Originally Posted by craftinggrandma
Hi
I just finished my 4th rag quilt for the month. Just learning how to do them. But the question I have is do you back stitch when you do your X's. And another question. Do you wash your fabrics first. I have been using cotton on the top flannel in the middle and on the bottom. i have been washing the flannel before i cut and sew them together but not the cotton fabric. I had bought some squares off Ebay and then bought flannel material and cut them myself and never thought that the cotton fabric that i got from ebay was never washed. Seems to come out pretty good. A little wrinkled in the squares but that looks good. I'll have to take pictures and post them.
thanks
Pam
I don't pre-wash. You will get better results on the "fraying" after you have clipped the edges. I've also had better results when the clipping is 1/4" apart instead of 1/2"-1" (my husband clipped for me....yea!) Also I don't worry about the back stitching in the middle of the block because it will be in the 1" seam that will ravel in that area. The one thing that I do (and I don't know if anyone else does)....ready....I sew two seams (instead of one on all seams) for reenforcement. Nothing worse than taking it to the laundry mat to get it to ravel and have the seam "pop" open. Ellen