Make a Rag Quilt in 10 Steps

You could also call this post The Longest Blog Post Ever, or The Post in which We See Too Many Pictures of Amanda’s Hand, but we wont.  Make a Rag Quilt in 10 Steps is much better.

So, last Wednesday, I announced that I would finally have my rag quilt tutorial up. I had finished the quilt for my sister-in-law, had taken pictures of each step and was ready to type up the instructions and share with you all.

Of course, on Thursday, my computer died. I was using it and it shut off. I tried to restart it and it wouldn't. I have tried start up repair. And system restore. Nothings works. Luckily, I just burned my pictures from 2009 onto discs, and I had just printed pictures at Costco, and I had just printed out 27 pages of recipes for my binder, so I'm not worried about anything I lost.

However, all the pictures for my tutorial were on there. So what was I going to do?

Here's what I did: I pulled out some fabric and made another quilt, taking pictures of each step so that I can still share with you. Because I like you. I'm snagging a few minutes here and there when Bryan isn't using his computer to check email, and write this post. While it's probably okay that my laptop is dead (after all, without it as a distraction, my house is cleaner, I finished a quilt and I have been reading books more), I miss it. Dreadfully. I'm quite certain that someone with a lot of computer knowledge can fix it, however, I will have to wait until there is extra cash around for that.

Ha.

Like that will happen.

Anyway…back to quilting.

First, I need to remind you all that I am not a great sew-er. I can't figure out a pattern for pajama pants to save my life. But, rag quilts are easy. if you can sew a semi-straight line, you're good. You can do it! Also, I am not a perfectionist. I don't wash and iron fabric before I use it. I try to get my material to be perfect 8" squares, but quite often they aren't the same size and I'm okay with that. My seams seldom match up, which on a rag quilt is just fine. I personally think it adds a bit of character to a quilt.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

For this quilt, I used two flannel fabrics (cowboy print and brown) and denim. It's a small quilt, for a baby so I planned on it being 6 squares by 6 squares. My squares are 8" each. Since I am using denim, I am not using any batting. If you are using flannel for the front and the back, you will want batting. I recommend a thin batting, like Hobbs.

I also use an Olfa cutting mat (mine is 24x17"), an Olfa grid ruler (mine is 6.5"x24"), an Olfa rotary cutter. You'll need a sewing machine. Thread. Scissors.

And fabric! I have made rag quilts with linen type fabric. It works, but they don't fray as nicely. And they aren't as soft. I recommend flannel. How much fabric you ask? Well, I happen to have a nice little chart that can help you figure that out, because heaven knows, I can't. I just buy fabric and hope it's enough (seriously). I got this chart at The Corn Wagon - a darling quilt shop in Springville, Utah.

Step 2: Cut your squares!

I want all my squares to be 8" so that is what I will refer to throughout this post. I have folded my fabric in half and in half again, getting it as straight as I can. Then I am laying the cut edge of the fabric on my mat, and lining it up with a line on the mat. Then I am placing my grid-ruler on top of my fabric and lining it up 8 inches from the edge of my fabric. Holding down the grid carefully, I cut with my rotary cutter. I move the grid again and cut eight inches from the last cut.

After I do this several times, I end up up with strips of fabric, that I am then cutting into squares. Same way. Line it up, measure 8 inches, and cut.

Note: You will want to cut your batting the same way. Cut it smaller than the fabric. If you are planning on a 1/2" seam, but your batting 1" smaller than the fabric. If you are planning on a 1" seam, cut the batting 2" smaller.

You end up with nice stacks of fabric:

Step 3: Sew "X"s on your squares

Here begins the sewing. Take two square of fabric (putting batting in between, if you are using just flannel) and place them together with the wrong sides together. You don't turn fabric on a rag quilt so make sure that the top is on the top and the bottom is on the bottom.

 

Sew diagonally from one corner to the other corner (\).

You could take it out of your machine and sew the other line (/) now, or you can leave it in your machine and add another two squares of fabric. This is what I do - it wastes less thread. Simply, stitch a couple stitches beyond the fabric and lift the foot and slide the next one. It sews the squares together on a chain.

When I have sewn all one line (\) on all the squares, I take them off the machine and clip them apart. Then I start over with the other line (/) to make an X.

Step 4: Sew rows.

Next you are going to sew the squares into rows. Hopefully you have figured out how you want the top of the quilt to look so you know what order to sew the squares together in. If not, I'll wait while you figure that out.

I have just two fabrics, so I am doing every other one - first cowboy then brown. Easy.

Pick up two squares and hold them with the back side together. Sew a straight line down one side. Keep the seam as big as you want it - if you want a long fringe you would sew in an inch. I typically sew to the 5/8" marker on my machine. This gives me a fringe that is about 1/2" long.

Remove from machine and add another block to the right, and sew across until you have the number in a row that you want. This quilt is a 6 block by 6 block quilt so I am sewing 6 blocks into a row, and then I am moving on to the next row.

I lay my rows out on the floor so that I can constantly check to make sure that I am sewing the right color as the first block of each row:

 

Step 5: Sew Rows Together

Now that you have your rows sewn, it's time to put them together into a quilt. You basically do the same thing you did in the last step, except you are sewing rows together instead of just blocks.

When you are sewing rows together you will come to a point where the fabric will be very thick if both the top seams and bottoms seams are pressed the same way. I recommend pushing one seam up and one seam down so it will be easier on your sewing machine.

For this quilt, with 6 rows, I sew 3 rows together, set them aside and sew 3 more rows together. Then I sew the 3rows to the 3 rows, making my quilt 6 rows.

This makes it so that it isn's so heavy and hard to keep straight. One of the first quilts I did, I just added row after row and as I got to the end I was sewing 1 row onto 8 rows. Those 8 rows were heavy and gravity tried to pull them down so it was hard to sew that last one on.

Now, when I sew rows together, I split them up. For example, if I am doing an 8 row quilt, I am going to sew together 2 rows, and set aside. Sew 2 more. Set aside. Sew 2 more. Set aside. Sew 2 more. Set aside. (Giving me 4 rows of 2.) Then, I am going to sew 2 rows to 2 rows and set it aside. Then I do the same with the remaining rows. Then I sew 4 rows to 4 rows.

I really hope that makes sense.

Step 6: Sew around the edge of the quilt

Now that your rows are together, you get to do the easy part - sew around the outside edge of the quilt. Do the same seams you did before, and sew around the perimeter.

Step 7: Clip the edges

This is the part that you need a cool evening, a good movie and a cold drink for.

Put the movie in, spread the quilt on your lap and start clipping. I used to use my Olfa scissors (yellow handle), but my mom gave me these Fiskars scissors for Christmas and it has a spring in it so my hand doesn't get sore from all the cutting.

Clip as far apart as you want your fringe to be. I like to do mine about 1/3"-1/2" but I vary as I go along.

Step 8: Wash and dry the quilt

I had a friend who had a friend that washed her rag quilt in her washer at home the first time. Supposedly, it broke her washer. I recommend going to the Laundromat and washing and drying it. You will be surprised how much fuzz, lint and string come off.

But you will also be surprised at how lovely the fringe is.

Step 9: Check seams for holes

You are almost done! However, you MUST check all your seams for holes (aka spots where you clipped too far.) I have yet to make one that I didn't need to fix a hole. To do this, I turn the quilt over and run my finger along EVERY single seam.

For this quilt I had one little hole.

I found it, and was able to sew it back up easily.

I did have a spot where the scissors slipped and I cut WAY too far in on the edge, but I used my zig-zag stitch on my machine and fixed it before I washed it.

And now for the best part:

Step 10: Snuggle up and enjoy your creation!