Quick Rag Quilt

A Rag quilt is one of the cutest and easiest quilts to make! Even though they are easy, until now, I have never tried to make one!!

My plan was to make one for my youngest daughter.  She has a twin bed, and I planned the measurements around that size.  A standard twin quilt is 81 inches by 106 inches.  Instead of making squares for this quilt, I wanted to try long strips of different sizes, and I decided to use lots of different fabrics.  I choose to use 7 inch and 5 inch widths.

Planning the rag quilt

I had to piece the flannel fabric together to make it 81 inches across.

The fun part of this quilt is that you don’t need to ‘hide’ the seams – you want them hanging out there-but all need to be facing the same side.

Assembling

Here is how you do it: you make as many strips that are 81 inches wide as you want for the length you want – then double it!  The reason for this is because you will put two strips on top of each other and sew them together for a nice warm quilt.Alternately, you can make it three layers thick for a very, very warm quilt! You would just triple the number of strips!

After all your strips have been cut, begin by layering the two (or three if you choose a thicker quilt) thicknesses together –wrong sides together. Match up the seven inch strips with the seven inch strips and the five inch strips with the five inch strips.  You will sew right down the middle of the long length. Do this will all the strips.

Time to assemble! Now place two strips together and sew along one long edge, alternating between the five and seven inch strips. Add the next strip to the bottom of the last one. Just keep adding each strip to the bottom of the last.  As you sew the next strip, be sure that all unfinished seams are facing the same direction.  You will have one side of the quilt with smooth (normal) seams while the other side will have all the unfinished seams. 

Once all the strips are connected to each other, it is time to stitch around the entire outer edge of the quilt. If some of your edges are not even, trim off any excess or straighten the edges.

Stitch all the way around the whole quilt with a half inch seam.

Finishing

Now- it is time to ‘make’ the rag part!! Cut every unfinished seam! On the outer edge of the quilt, I made small v shaped cuts every inch, making sure not to cut into the stitching itself! On the long strip unfinished seams, I cut straight into the seam without cutting the stitching, every inch. Once that is done, you need to wash and dry the quilt to ‘help’ the unraveling and make it look like a rag quilt!

I had a great time making this quilt and I hope you do too! Now, off to make one more for my other daughter!