I am making my first rag quilt with flannel, and not using a pattern, so I cut all the squares 8", and batting 7", and have quilted each square. Now I am sewing the squares together in rows. So far, ok. My question is, when I sew the ROWS together, do I open the vertical seams of each row or do I nestle them in opposite directions like on regular cotton when matching seams on each row?? I hope to get this done by tomorrow night, clip my seams, and wash and dry it. Thanks!!

I myself nestle them on either side. I don't open mine.

The first one that I did I butted the seams together, the second one I opened the seams, I preferred the second one. Try a sample and see which one you prefer.

I dont have a clue what your asking...

Any chance for a pic so Us-who dont know how to make a rag quilt- can see what your doing???

I do like Betty -- nestle them together. I believe it can be done either way. I did try opening them up once; I personally didn't like it. Good luck!

Depends what mood I am in. Sometimes I open the seams and sometimes I nestle the seams.

I have my camera battery charging at the moment. However, you can click on "search" above and type in rag quilt and several photos come up. Basically, it it quilted as you go, requires no binding, is self-backing and all your seams (front and back) are sewn together so they are all on the front of the quilt. You cut these seams into fringe so when you wash it, it creates the curly fringe. Using flannel and batting between, it makes it really thick, so sewing blocks together consists of 4 layers of flannel plus 2 layers of batting! You have to use a walking foot to accommodate the thickness. I hope I explained it well enough, but do look at the photos so it will make sense. My question is what do you do with the adjoining seams when sewing rows together.

Thanks everyone, I think I'll try just nestling them. I'll be back if I have more trouble!! Thanks!

Good pictures on these links for making rag quilts:

http://greenappleorchard.blogspot.co...-tutorial.html

http://www.lovetosew.com/ragquilt.htm

http://jenyu.net/make/ragquilt.php

I open mine

I just sewed the seam regularly so that the ragged edges were all on the same side. Thus one side is ragged and the other is smooth.

I was given a pair of Fiskars rag snips for helping someone at a quilt retreat. I wish I had them for my first rag quilts! I have arthritis in my hands and it used to take forever to snip those seams ragged. Had to do one piece of material at a time. Well, with the Fiskars I could actually do all ragged edges at once ... that is 4 layers thick!

I took my finished quilt to the laundromat to get wet and then put in their drier without heat to get the excess threads out. It was worth it. Those quilts do get heavy when wet and I surely didn't want to hurt my own drier. When the quilt was almost finished with de-threading I put the heat on for the drier.

ali

You can do it either way. I prefer to open my seams up when sewing the rows together.

I do the same.

I have done it both ways, but usually nestle them. It really doesn't matter though.

ive done it both ways- and they've come out fine- do it the way it works best for you-
once clipped no one is going to be able to tell anyway.