Rail Fence Quilt Inspiration: Three Quilts, Three Looks

The first quilt pattern I designed was the Rail Fence Quilt. Before I turned it into a pattern, I made this quilt many times as a gift for friends and family. It’s one of those simple designs that comes together quickly, looks great in a variety of fabrics, and makes a wonderful everyday quilt.

When I turned it into a pattern, I sized it specifically to make good use of fat quarters, with very little waste. For example, one bundle of 8 fat quarters will make a baby-size quilt, while a bundle of 8 half yards will make a lap-size quilt.

I especially like using 8 different prints because it gives the quilt plenty of variety. However, you can easily make a beautiful Rail Fence with just 4 fabrics, too.

Here are a few of the Rail Fence quilts I’ve made over the years.

Idea Garden

For this version, I used Idea Garden by Cloud9 fabrics. The simple Rail Fence design gives the prints plenty of room to shine while creating a lovely overall pattern across the quilt.

Creatures Great & Small

This version uses Creatures Great & Small by Cloud9 fabrics. It’s fun to see how a different collection completely changes the personality of the same quilt pattern.

Flower Garden

For this quilt, I used Flower Garden by Cloud9 fabrics. The mix of floral prints gives the simple pieced design a completely different feel.

Make Your Own Rail Fence Quilt

One of the things I love about the Rail Fence pattern is how easy it is to make it your own. Use a favorite fat quarter bundle, pull fabrics from your stash, or keep the palette simple with just four fabrics.

The pattern is beginner-friendly and includes instructions for making the quilt in multiple sizes.

Get the Rail Fence Quilt Pattern →

Whether you’re making your first quilt, looking for a quick project, or need a simple pattern for a charity quilt, the Rail Fence is a great one to have in your pattern collection.