Batting in rag quilt
#11
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: No. California
Posts: 2,130
I, too, cut my inner flannel one inch smaller than the squares......just be sure the flannel has been pre-shrunk......I do not put anything heavier than flannel in for batting or it will be waaaaaaaaaaaaay too heavy. This is a fun quilt and very forgiving if you are a beginner. If not a beginner, just plain fun!!! Oh yes, one time I used a homespun for the center.....really frayed nicely but I also learned that I take the quilt to the local Laundromat for that first wash. Their drains are larger and can accommodate the tons of "fall out". I do dry it at home, but clean my filter several times during a dry cycle......
#16
woodju3, I have made lot's of rag quilts, and I use warm and natural in all of them. Before I started, I read a lot of how to instructions and they all said to cut the batting smaller, and to NOT catch the batting in the seam. In other words, the only quilting holding the square together was the "X" in the center. I didn't want to do mine that way, so I cut he batting so a small amount of it was caught up in the seam, but didn't show after I fringed it. It makes for a stronger square. I saw a rag quilt once that didn't have the batting (polyester) caught up in the seam, and the batting had shifted after washing. I know most people don't sew in the batting, and are happy with it, but I just choose to do mine differently.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Burke, Va
Posts: 344
I've made a ton of these following the guidance of my wonderful quilting friend. If you use batting-then 3 inches smaller than whatever outside fabric size you choose. 1 inch seams, so there is still an inch between the seams and the batting edge. I don't use batting if the outside fabric is heavy, same for peekaboo or mock cathedral windows. If outside is quilting cotton or nursery knits, then yes either WN batting or plain flannel. If anything else, such as flannel, denim or fleece then no batting (too heavy). As "auntpiggylpn" said-no batting no X. As for the edge clipping at the end, I invested in "Fiskars 8-1/2-Inch Softouch Spring Action Rag Quilter Snip" available at Joanns and Amazon etc. It's the Best. Heavy short jaws make the rag part of rag quilting a snap. The short jaws reduce (not eliminate) snipping into the seam. I'd post a photo but I'm clueless for photos of any kind. DH does all that. Heres the link: http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-2-Inch...s+rag+quilting if you want to see it.
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 09-19-2018 at 07:49 AM. Reason: remove shouting/all caps
#19
I have even used my embroidery machine to stitch a design in to squares. It requires washable or tear away stabilizer, but if you have very plain fabrics, it looks nice. And I didn't do it on every square - just here and there.
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Slidell, Louisiana
Posts: 6,951
I love making rag quilts! I usually just use two layers of flannel, no batting. Have also used cotton on front, and flannel for back with no batting. I wash the first time at laundramat, bring home and shake the you know what out of it, then dry in my dryer, emptying lint filter several times while drying.
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