Rag Love

Rag Quilt Tutorial

1. Gather:

• Fabrics [DO NOT pre-wash]
•      0.25 yd. each of 9-10 different colors/prints 44"-45" wide cotton [front]
•      1.75 yds. 44"-45" wide cotton muslin [middle]
•      1.75 yds. 44"-45" wide cotton flannel [back]
• Cotton sewing thread
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter/mat/ruler
• Sewing machine [walking foot would have been great]
• Fiskars Softouch Spring Action Micro-Tip Scissors

2. Strip

• Use rotary cutter to slice a total of 21 colored/print cotton strips 2.5"wide x44/45"long.
• Lay muslin flat and smooth on wrong side of flannel.
• Use rotary cutter to slice a total of 21 muslin/flannel strips 2.5"wide x 44/45"long.

3. Sew

• Set a short [2.0] stitch length on your machine.
• Make a 'sandwich' with a flannel/muslin strip + a colored/print strip [right-side up] on top.

l-r: flannel [wrong-side up] + muslin
+ print/color fabric [right-side up]

Here's the 3-layer 'sandwich' all ready to stitch.

• Stitch the 3 layers together down the middle of each strip. Repeat with all 21 'sandwiches.' 

Stitch all 3 layers together
down the middle of the strip with a short
[2.0] stitch length.
No need to mark the middle or
pin the strips before stitching.
This is a very imprecise, charming quilt.

Chain stitch one strip after another to save time and thread.
 

A 2.0 stitch length is short enough to hold the layers together
without a lock or backstitch to start or end each strip.
Chain stitching is such a time saver.

Random rag sandwich strips
after being stitched down the middle
 

The back of every strip
is a soft, starry blue flannel

4. Design

Cut to free each 3-layer 'sandwich' strip from the chain.
You now have 21 3-layer 'sandwich' strips;
Each is ~2.5"wide x ~44/45"long.

The dining room table is a great place to design.
I needed to balance all the prints/colors
even though I wanted it to look
very random and scrappy.

5. Assemble

Join strip sandwiches flannel sides together with .5" seam.
This is where I missed my walking foot!
It's a challenge to sew 6 layers of fabric together
without a pucker or two . . . or 5.
I pinned and did lots of talking.



First, navy was joined to print, then print to green.



In order to keep the design straight, I used a paper clip
to mark the top left corner of the first strip.
After joining each strip, I laid it back on the table
with the paper clip in the right place,
and then picked up the next strip to join.

First 7 strips joined! And yes, the raw edges are
visible on the top of the quilt.
This is so counterintuitive for those who sew!
The top is raggedy;
the [back] flannel side is finished.

Another 7-strip unit starts with another paper clip
on the upper left corner of the first strip.
BTW I chose to assemble 3 units of 7 strips
because it's just easier to handle.

 

The final step in assembly is joining unit 1 to 2,
and then unit 1/2 to 3. Last 2 seams--so exciting!
Don't worry about all the wonky edge randomness.

Use Olfa ruler and chalk or pencil to mark fabric.
Trim uneven sides with scissors.
Again, perfection is not required.

Stitch around perimeter of quilt .5" from edge
with a 2.0 [short] stitch length.

All 4 sides in one continuous line.

Before moving on,
time to pause for a small celebration!
I love the colors and happy vibe.
Hopefully it will keep our grandson
company for many years.
Now for the . next . step .
 

6. Snip Snip Snip Snip [sorry, no pix]
In order to encourage all raw seam edges to ravel and get all cute and fuzzy, the tedious task begins:

• Use very sharp [preferably Spring Action] scissors.
• Carefully snip perpendicular to each raw seam edge every 1/4" or so.
• CAUTION! To keep seams strong, stop each snip before cutting the thread that makes the seam.
• CAUTION! To avoid snipping holes in the quilt strips, hold seam edges flat enough to cut only the raw seam edges. 
• Use good task lighting and break up the task into manageable chunks. Some like to work with a movie on; my old eyes and gardening hands need strong light and a gentle pace.

7. Wash/Dry/Shake

• Shake out the quilt and throw it in the washer.
• Wash on a permanent press cycle with cold water and mild soap.
• Remove from washer. Take outside and shake quilt to free loose threads.
• With dryer set on medium heat, dry quilt. Stop dryer frequently to clean lint filter and shake quilt outside.
• Repeat wash*/dry/shake process. *Skip the soap this time.



See how the raw seam edges get all fuzzy
after snips and laundering?
The flannel back is finished and smooth.
It's like a big hug!

 

8. Share

A quilt for California



 

D's Skinnamarink Quilt
I love you in the morning, and in the afternoon.
I love you in the evening, and underneath the moon!
Skinnamarink-a-dink-a-dink. Skinnamarink-a-doo.
I love you!