Y'all may remember my recent try at making a rag quilt. I made a small one, and really learned quite a lot during the process. So I figured it was time to try my hand at a larger one. I did it in about a day and a half.
Here's my small quilt.
I purchased quilting squares that were 18x21. They came in packages and I bought them at Wal Mart. I liked working with this size because each fabric square makes 2 blocks, 9 x 10.5 inches. I learned from my first try that I wanted to make the next quilt with larger squares than the 5x5 inches.
I used 2 packages of the 18x21 squares, about a yard of fabric I had in my stash, about 1/2 roll of polyester batting (which I hate), and a few single pieces of the 18x21 fabric squares that I bought separately off the clearance section for .73 each. I spent about $35.00 (estimate) for this quilt, and it will fit a full bed, and lay nicely on top of a queen.
I made this quilt so that the top and bottom squares are the same.
Here it is on top of a king size bed, so it obviously isn't big enough for a king size, but could be easily enlarged if needed.
The patterned fabric is called Batik.
Here are the steps I used to make this quilt. It is simple, and a quilt as you go project.
First, unfold your fabric squares, and iron them flat. Then fold in half across, and iron a crease, and fold again, and iron a crease. This gives you a guide for cutting.
I used a self-healing mat and a rotary cutter.
2. After ironing several pieces, I unfolded the last fold I made, and used the cutter to cut the pieces in half. Then I would unfold those pieces and stack them so the creases were in the center, and make another cut. That way there was only 2 cuts made to each piece, and by stacking them, it makes really quick work of getting the squares cut. I made my squares 9x10.5 inches, so there would be no waste. This worked out really well.
3. Roll out your batting and cut squares to go between the fabric squares. I cut mine roughly 8x9 inches. Some were larger, some smaller.....not a big deal.
4. Build "sandwiches" by placing batting between 2 squares of fabric, front side facing outward on both squares, with the batting between. Pin these sandwiches together. I made all the fabric sandwiches prior to starting sewing.
5. Once the sandwiches are made, place a stack near your sewing machine, and start sewing them by stitching an "X" on them. This is the "quilting", and the only design I sewed on the squares.
Once you have all the squares sewn with an X, you are ready to start sewing them together to make a quilt.
6. I laid my squares out on the floor before sewing, so I could arrange them in a manner that I liked. That way, you can control where the squares end up, and not have two of the same beside each other.
7. To sew them together, gather up one row of squares from your "layout", and sew them so that the edge faces upward. (see below)
8. Continue sewing the squares together until you complete all the rows. I sewed 8 squares per row, and have 8 rows. You can choose to make any size you wish, and also make the squares any size you like.
9. Once you have all the rows sewn, you sew them together with the edges up as you did to make the rows.
10. Once all the rows are sewn together, stitch around all 4 sides of the quilt.
11. The final step in making the quilt is to clip all the seams that are facing upward. Be careful not to cut through the stitches that holds the quilt/squares together. Next, launder the quilt. This is what makes it soft and "raggy". The quilt above has been laundered. See how soft it looks?
That is all you do to make a rag quilt. Like I said, on this one, I worked all day yesterday, and about 5 hours today to complete.
Go ahead, make you one! They are fun quilts, don't require lots of skill to make. (Believe me!)
Here's my small quilt.
I purchased quilting squares that were 18x21. They came in packages and I bought them at Wal Mart. I liked working with this size because each fabric square makes 2 blocks, 9 x 10.5 inches. I learned from my first try that I wanted to make the next quilt with larger squares than the 5x5 inches.
I used 2 packages of the 18x21 squares, about a yard of fabric I had in my stash, about 1/2 roll of polyester batting (which I hate), and a few single pieces of the 18x21 fabric squares that I bought separately off the clearance section for .73 each. I spent about $35.00 (estimate) for this quilt, and it will fit a full bed, and lay nicely on top of a queen.
I made this quilt so that the top and bottom squares are the same.
Here it is on top of a king size bed, so it obviously isn't big enough for a king size, but could be easily enlarged if needed.
The patterned fabric is called Batik.
Here are the steps I used to make this quilt. It is simple, and a quilt as you go project.
How To:
I used a self-healing mat and a rotary cutter.
2. After ironing several pieces, I unfolded the last fold I made, and used the cutter to cut the pieces in half. Then I would unfold those pieces and stack them so the creases were in the center, and make another cut. That way there was only 2 cuts made to each piece, and by stacking them, it makes really quick work of getting the squares cut. I made my squares 9x10.5 inches, so there would be no waste. This worked out really well.
3. Roll out your batting and cut squares to go between the fabric squares. I cut mine roughly 8x9 inches. Some were larger, some smaller.....not a big deal.
4. Build "sandwiches" by placing batting between 2 squares of fabric, front side facing outward on both squares, with the batting between. Pin these sandwiches together. I made all the fabric sandwiches prior to starting sewing.
5. Once the sandwiches are made, place a stack near your sewing machine, and start sewing them by stitching an "X" on them. This is the "quilting", and the only design I sewed on the squares.
Once you have all the squares sewn with an X, you are ready to start sewing them together to make a quilt.
6. I laid my squares out on the floor before sewing, so I could arrange them in a manner that I liked. That way, you can control where the squares end up, and not have two of the same beside each other.
7. To sew them together, gather up one row of squares from your "layout", and sew them so that the edge faces upward. (see below)
8. Continue sewing the squares together until you complete all the rows. I sewed 8 squares per row, and have 8 rows. You can choose to make any size you wish, and also make the squares any size you like.
9. Once you have all the rows sewn, you sew them together with the edges up as you did to make the rows.
10. Once all the rows are sewn together, stitch around all 4 sides of the quilt.
11. The final step in making the quilt is to clip all the seams that are facing upward. Be careful not to cut through the stitches that holds the quilt/squares together. Next, launder the quilt. This is what makes it soft and "raggy". The quilt above has been laundered. See how soft it looks?
That is all you do to make a rag quilt. Like I said, on this one, I worked all day yesterday, and about 5 hours today to complete.
Go ahead, make you one! They are fun quilts, don't require lots of skill to make. (Believe me!)
The lower right corner shows the back.
So......you gonna make one??
Sharing here:
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