fabric is Orchard from Riley Blake, coming soon. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!)
• Rectangle Rainbow Blocks: Rotating the blocks to create rectangle blocks.

Where Do I Get The Pattern?

The free rainbow blocks quilt pattern/template link is under the materials needed section. Click the link, add the pattern to your cart, and check out. (It takes about 15 seconds for the process.) A copy of the pattern will be emailed to you as well. (As long as you enter your email correctly – you would be shocked at the number of emails returned as undeliverable I get every day!)

Ready to make the quilt?

Read on for the fabric amounts, sewing instructions, and pattern templates.

The tutorial below is based on the throw quilt size. Instructions for the other sizes are the same but with more (or fewer) blocks. The full size has an additional 2.5-inch border.

Quilt Assembly/Sewing Tips:

• Press and starch fabric before sewing and cutting. Pre-pressing and starching help keep the fabric cuts straight.. 
• Don’t forget to check your seam allowance before starting to sew! Every time I start a project, I line my needle up using a seam allowance ruler. I also recommend this quarter-inch foot with the guide. (Just choose one that fits your machine.) You can use the seam allowance ruler with this foot, and once I have made the adjustment to my needle, the guide helps keep all my seams perfectly aligned.  
• Squaring up your blocks: Do not skip the step of squaring up the blocks! If using precuts, you might find they are all measured a bit differently. Squaring up the unfinished block to 8.5 inches helps you line the blocks up perfectly when sewing them together. You can use just about any square ruler for this.
• Any one of those rulers and a spinning cutting mat will quickly trim up all those blocks. (I love this spinning cutting mat! It also comes with an ironing mat that, along with my portable iron, is perfect for traveling! There are less expensive rotating cutting mats, but this one is very high quality and large.)

Materials needed

• Rainbow Blocks Quilt Pattern
• Fabric (see amounts below)
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Rulers (a basic quilting ruler and a square ruler)
• Design wall (not necessary – but oh-so-nice.)

Quilt Details

Block finished size: 8 inches

Quilt Finished sizes:

• Crib: 35 by 43 inches
• Throw: 51 by 59 inches
• Twin: 67 by 91 inches
• Full: 79 by 95 inches

Skill Level:

Beginner to advanced beginner. (Basic piecing and sewing knowledge .)

Pattern Notes:

• Please read through the entire pattern before starting.
• 1/4 inch seam allowances used.
• WOF  = width of fabric. (WOF for fabric calculations is 42 inches.)
• RST = right sides together.
• Press the seams to the darker/colored fabric side.

Fabric Amounts Needed

If you are making a version of the rainbow blocks quilt pattern that has a diagonal color theme, make sure the jelly roll you get has two of every color. Any jelly roll will work if going for the random color look. (As shown in the other variations.)

Crib:

• 1 jelly roll (or 15 – 2.5 inch WOF strips) (to make the diagonal color theme, you need 15 different colors)
• 1 yard of background fabric
• 1.5 yards for backing
• 3/8 yard for binding

Throw (42 blocks)

• 1 jelly roll (or 30 – 2.5 inch WOF strips) (to make the diagonal color theme, you need 15 colors, 2 strips of each color, or 1/4 yard of 15 colors)
• 1 3/4 yards of background fabric
• 3 1/2 yards for backing
• 1/2 yard for binding

Twin (88 blocks)

• 1 jelly roll (or 45 – 2.5 inch WOF strips) (to make the diagonal color theme, you need 15 colors, 3 strips of each color, or 1/4 yard of 15 colors)
• 3 yards of background fabric
• 5 1/2 for backing
• 5/8 yard for binding

Full (99 blocks)

• 2 jelly rolls (or 51 – 2.5 inch WOF strips) (to make the diagonal color theme, you need 15 colors, 4 strips of each color, or 3/8 yard of 15 colors)
• 4 yards of background fabric
• 8 1/2 yards for backing
• 3/4 yard for binding

Rainbow Blocks Quilt Sewing Instructions

Step One: Cut Out All Fabric Pieces.

Cut the fabrics to the following sizes:

Crib:

• Background:
  •  – 2.5 by 8.5-inch strips (you can get 4 – 8.5 inch pieces from 1 WOF strip. So you will need 11 strips to get 42.)
  •  – 2.5 by WOF 
• Colored strips:
  •  – 2.5 inch WOF strips (or 30 jelly roll strips)

Throw:

• Background:
  • 42 – 2.5 by 8.5-inch strips (you can get 4 – 8.5 inch pieces from 1 WOF strip. So you will need 11 strips to get 42.)
  • 13 – 2.5 by WOF 
• Colored strips:
  • 30 – 2.5 inch WOF strips (or 30 jelly roll strips)

Twin:

• Background:
  •   – 2.5 by 8.5-inch strips (you can get 4 – 8.5 inch pieces from 1 WOF strip. So you will need 11 strips to get 42.)
  •   – 2.5 by WOF 
• Colored strips:
  •   – 2.5 inch WOF strips (or 30 jelly roll strips)

Full:

• Background:
  •   – 2.5 by 8.5-inch strips (you can get 4 – 8.5 inch pieces from 1 WOF strip. So you will need 11 strips to get 42.)
  • 13 – 2.5 by WOF 
• Colored strips:
  •   – 2.5 inch WOF strips (or 30 jelly roll strips)

Step 2: Sew The Strips.

Sew together three patterned/colored and one background WOF strip of fabric.

Repeat until you have sewn together ten sets of 4 strips.

Step 3: Cut the blocks.

Cut the strips into 6.5-inch blocks. You only need 42 blocks, so you will have leftover strips. Perfect for some pillows or to use in another quilt.

Step 4: Add the sashing.

Sew the 2.5 by 8.5 sashing strip to each block. Make sure you are sewing the sashing to the correct side. (Depending on your design, it could matter.)

Step 5: Arrange and Sew Blocks together.

Arrange your blocks in the desired design. (I love my portable design wall for this. <If that one is out of stock, this one or this one looks good, too.> If you don’t have one, you need one! So much easier than working on the floor or a table.)

Row by row, sew the blocks together. (I like to sew two blocks together at a time, then sew the sets of two together. This helps keep the rows straighter.)

Then sew all the rows together.  

Step 6: Add Border.

You will need to add one side and one top/bottom border (depending on how you arranged your blocks.)

Sew two, 2.5 by WOF strips of background fabric together, end to end. Measure the strip and trim it to the width of your quilt top. Sew it along the top (or bottom of your quilt. 

Sew the trimmed piece to another 2.5 by WOF strip of background fabric. Measure the length of the quilt and trim the strip to that measurement. Sew the strip to the side of the quilt.

Step 7: Quilt.

With your batting and backing, make the quilt sandwich. Quilt, bind, and you are done.

Did you make a Rainbow blocks Quilt?

Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. If you share an image on Instagram, be sure to tag me and use #scatteredmompatterns! You can also share an image to my private Facebook sewing group!

More quilt patterns to try

• Jack-O-Lantern Quilt Pattern for Halloween
• Straight as an Arrow Quilt Pattern (free pdf pattern)
• Chevron Quilt (the easy way…)
• Seaside Squares Lap Quilt (square in square quilt block tutorial)

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