Hi Folks,
This is just a reminder to all you baby quilt artists, that rag quilts are not recommended for babies or toddlers below the age of three...

The soft fluffy "rags" are quite dangerous for children who decide to suck or chew on them. Threads or pieces of material are fairly easy to detach and can cause a baby or toddler to choke.

As much as we like the idea of flannel and babies, please keep this in mind when planning your next baby gift!

Happy quilting!
Lori

thank you so much for the heads up. i make a lot of baby quilts and just recently i thought how fun it would be to do a rag baby quilt. i am glad for post. it was a "duh" moment for me. :wink:

Thanks for the heads up on the rag quilts. Never made one, don't intend to, but I will pass on the word.

M

Good for us to know - thanks!

Thanks! I've made so many ragged flannels--but none for a kid less than 10. Whew!

I'm grateful for the reminder--especially being away from infants for so long--between teens and grandparenting. :wink:

I love the string quilt you have posted. Could you tell me what the basic pattern is? The double border before the wide string border is a lovely touch Anne

hi anne, are you talking about my avatar?? if so thanks for the complement.
it is ROCKY ROAD TO KANSAS. i got it from the eleanor burns book, but you can find it for free at the quilter's cache.

regarding baby quilts, I've wondered the same thing about hand-tying a baby quilt.

Is that okay to have the strings hanging out?

I don't think it is safe to hand tie or use buttons on a baby quit. Again, the logic is the same. The kid could pull a button off or one of the ties off and choke.

thanks nanabirdmo I've never made a string qui - actually maybe i have! I made one with irreg shaped strips of african theme fabric sewed together long-wise, with a black border, i think. then we hung an
'african" mask in the middle of it supported somehow so it didn't make the quilt sag. It was pretty nice. simple too. the recipient, a bride, loved it.

Okay, I'm the odd man (or woman) out here... I've done hundreds of baby quilts through the years and tied them all. I've also done rag quilts for my own kids, grandkids and my nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. They have been used on a daily basis for years and no problems have occurred. I use yarn and tie the knot 3 times. The rag quilts are washed a couple of times before giving them away. So while I understand the concern over babies putting things in their mouth, I'd hate for any of us to get a huge 'guilt' over doing something wrong.
There are the very expensive blankets for babies in the speciality stores that are very fuzzy and fluffy that could cause alot more problems.
Just my thoughts on the whole matter....

thanks.. I am about to make a rag quilt for my baby but was totally unaware of this.. :oops: thanks!!!

Mine seem to only shed in the washer. The local craft fairs sell a lot of them for babies. Has any one heard of an actual death or severe chocking

Why would you even risk it................... Babies and little things do not go together.
I also hate ribbons on baby jackets.

agree!! been making them for years. never had anyone say they had a problem with a rag quilt or one thats tied. have no intention of NOT making more.

I have been making tied quilts with pearl cotton for many years... triple knotted...no problems at all! As a former Nanny, and current grandmother, I do agree about fluffy blankets and stuffed animals! (~.~) Ellen