Make an Easy Rainbow Scrap Busting Quilt Free Tutorial

Hello quilting friends! Many of you have told me that you would like help with scrap organizing and using up your scraps. I'm with you! So here's an idea I drew up in my EQ7 software that I would like to share with you today. This post contains affiliate links.



On the topic of scrap organization:

I have gotten into the habit of organizing my scraps by colour in See Through Storage Boxes. All the red scraps go in one clear see through plastic bin, all the navy scraps in another, all the turquoise scraps in another and so on. I don't bother cutting them to specific sizes although I know some quilters do. The reason I don't do that is because a.) it's time consuming and b.) it could limit me later on with what I can make with those scraps. I consider anything smaller than a fat eighth to be a scrap.

On the topic of containers:

I have run out of see through bins so some of my scraps are in stackable wire baskets as well and some are even in little wicker baskets with handles. Basically my advice on this is use what you have or what you can buy inexpensively. It is helpful for space conservation though if you can stack your containers. Most of my containers are on a glass IKEA shelf that is mounted on the wall (with the brackets attached to the studs behind the drywall) above my cutting tables. If I manage to get my sewing room cleaned and organized over the summer I will post pictures. ;)

Getting back to my quilt idea in the graphic above:

Once you have your scraps sorted into colours it will make it easy to create scrappy rainbow quilts. Gather your rainbow scraps and your low volume scraps. If you do not have enough low volume scraps you will need about 5 yards of background fabric.

Cut your coloured scraps into 5 inch squares and 2 inch squares. Draw a diagonal line on the back of the two inch squares.

You will need:

80 - 5 inch background/low volume squares
40 - 9 1/2 inch background/low volume squares
160 - 2 inch corner squares

The cutting amounts for your colours will vary depending on what you have for scraps. Make the quilt work with what you have. [Try not to buy fabric! The point is to use up your scraps! :) ]

Note: all seams are 1/4 inch, blocks are 9 inches finished, the quilt as seen below is 74 x 92 inches including a 1 inch border

Use this graphic as a guide or colour your own guide on graph paper.


Sew four patch blocks using two coloured 5 inch squares and two background/low volume 5 inch squares. Refer to the diagram or your colouring sheet to determine what colour to place where. Press centre seams in opposite directions towards the coloured fabric to create nesting seams and then sew the two halves of the block together pressing the seam in one direction.



Sew the alternate setting blocks (also known as snowball blocks) using one 9 1/2 inch background/low volume square and four 2 inch corner squares. Again refer to the diagram or your colouring sheet for colour placement.


Place each 2 inch corner square face down on a corner of the 9 1/2 inch background square and sew on the drawn diagonal line. Trim 1/4 inch from the seam and press seams towards the colours.

Following the quilt diagram, or your own diagram on graph paper, layout the quilt top alternating between four patches and the alternate setting blocks (snowball blocks.) Sew the quilt top together in 10 rows of 8 squares each. Press seams in alternating directions for each row to create nesting seams and then sew all the rows together. Press all row seams in one direction.

Blocks are nine inches finished and the quilt top is 74 x 92 inches with a one inch background fabric border. You can make the quilt bigger or smaller by adding or subtracting blocks and rows. Adding borders is also another option to increase the size.

I hope this post was helpful to you today! Whether you're new to quilting or you've been quilting for years we all love cute paper to design on:



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