Rainbow Hexie Quilt

Rainbow Hexie Quilt and Cushion by Cait Lisle Designs

The Rainbow Hexie Quilt and Cushion is a vibrant, scrap-friendly quilting pattern by Cait Lisle Designs that celebrates the full spectrum of the rainbow through a classic hexagon layout. Designed to be accessible to beginners and lifelong quilters alike, this downloadable PDF pattern offers a fresh, modern twist on traditional piecing techniques. The pattern covers three finished projects in one: a Baby Quilt (36" x 43"), a Throw Quilt (56" x 66"), and a Cushion (20" x 20"), making it an incredibly versatile addition to any quilter's library.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a rainbow-coloured hexagon quilt and a matching cushion cover. The design arranges hexie units across a full rainbow colour palette — red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, purple, and pink — creating a bold, cheerful finished piece. The baby and throw quilts are complete with backing, batting, and binding, while the cushion includes a lining for a polished, structured finish.

• Baby Quilt: 36" x 43" — ideal as a gift or nursery accent
• Throw Quilt: 56" x 66" — a generous lap or sofa throw
• Cushion: 20" x 20" — a coordinating home accessory

Techniques Used

The primary technique throughout this pattern is English Paper Piecing (EPP), one of the oldest and most beloved methods in quilting. English Paper Piecing involves wrapping individual fabric pieces around paper or acrylic templates, then whip-stitching or joining the wrapped pieces together by hand. This method produces extremely precise, sharp points and perfectly uniform hexagons — a result that can be difficult to achieve through machine piecing alone.

The pattern uses traditional piecing techniques applied to hexagon shapes, giving the finished design a modern aesthetic while honouring classic quilting craft. Because EPP is portable and requires no sewing machine for the piecing stage, it is a wonderful technique for quilters who enjoy hand sewing or want a project they can take on the go.

• English Paper Piecing (EPP) — wrapping fabric around paper or acrylic hexagon templates
• Hexagon assembly — joining individual hexie units into a cohesive rainbow layout
• Quilting and finishing — assembling quilt top, batting, and backing; binding the edges
• Cushion construction — incorporating a lining for a structured 20" x 20" cushion

Stitches Used

As an English Paper Piecing project, the primary stitch used to join the hexagon units is the whip stitch (also known as the joining stitch in EPP), worked by hand along the folded edges of adjacent hexie pieces. This stitch is simple, consistent, and ideal for beginners learning hand quilting techniques for the first time.

Materials — Fabric and Notions

This pattern is specifically designed to be scrap-friendly and Fat Quarter friendly, making it a perfect stash-busting project. Fabric requirements are given in Fat Quarters (FQ, 18" x 22") and Fat Eighths (F8, 18" x 11"), with Width of Fabric (WOF) assumed to be 42". If using scraps, a minimum of 3" squares is recommended. The nine rainbow colours each require varying amounts depending on the chosen size.

• Fabric: Quilting cotton in nine colours — red, orange, yellow, light green, dark green, light blue, dark blue, purple, and pink — sourced as Fat Quarters, Fat Eighths, or scraps
• Hexagon templates: 1¼" pre-cut paper EPP papers or 2½" acrylic templates (measurements reflect the two standard template sizing options)
• Backing fabric: 1½ yd (Baby) / 3½ yd (Throw) / ¾ yd (Cushion)
• Batting: 44" x 51" (Baby) / 64" x 74" (