How to Make a Rag Quilt
Flannel Fabric Cut in Squares, Sewn Together, Snipped and Frayed
Nov 5, 2009
Using up odds and ends of flannel fabric gives an old-fashioned touch to a rag quilt. Buying material at a quilting shop will be required for making a personalized quilt for a family member or friend. There are all sorts of printed fabric available. There are all types of fabric to choose from such as plaids, solids, as well as themes like floral, wilderness, child designs et cetera. The instructions below are for a double size bed. It takes 63 squares to make this quilt top.
Basic Supplies Required when Putting Together a Rag Quilt
- a sewing machine
- thread
- a ruler
- rotary cutter
- cutting mat
- flannel fabric(10 yards of coordinated fabric)
- quilt batting (4 yards)
- quilting pins
- rag scissors
- fabric pencil
How to Cut and Sew Fabric into Quilted Squares
- Using a rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat cut coordinated fabric into 10 x 10 inch squares.
- Cut quilt batting into 9 x 9 inch squares.
- Take a square piece of flannel and lay a piece of batting on top of it and set aside.
- Take one flannel square, set a ruler across it from corner to corner and draw a line across it, then slide the ruler across corner to corner again and draw another line. There will be an X across the block when finished.
- Lay this marked piece of fabric on top of the set aside layers pinning in the center.
- Using a sewing machine sew the pinned fabric together stitching across the marked lines.
- When finished there will be a sewn X across the block.
Sew Machine Quilted Squares into Strips
- After making the required number of squares arrange them in the desired manner they are to appear in the quilt.
- Begin to sew into strips by picking a row and from the bottom of this row begin to pick up blocks one at a time placing one on top of the other.
- Take the top two squares and put them together wrong side to wrong side.
- Sew across these two squares' tops leaving a ½ inch seam allowance right side up with seam exposed which will be snipped later on.
- Continue to sew each block into the row and when finished set this strip aside.
- Sew remaining rows into strips until there are a total of seven sewn rows containing nine squares in each.
Sew Strips Together to Make a Quilt - Snip Flannel Fabric Seams to Create a Rag Quilt
- Take two of the rows and sew them together seams exposed.
- Continue sewing strips together until you have sewn all rows together making a complete one piece quilt.
- Sew all around the entire blanket edge leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
- Snip the exposed seams, preferably with rag scissors. Note: Proper rag scissors cut the layered fabric much easier than regular scissors.
- Snip every 1/4 of an inch across layered fabric. Note: Take extra care and time at each section where square corners meet.
- Take the rag quilt to a local laundromat and place it in an oversized machine with a little laundry detergent and liquid fabric softener. Note: It is not recommended to use your personal washer as the lint could plug up the drain.
- Dry the rag quilt in a dryer at the laundromat as well.
- When returning home, lay the rag quilt on a bed and brush out the loose lint.
Once all the above steps have been followed a new quilt will be ready for gift giving to a family member or a special friend. Putting together a rag quilt is a creative and fun way to quilt. The possibilities are endless when choosing what colours and themes to go with. A rag quilt will keep your loved ones warm on cool evenings. Another interesting step-by-step quilting article is Quilting for Beginners.
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