Instructions on Rag Quilts for Babies

Make a cute and cozy rag quilt for baby!

Baby quilts should be soft, yet durable. You can create cozy, sturdy rag quilts--quilts with exposed, frayed seams--for babies using paired fabric squares. Choose a variety of 100-percent-cotton flannel and regular woven cotton fabrics and use flannel on the outside and regular cotton fabric on the inside. Rag quilts get softer with each washing and can be made into a square or rectangle of any size. A 36-inch square quilt made of six rows of six squares each is a good size for wrapping a baby.

Things You'll Need

• 00 percent cotton flannel and plain woven cotton fabrics
• Scissors
• Rotary cutting tools and square ruler or 7-inch square cardboard template and Pencil
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Rag snips (optional but recommended)

Instructions

1. Gather an assortment of prewashed, tumble dried and ironed 100 percent cotton flannel and plain-woven cotton fabric.

2. Cut 36 squares that measure 7 inches each from each type of fabric using rotary cutting tools and a square ruler, if available. Alternatively, draw around a 7-inch, square cardboard template and cut the fabric with scissors.

3. Pair each flannel square with a plain woven cotton square, wrong sides together, for a total of 36 pairs.

4. Position two sets of pairs neatly with all the edges even and with the woven cotton squares right sides together. Sew along one edge using a 1/2-inch seam. Note there will be four layers of fabric total; the two of woven cotton on the inside with the rights sides facing each other and the two of flannel on the outside with the rights sides facing out.

5. Open the sewn pairs with the seam facing down. Add another pair of squares with the woven cotton facing down, the flannel facing up and the edges even to the right hand side of the right-hand square. Sew together with a 1/2-inch seam.

6. Sew additional layered pairs to the right-hand end of the existing row to complete a row of six squares total, ensuring that the flannel squares and all seams are on the same side of the quilt. Make five more rows of six squares each. Iron the seam allowances of odd numbered rows to the left and even numbered rows to the right.

7. Match the seams and pin row one to row two with the woven cotton fabric right-sides together and sew a 1/2-inch seam. Add rows three through six, making sure that the flannel squares and seam allowances are all on the same side of the quilt. Then sew completely around the quilt 1/2 inch from the edge.

8. Snip all seam allowances and the perimeter of the rag baby quilt at 1/4-inch intervals with rag snips or sharp scissors. Snip close to, but not through, the stitching lines.

9. Wash and dry the rag baby quilt several times by machine until the desired level of fraying is achieved. Clean the excess lint from the washer drum and dryer filter after each cycle.

Tips & Warnings

• Double stitch all seams for added strength.

• To create a more interesting quilt, use a variety of colors placed so that adjoining squares contrast.

• For added warmth, put another square of flannel between the inner and outer squares prior to stitching.

• Rag snips are not required but will make finishing the quilt much quicker and easier.

Resources

• Knit and Tonic: Simple Rag Quilt