Rag Quilts
 

I am making a rag quilt. I have cut the top layer and the middle ones. I am tired of cutting. Can I use a whole piece of fabric for the backing?

Most quilters prefer the double layers of fabric for the ragging. I know I do. There is no 'perfect size' for the squares/rectangles/or whatever you use. So make them bigger.

ali

I am in the same predicament, but I was cutting the same number of squares from all three layers because I know how bored I get. I fmq 52 blocks and I still have to cut and quilt 48 - ughhh! You can put the top together with the raw eddges exposed and than sandwich it like a regular quilt but you will not have as rich rag effect since only the raw edges of the top will be showing. Another question is what are you going to do with all the batting squares that you have already cut?

When I make rag quilts, I use a cheap flannel instead of batting and then I layer the fabric and with my 60mm rotary cutter I strip cut them. That way with smaller squares you don't have to quilt them if you don't want to and I love the thick, fluffy "rag" it has.

I agree with Alleycat -- use the squares you've cut as four-patches and alternate with bigger squares. Also, though I hate to say this, if you are getting tired of cutting now, wait till you have to snip all those seams for the rag effect...:rolleyes:

Well said!

If you're using denim (haven't tried with standard quilting cottons), you could just do single layer, no batting or backing. Denim is heavy enough on its own and the front side looks totally different than the back, so the back side of the finished work will have a personality of its own. OR, (not my choice since the denim is good for back) you could put a full size backing on it, flannel or quilting cotton, maybe turn under the edges near the fringe around the outside edge and machine stitch, then finish quilt or tie. Denim is durable as all get-out!

Rag quilts require a LOT of cutting, no way around it, which is one of the reasons I don't do a lot of them and space them apart.....will spend a day cutting my flannel squares, I do use three different sizes, then a day cutting my scrapes of batting into pieces......then here and there sewing an X into the boxes.......then perhaps in between doing other projects start to sew blocks together. I clip my seams while sitting in front of the TV at night, may take several night to do that.....they are however good charity quilts for Project Linus but not for QFK (too much lint for hospitals)

I use the rag quilt Go die. no cutting, even the snipping is done for me. It's great for a fast scrappy quilt. The regular square dies save tons of time when doing rag quilts. I'm making the Santa rag quilt and have to piece most of the blocks. I put the pieced blocks on the die and let the die snip it for me. (I use paper over the die and it stops all the thread ravels from getting in the die.)

I have never seen an Accuquilt in action, are you saying it cuts the square, lets say 4", and then also cuts the snips on the 4 borders ?????