I'm going to be making my 1st rag quilt out of denim for DH. I've read on this site and tutorials for rag quilts they they are very heavy and am now concerned that it will be way too heavy. I want to make it King size but could make it a queen size instead ... I really want to make this quilt for DH since I've never made a bed size quilt for us (have given them away.) What do you think?

Also we are on a septic tank and I read the thread http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-93034-1.htm about the damage that can be done to a septic tank from a rag quilt. At 1st I thought I'd just take it to the laundromat for its first couple washings and then read the post from the QB member saying that this can hurt the laundromat too if they are on septic. Since DH wants this large quilt I decided I would sew 2 old flat sheets together (creating a large pillow case) and put velcro on the end, put the rag quilt inside and roll up the sheet so the threads stay in the sheet. I know I would have to shake out/clean up the quilt and large pillow case and check the dryer lint trap every 5-10 minutes. What are your thoughts on this? I appreciate your help, thoughts and ideas.

Denim quilts are very heavy. I have made 5 of them and love them.

Denim quilts are heavy, and very warm! I love them! Most laundromats are not on septic and cotton is biodegradable anyway. At our old house I had problems. The plumber said cotton is biodegradable and not a problem (unlike hair). Our problem was the pipes were small and caving in because it was very old. If your septic system is in good shape and you are not worried about your washing machine then go for it at home. If you want to go to a laundromat, they have larger drain pipes to accommodate all the washers at once whether they are city or septic. I don't think all the thread gets out of them when you put them into something else. It seems to take more washings.

Thank you both for your helpful insight! :) I'll go ahead and make it & wash it in the large pillow case at the laundromat the 1st one of 2 times. After that I'll wash it at home in the pillow case. My BIL repairs appliances and said our washer could handle heavy weight.

Ive had mine for 4 years and it still sheds. We have a septic, no problems yet. I also pin mine to the carpet and vacuum it after washed.

How creative! We don't have carpet (tile & wood laminate) but you gave me an idea :) I could put it on a couple tables and use our vacuum attachment. Thank you for another great idea!

If you're worried about loose threads, why not make a "regular" quilt (not a rag quilt) from your denim scraps?

That's what I did, and I "quilted" it by big stitch meandering hand quilting with yarn.

Jory

Thank you Flying V Goddess for weighing in on the subject, I appreciate your thoughts. :)

Jory, thanks for your suggestion. I've seen some very pretty denim quilts that weren't rag quilts. I like the look of a rag quilt and just have to make one. I'll get around the issue of loose threads by putting it in a large pillow case.

I'll be setting it aside for now until I get my 301. I've gotten conflicting info on weather or not I should use my FW for denim and have decided not to sew denim with her. I'll get a 301 but will wait. In the mean time I'm happily working on my crumb quilt.

Thanks again!! I appreciate all of your thoughts on this!

My king size denim rag quilt weighs 15 lbs.