We are back for a second Kids Can Quilt! Series. This time, we are making a rag quilt.
Rag quilts are a perfect beginner quilting project, as they are quilted as you go. As soon as you finish sewing the blocks together and add the edging, it’s done! No need to worry about getting a back, layering, or quilting it. You don’t even really have to bind it. The best part of a rag quilt, is after you wash it for the first time, and all your seams get fuzzy. So, read on, grab your supplies, and join us for a fun week of quilting.
What to Expect
There are 4 videos in this series. We will be posting one a day, starting today and ending on Saturday. The breakdown is below:
Day 1 – Supplies and Cutting
Day 2 – Making Blocks
Day 3 – Sewing Rows
Day 4 – Sewing Rows together and finishing
Sewing the Rows Together
We are almost done with your rag quilt. When you are finished with today, you will be ready to use it! You have already quilted it as you go, so there’s no additional steps or help needed. This is one of the things that make rag quilts so great. After you finish this one, you ca easily repeat the process to make lots more. Just change the size of the squares or the amount you use to mix things up and make your quilts different sizes.
To sew your rows together, lay them out in order so you know it’s going to look like what you want. Grab the first two rows, and line them up with the backs together. Remember, all your seams go on the top of your quilt. Put a pin at the beginning of the row, then move down and line up the seams from the first squares. If you press the seam from one square to one side and the other square to the opposite side, it will help reduce bulk. This is call nesting your seams and is very handy to help get quilt blocks to line up properly. Use a pin and stick in very close to the seam. Repeat this process as you go along all down the length of the strip and end with a pin at the end of the row. Sew the entire row together using a 1/4″ seam.
Repeat this process for each row until you have completed your quilt top.
Finishing
Now we need to finish the edges of your quilt top.
First, take the 1/2 yard of fabric you saved for binding and cut it into 1″ strips the entire width of the fabric. You’ll do this the same way you cut the 5″ strips for the blocks on day 1.
Second, we will need to measure your quilt top. Measure along the two sides with a measuring tape and write this number down. It should be around 45-46″. Then, measure along the top and bottom of the quilt top. This measurement will likely be around 36-37″.
Now, take the 1″ strips and cut off the selvage. Next, measure and cut them to get 4 strips that are the same length as the top and bottom, and 4 strips that are the same length as the sides. If your quilt is too long for one strip, sew two strips together and cut the size you need. You may also be able to sew the extra from the 36-37″ strip onto the larger strip to get the correct size. If you are sewing 1″ strips together, you can just use a 1/4″ seam. Use a backstich when sewing these strips on.
After you have all your strips cut, grab 2 strips that are the same length as the side. put one along the edge on the bottom, and one on the top of the quilt. Use some pins to hold these strips in place. Sew them on using 1/2″ seam so that you are sewing down the center of the strip. Repeat for the second side.
After you have sewn the side strips on, repeat the process for the top and bottom.
Snipping and Washing
After your finishing strips are sewn on, you are almost done! You are going to want to make little snips in all of your seams, about 1/2″ apart. This will make it so they fray easier and give you those nice fuzzy seams we are going for. When snipping the seams, just use the tip of the scissors and do not cut into the sewn seam. That will make your quilt fall apart. If you do accidentally snip the tread, you can quickly resew over it, just use a little backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitching. Sew a little before and a little after where you accidentally cut. Continue snipping until all of the seams are cut. Then, throw it in the washer and dryer. After it’s done drying you should have a completed quilt with fuzzy seams all around it. Grab it and snuggle up and enjoy!
Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!
