How to Make an Original Rag Quilt

Rag quilting adds frills to the more ordinary looking square block quilts.

Rag quilts are some of the most exquisite and comfortable quilts known to exist. Their appeal begins with the fact that they are especially designed to be soft and durable. Their frayed seams add a vintage look and the layers of material provide undeniable warmth. Even better, they are fairly easy for anyone to make. If you have a few scraps of material lying around and a little bit of time and patience, you can be well on your way to making a very original rag quilt of your own.

Things You'll Need

• Rag quilt pattern
• Fabric
• Batting
• Scissors
• Stick pins
• Thread
• Sewing machine

Instructions

1. 

   Jean material is great to use because it frays easily when cut.

   Search on the Internet, or in your local craft store for a rag quilt pattern. Decide what size you wish your quilt to be. Use the dimensions chart on the pattern to determine how much material you will need. Purchase or gather up the type of material you will be using and buy the same amount of batting as the material.

2. Iron your material prior to cutting it. Cut it into squares of equal dimension. Cut the batting into squares that are one inch less around the edges than your material. Place one piece of fabric face-down with the batting square in the middle of it. Place another piece of fabric face up on top of the batting. Pin the three pieces of fabric together. Repeat this until you have all the squares that you need.

3. 

   Sew the patches together using thread that matches the colors of the material you are using.

   Sew two diagonal lines from each corner of the fabric. Be sure to stop the sewn line approximately 1/2 of an inch from the end of the square. Do this for all of the squares. Stitch the squares together in rows leaving 5/8 of an inch seams. Stitch the rows together making sure to match up the seams of every row. Stitch around the entire outer edge of the quilt once all of the rows have been stitched together. Be sure to leave 5/8 of an inch outside of the stitches along the entire edge.

4. Cut the edges of all of the squares. Avoid cutting any deeper than 1/2 of an inch, so that you do not cut any of the stitches. Wash the completed quilt on a cold water cycle. Shake the quilt to remove excess thread or strings, before putting it in the dryer. Clean the lint trapper of the dryer once prior to the finish of the dryer's cycle. Shake the quilt again, once it has dried.

Tips & Warnings

• Use specially made rag quilt scissors to avoid cramping of the hand.

• Wash and dry the finished quilt at a laundromat because of the excess of lint and thread that will come off of the quilt.

References

• Home and Careers: The Quilting Zone: Making a Rag Quilt
• Jenyu: Flannel Rag Quilting
• Jubilee Homespun Inspiration: You're Going to Love Rag Quilting