We are excited to share this tutorial with you because it’s so cute yet so simple. If you’re a beginner, I know it may be intimidating to make a quilt but trust me when I say that this is the best tutorial to start with. I remember when I first began quilting, I would get too ambitious and choose tutorials that were too advanced for me, then give up half way through. My husband would walk into the room and I’d be lying in a heap of fabric, wiping my tears of frustration with the scraps I messed up on. We’ve all been there, right guys…right? Well, if you haven’t been there, then you must be a beginner and I’m saving you from all your frustration with this simple tutorial.
Want to get this Kit? Go HERE.
Want this finished good? Go HERE.
Materials Needed:
- White: 41 – 5 x 5”squares (1 Bella Solids white charm pack)
- Red: 2
- Orange: 4
- Yellow: 6
- Green: 4
- Blue: 3
- Light Blue: 2
- Purple: 2
- Ruler of some sort
- Fabric marker/pen
- Cutting board
- Rotary cutter
- ½ yard fabric for binding (we used yellow with white polka dots)
- Finished Quilt will be 36″ x 36″
*This entire project is sewn with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
1) From the squares that we sent you, pull out the white squares, 1 dark blue, 1 light blue, 1 purple and 1 red square
2) To begin assembly, use a fabric pen to draw a diagonal line across all of your white squares.
3) Match each white square up with one colored square with the right sides together (patterns facing each other)
4) Sew on both sides of the line you drew, ¼’ from the line. Repeat with all of your squares.
5) Cut each square on the line you drew between the seams using a rotary cutter and ruler. You will now have two squares.
6) Set the seam by placing the white side down (colored side facing up) and press the colored side to set the seam.
7) Set the seam on the colored side, flip it over and iron the colored side down making sure the colored seam is to the colored side otherwise, you will be able to see the seam allowance.(this technique is good for when you are using a light color and a dark color like white vs. red)
8) After you have ironed out the squares, trim your corners with a rotary cutter.
9) Separate all your colors into different piles (blue pile, orange pile, etc.)
10) Refer to the chart below and make a pile for each row. When you are separating your piles, your first charm in the row will be at the top of your pile and your last charm in the row will be at the bottom of your pile.
Row 1: 3 YEL, 3 ORA, 3 RED
Row 2: 1 GRE, 3 YEL, 3 ORA, 2 RED
Row 3: 2 GRE, 3 YEL, 3 ORA, 1 RED
Row 4: 1 BLU, 2 GRE, 3 YEL, 3 ORA
Row 5: 2 BLU, 2 GRE, 3 YEL, 2 ORA
Row 6: 3 BLU, 2 GRE, 3 YEL, 1 ORA
Row 7: 1 PUR, 3 BLU, 2 GRE, 3 YEL
Row 8: 2 PUR, 3 BLU, 2 GRE, 2 YEL
Row 9: 3 PUR, 3 BLU, 2 GRE, 1 YEL
11) Sew each row of squares together starting with row 1(there will be 9 rows of 9 squares in each row). When sewing the squares together, place 2 squares right side together (patterns facing up). Make sure that all of your squares are facing the same way with the color side of one square lined up with the white side of the other square.
Tip: Pin your label onto the first square of each row so you don’t get them confused.
12) Press each individual row after sewing. Make sure that you press the color away from the white
13) Pin rows 1 and 2 together, matching all the seams with one pin in each seam and sew the rows together. Continue doing this for all of the rows. To save from confusion, put a safety pin and a row 1 label in the top left corner of row 1 so that you will always know that that is the first row and the top of the quilt.
Tip #1: The fabric may bunch up when you are sewing. If this happens, lightly pull your fabric as you are sewing and take your pin out right before the sewing needle hits the pin.
Tip #2: When sewing your rows together, sew one way with one row and then start on the other side with the next row and sew the opposite way. Sew in an “S” shape. This will help it lay nicely.
This is what your quilt top will look like after you have sewn all of the rows together.
August 30, 2019 at 3:56 pm
Great quilt, I am making it for my niece but you definitely need to change the materials list. I can see from the comments I am not alone is reading red 2 as two red 5×5 squares. Not that you need to fabrics. It is especially confusing since the first line is 41 white 5×5 squares. Otherwise great!
February 27, 2019 at 7:39 pm
I have to agree with Anita, it would have been helpful to have the number of squares in addition to that because that’s exactly how I read that as a beginner and I surely would have wondered what the heck I did wrong when I didn’t have enough hst to finish
September 13, 2018 at 7:44 am
@Anita – those are the numbers of patterns of each color, not the numbers of squares.
July 16, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Has anyone made this baby quilt and enlarged it?
April 18, 2016 at 8:35 pm
Aren’t your number of squares required exactly half what they should be? For example, you say there are two red squares required, then they get cut in half, then how do they magically become SIX red squares on the quilt? I’m an experienced quilter and realized this error, a beginner would be totally messed up. That aside, I love this design!
January 23, 2015 at 12:03 pm
It is very very interesting.Iwill try this.
December 22, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Love this quilt and all the great colors. Thanks for sharing another scrap buster.
December 22, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Thank you for putting up this tutorial — love it!
December 22, 2014 at 3:48 pm
Great scrap buster!!!! Thak you!
December 22, 2014 at 3:11 pm
This would be a great quilt to make out of my scraps. I love rainbow anything!
December 22, 2014 at 2:53 pm
thank you for this go to baby quilt…you can use any color combo you like!!!
December 22, 2014 at 2:07 pm
Thanks for sharing, on my todo list!
December 22, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Quick and easy . . . love it!
December 22, 2014 at 12:42 pm
What a great baby quilt! Thanks so much for sharing!