Just found out a dear former co worker is going to have a baby. this will be her second one. i have some flannel that is unwashed. could i sew them together (right sides together) then turn inside out stitch around without prewashing it? I have an adorable robot rag quilt i can give the older child but wasn't sure about rag quilts for babies????

that's how all of my recieving blankets were made - and some of them are still around 10+ years later!

That is how i also made receiving blankets. However, I usually prewash flannel especially if it is two different pieces as it will shrink and maybe at different rates.

I agree, I would prewash the flannel first :D:D:D

Yes I would prewash

Depending on how hot it is there, we just used 1 layer of flannel so it wasn't so bulky. That way, when you swaddled the baby, it still was wrapped several times in layers.

Finished the edges with a rolled hem and did embroidery on them. Years ago we did the fabric painting on them too.

What is a rolled hem?

When I made flannel rag quilts for babies or young kids I didn't put any batting in the middle, the two layers of flannel were heavy enough for such young children.

After putting squares together and snipping the exposed edges you should wash the quilt and dry it in the the dryer to remove loose threads and fuzz, this softens the quilt so nicely. Make sure you clean your dryer's lint trap, it will be full of lint.
May in Jersey

We called it a rolled hem...it maybe called something else "officially". We rolled the edge of the fabric at least 3 times (to help prevent fraying) and then did a decorative stitch down the folded edge. It looked pretty when we used colored threads.

If you put a slight curve on the curve edges (like store bought ones) you can just work your way all the way around the blanket. Otherwise, we just did one edge at a time...some corners got "thick" with fabric but we didn't let that stop us.

I hope I'm not intruding. I have a pattern for a shaped receiving blanket that is terrific. It eliminates lots of the bulk and snuggles right around the baby. My neice (optional spelling) had twins and I got 2 for her. She loves them. You can make them with single or double thickness. If you are interested, pm me and I'll trace it off and send to you. Don't you just love the 'fresh baby after a bath' smell!