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.
- 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.
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| l-r: flannel [wrong-side up] + muslin + print/color fabric [right-side up] |
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| 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.'
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| 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. |
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| Chain stitch one strip after another to save time and thread. |
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| 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. |
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| Random rag sandwich strips after being stitched down the middle |
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| The back of every strip is a soft, starry blue flannel |
4. Design
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| First, navy was joined to print, then print to green. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Use Olfa ruler and chalk or pencil to mark fabric. Trim uneven sides with scissors. Again, perfection is not required. |
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| Stitch around perimeter of quilt .5" from edge with a 2.0 [short] stitch length. |
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| All 4 sides in one continuous line. |
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| 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 . |
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.
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| 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
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| A quilt for California |
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| 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! |
