HOW TO make a RAG QUILT

HOW TO make a RAG QUILT



The latest fad in quilts in one called a RAG QUILT? Not to be confused with a rag rug :)



Rag quilts are very easy to make and a lot of fun. They look wonderful when finished too.





Here is a link to rag quilts on eBay By the way I am not selling any rag quilts. But I do love the look and do make them as gifts and for personal use.

What you need



Assorted materials in various prints or use just one print. That is for the front. I usually use a combination of chenille, and flowered prints for the front of my quilt. For the back I use white sheets I buy at the thrift shop. For the middle layer I use flannel sheets I buy at the thrift shop. You could use batting too but I don't like the look of it as much as the flannel.

CUTTING OUT THE PIECES



Decide on the finished size you want the squares to be. They don't have to be square by the way, they can also be rectangular. It's up to you - that is the beauty of quilting. I generally make mine square though.



Add at least an inch to the overall dimensions of the square. So for example if you want the square to be 6 inches when finished cut it out as a 7 inch square.

Do this with all 3 layers, - top, middle and backing.

ASSEMBLING THE PIECES

Take one backing, put a middle flannel or batting piece on it and then a top piece. Set aside. Continue until you have enough assembled for your quilt.

Now the fun part - the sewing. Take two assembled blocks - that will be 6 pieces of material. What you are going to do is sew it so the seam is on the front. In other words when you are finished the seam will be on the outside - the reverse of what you would usually do. So sew all 6 layers together by matching the backs.

Here is the order as it sits under the pressure foot on your machine waiting to be sewn. top, middle, backing, backing, middle, top. Sew through all 6 layers. Set aside. Keep sewing them two at a time until all used up.

Then start joining them the same way into strips until they are as long as you want for the side. For a 64 x 64 inch quilt as an example you would if using 8 inch blocks (finished size) you would sew together 8 blocks for a side.

Sew 8 more rows of 8 for a 64 x 64 inch quilt.

Then you now want to sew two of the rows together matching as closely as possible the corners. Open out the seams so you aren't sewing through a double bulky thickness of seam at every intersection.

Once your quilt is sewn together and you spread it out, it should have all the seams on the same side. When you flip it over to the back, you should only see seams but no edges. All the raw edges should be on the front. Very important. To finish this part, sew one half inch in all the way around the quilt's outer edge.

If you have used batting as the middle layer, you might want to sew an X across each square which is becoming the traditional "look". If you have used flannel sheeting as I do, you can skip this step.

RAGGING THE EDGES

With sharp scissors and the quilt on your lap, start clipping the raw edges of the seams every 1/4 inch or so. All of them.

Once that is done toss the quilt in the washer and give it a short cycle wash, then dry it in the dryer. This starts the ravelling process on the edges that gives these quilts their distinctive features.

These quilts are wonderfully soft and warm. You might even decide to sell them on eBay!

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