Make a Rag Quilt SewDelish©2007-2008

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I recently had a go at making a rag quilt and this is the result. It took 2 weeks to

complete and I love it!

A word of warning - PRESHRINK all fabric first before cutting. I forgot to preshrink

the filling so now I have a rather puckered, puffy looking quilt. It has given it a more

homely appeal though, which I like.

To make your rag quilt, work out the following.

The number of squares you would like across (don’t

allow for seam allowance at this point)______(I had

10)

The number of squares down_____(I had 15)

Design the pattern you would like your squares to

make on the blank template. Mine was diagonal, but

you can have random, stripes or even create a picture.

To cut your squares they need to be the finished size plus 3” (2.5cm) to allow for the

frayed finish_______(mine were about 5 ½” or 14cm)

You need at least 3 layers of fabric for the quilt. I used approximately 2 1/2m each of

the backing and filling and 1m of each for coloured squares on the front.

1. A backing

2. A flannelette filling (at least 1 layer)

3. A top layer (consisting of various fabrics or one type)

Cut all squares required accurately using a rotary cutter and a matt.

Assemble piles of fabric in order

1. backing face down

2. filling

3. top layer right side up

Repeat for each square required for your quilt. If you have room lay them out

according to the pattern you created earlier.

When sewing the fabric sandwich blocks together treat the backing fabric as if it is the

right side. Thus making it easier to remember to sew backing to backing (right sides

together).

Each seam needs to be 1 ½” (3.7cm) and you need to be fairly accurate to help align

latter squares later. Use a double or triple straight stitch setting on your sewing

machine or sew each seam twice (trust me on this it is necessary!).

Sew the quilt one row at a time and then sew the completed rows together, aligning all

the joins.

For the final sewing part, stitch all the way around outside edges of the quilt.

Now for the snipping. You will need a pair of comfortable, good quality scissors (you

will be grateful later).

Snip into each seam almost to the stitching every ¼” (0.5cm). This needs to be done

all over. Just be careful not to cut the stitching.

SNIP, SNIP, SNIP, SNIP, SNIP, SNIP

Once all the snipping is done, including the outsides edges, the quilt can be washed

then dried in a dryer.

Washing produces a huge amount of fluff and lint, so part way through the cycle

while water is still in the machine use a sieve to scoop it out. It is much easier to

remove the lint this way and will save wear and tear on your machine and dryer. The

quilt will need to be washed and dried to produce a really frayed effect, but it will be

well worth the effort

Iron and then use or display your quilt.

If you find any errors or need further clarification on method above please contact me

through my site.