8 Easy Steps For Making A Rag Quilt In 2022 – Simple Guide
Making a rag quilt is a quick and easy way to create a cozy blanket that is perfect for snuggling. This article will tell you 8 easy steps for making a rag quilt.
Best of all, rag quilts do not require any binding or quilting, so they are simple enough for even beginning sewers to tackle.
- Choose Your Fabric
- Cut Your Fabric into Squares
- Sew The Squares Together
- Add Batting and Backing
- Quilt The Layers Together
- Trim The Excess Fabric
- Bind The Quilt
- Wash And Dry Your Quilt
To make a rag quilt, start by cutting squares of fabric into desired sizes. Next, layer the fabric squares on top of each other, with the wrong sides facing out. Once the squares are stacked, sew them together using a ½-inch seam allowance.
Be sure to leave a few inches open between each square so that you can later stuff the quilt with batting. After the squares are sewn together, cut the excess fabric from the seams to create a fringe.
Finally, wash the quilt in hot water to help the fabric fray and create a soft, cozy finish. Making a rag quilt is a simple process that yields beautiful results. All you need are some basic sewing supplies and a few old clothes or scraps of fabric.
Contents
What Is A Rag Quilt?
A rag quilt is unique in that it has the hanging edges of seams exposed on the front of the blanket. A fluffy look can be created by the edges being frayed. It’s somewhat unique that a rag quilt is made that way.
A top, a batting, and a backing are sandwiched together in blocks, which are squares of three different types of fabric.
When all of the blocks are sewn together, the edges of the fabric are left exposed so that the quilt is named after. Now that you know what a rag quilt is, you must be wondering how to make it. There is a full guide that will walk you through a rag quilt.
Materials Needed
Here are the things you will need to make a rag quilt.
- Sewing machine
- Complimenting fabrics (If you want a soft, warm quilt, then flannel, cotton, and Minky fabric blends are good choices; For a heavy quilt, cotton, wool blends, and any homespun fabrics are perfect.)
- Matching thread
- Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
- Sewing pins
- Iron
- Ragging scissors
- Quilting squares for measuring: Optional
How To Sew A Rag Quilt: Easy Steps For Making A Rag Quilt
In construction, rag quilts are easy to build. Projects that can be picked up and put down without fuss are easy to make for those new to sewing or quilting.
For those who like to shift from project to project on a whim, and for those who like to kick back for an hour or two with a sewing machine on Sunday afternoons, this is good.
This fun and easy quilt can be made on a weekend, and it is a great way to use up those old scraps of fabric. We will walk you through the 8 easy steps for making a rag quilt.
1. Choose Your Fabric
Rag quilts are traditionally made from cotton fabrics, but you can really use any type of fabric you have on hand. Just keep in mind that some fabrics will shrink more than others when washed, so take that into consideration when selecting your fabrics.
2. Cut Your Fabric into Squares
The size of the squares will depend on the size of the finished quilt you want to make. For a baby quilt, you will want to cut the squares smaller, while for a larger throw quilt, you can cut them a bit larger. A good rule of thumb is to cut the squares about 2-3 inches larger than the finished quilt size you want.
3. Sew The Squares Together
Once you have all of your squares cut, it’s time to start sewing them together. You can sew the squares together in any order you like, but we recommend starting with a simple checkerboard pattern.
4. Add Batting And Backing
Now it’s time to add the batting and backing fabric to your quilt. Make sure you choose a batting that is lightweight and will wash well, such as cotton or polyester. For the backing, you can use a solid piece of fabric or pieced scraps.
5. Quilt The Layers Together
Now it’s time to quilt the three layers of your quilt (top, batting, and backing) together. You can do this by hand or machine, whichever you prefer. If you are quilting by machine, we recommend using a walking foot to help prevent the fabric from bunching up.
6. Trim The Excess Fabric
Once you have finished quilting, trim the excess fabric from the edges of the quilt. Make sure you leave about 1/2 inch of fabric around the edge so that your stitches don’t come undone.
7. Bind The Quilt
To finish off your rag quilt, you will need to bind the edges. This can be done by hand or machine, and there are many different ways to do it. We recommend using a wide (2-3 inch) strip of fabric for the best results.
8. Wash And Dry Your Quilt
The final step is to wash and dry your quilt. This will help to soften the fabric and give it that “ragged” look. We recommend washing the quilt in cool water on a gentle cycle, then drying it on low heat.
And that’s it! You’ve now completed your very own rag quilt. We hope you enjoyed this project and that you’ll be inspired to make more rag quilts in the future.
FAQs – Making a Rag Quilt
What Is The Best Size Of Squares For A Rag Quilt?
Do You Use Batting In A Rag Quilt?
How Many Layers Do You Need For A Rag Quilt?
What Is The Best Material To Make A Rag Quilt?
Conclusion
So, there you have eight easy steps for making your very own rag quilt! This project is a great way to use up all of those scraps of fabric cluttering your sewing room and it’s also a lot of fun.
We hope that this article helped you gain all the information you needed to know for “Easy Steps For Making A Rag Quilt“. Thanks for reading.
