What I love most about this quilt is how soft and warm it is! The secret ingredients to a fuzzy rag quilt are flannel and batting sandwiched together and secured with a stitched X.
For this quilt, I simply took two 9” squares of flannel and sandwiched a 7.5” square of batting between them, centering the batting before sewing an X through all three layers. I made a total of 72 squares, leaving the seam edges about ¾” wide. The finished quilt measures 61” x 67”.
The best and worst part of this quilt is the edges — they’re left raw! Raw edges work well for rag quilts because they hide small imperfections, fray nicely, and become wonderfully soft with washing. The fraying also stops at the cuts, so there’s no need to worry about binding the quilt.
But those raw edges are also the most labor-intensive part of making a rag quilt. To get that signature frayed look, you need to clip the seam allowances every ½” to ¾”. Since you’re cutting through two to four layers of flannel at a time, this can really wear out your hands. My advice? Invest in a really good pair of sharp, small scissors. Your hands will thank you!
There are other ways to make a rag quilt. For example, the rag time quilt I made in the winter of 2004 which had four small blocks next to one large block.
Here are a few (of my favorite) other variations of the rag quilt:
TEXAS Flag Rag Quilt
Orange Peel Quilt (Rag Quilt)
Puff Quilt Pattern
Ragtime Quilt
The Giving Challenge Baby Blanket
Lately, it’s been cold and raining here in Tucson, so I’m planning on finding someone in need to give this quilt to. Now that I think about it, there’s a man at a coffee shop where I visit that could use this… Hummm that might perfect.
Oh, I almost forgot! **A tip for you**
After the holidays are over, you can find Flannel Sheet sets on sale. This is a great way to get a lot of flannel at a low price.
The Comments
Bruno Bassanetti
This is an incredible quilt. This rag quilts are super fluffly and warm. I like them quite a bit. You make AWESOME stuff, Elisabeth ;D