Question: Rag Quilts (fabrics)
09-26-2010, 03:30 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Washington State
Posts: 418
Hi Emsmom, I live in Washington State just up the road in Olympia and am currently working on rag quilts for my friend's first grandchild. Here is what I do:
Lay out the fabrics the way you like them for the top (I like your idea of using the minki in the corners)
Turn them all over to keep the placement the same (They should now all be showing the wrong side up)
Lay out the fabrics for the back (It is best if you use flannel on one side and cotton on the other front and back so that each "block" is both types of fabric, then mix up the flannel and cotton on both sides of the quilt)
No batting is necessary
Mark your rows 1-whatever you decide (6.5 fabric squares should make about 5x5 blocks so for a 6x7 quilt that would be 14 squares wide by 18 squares long)
Have I lost you yet? You may need more fabric and you would have several options. I like to use chenille, flannel, and cotton in mine but Minki will work just fine mixed in with the other fabrics.
I've been thinking about trying a tutorial but I'm not sure if anyone would use it. Rag quilts are so easy and so cute but they are really messy!
Feel free to PM me (private message) and we can talk off line if you like. Best of luck with your new challenge and have a great time quilting. We would all love to see a picture when it's done.
Lay out the fabrics the way you like them for the top (I like your idea of using the minki in the corners)
Turn them all over to keep the placement the same (They should now all be showing the wrong side up)
Lay out the fabrics for the back (It is best if you use flannel on one side and cotton on the other front and back so that each "block" is both types of fabric, then mix up the flannel and cotton on both sides of the quilt)
No batting is necessary
Mark your rows 1-whatever you decide (6.5 fabric squares should make about 5x5 blocks so for a 6x7 quilt that would be 14 squares wide by 18 squares long)
Have I lost you yet? You may need more fabric and you would have several options. I like to use chenille, flannel, and cotton in mine but Minki will work just fine mixed in with the other fabrics.
I've been thinking about trying a tutorial but I'm not sure if anyone would use it. Rag quilts are so easy and so cute but they are really messy!
Feel free to PM me (private message) and we can talk off line if you like. Best of luck with your new challenge and have a great time quilting. We would all love to see a picture when it's done.
09-26-2010, 03:33 PM
#42
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 19
Hi Emsmom!
I am pretty new here too. Have been reading posts daily for several months, just don't post often.
My experience with minky (I have made 2 rag quilts with it), is that it does not rag like cotton and flannel, but both of mine were made with minky on one side and flannel on the other and they turned out so very cute. You should use the minky that you picked out. It is really cute. The minky fabric is very warm and so very soft. It's your blanket, so go for it.
Here are my first 2.
I am pretty new here too. Have been reading posts daily for several months, just don't post often.
My experience with minky (I have made 2 rag quilts with it), is that it does not rag like cotton and flannel, but both of mine were made with minky on one side and flannel on the other and they turned out so very cute. You should use the minky that you picked out. It is really cute. The minky fabric is very warm and so very soft. It's your blanket, so go for it.
Here are my first 2.
First minky rag blanket
[ATTACH=CONFIG]103857[/ATTACH]
second minky rag blanket with bonus pup
[ATTACH=CONFIG]103858[/ATTACH]
this is the minky side
[ATTACH=CONFIG]103859[/ATTACH]
09-26-2010, 04:19 PM
#44
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Washington state
Posts: 220
Thank you all so much for your encouragement, help and great instructions! It is greatly appreciated. I also appreciate all the pics -- all of the quilts are beautiful. I might just have to stay up and do some while my daughter is sleeping I am so excited to start.
Deb - I presume that is your granddaughter in your quilt pic -- she is absolutely adorable! You can tell she absolutely adores the quilt!
Patti - it is nice to meet another "neighbor". We are in the Ridgefield area. I will definitely let you know if I need assistance. Thanks so much for offering. I am actually the exact same fabrics for the back. I "cheated" and bought my blocks already cut, in a "kit", off of ebay. So, I bought two of the same kit of fabrics. I just thought for me it might be easiest that way for my first quilt.
grammamel - I am sure there is someone here that can answer your question re: minky better than I since I am new as well. I can tell you that it is very soft and even though it doesn't "fray" like cotton or flannel is does "curl". From what I can tell - using Minky is more of a personal choice.
Deb - I presume that is your granddaughter in your quilt pic -- she is absolutely adorable! You can tell she absolutely adores the quilt!
Patti - it is nice to meet another "neighbor". We are in the Ridgefield area. I will definitely let you know if I need assistance. Thanks so much for offering. I am actually the exact same fabrics for the back. I "cheated" and bought my blocks already cut, in a "kit", off of ebay. So, I bought two of the same kit of fabrics. I just thought for me it might be easiest that way for my first quilt.
grammamel - I am sure there is someone here that can answer your question re: minky better than I since I am new as well. I can tell you that it is very soft and even though it doesn't "fray" like cotton or flannel is does "curl". From what I can tell - using Minky is more of a personal choice.
09-26-2010, 04:23 PM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 4,116
Originally Posted by LovinMySoldier
I made a rag quilt for my niece with lady bug fabrics. I had like 12 different lady prints or something. I used flannel and cottons. Then I bought a bit of minky and put that in it too. I did not prewash anything. And it turned out just fine :) The minky doesn't rag very well but it still looks and feels very nice in the quilt. So I just made sure that I didn't put 2 minky pieces next to each other or as as a back piece to a front. So when you sew your blocks together you dont ever sew the minky with minky. I like to sew one row with the rag side up and then do the next side with the rag down. That way both sides are ragged. And you get 2 quilts instead of one. Also if you pick a different colors for the other side the contrast looks really fun when you rag it.
09-26-2010, 05:07 PM
#46
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: central Texas
Posts: 1
I make a rag quilt for each grandchild as a HS graduation gift using their old jeans. I back each square with flannel. Both jean and flannel stashes are 'out of control'! I put them together in a random pattern and use blue, tan, and black jeans. They do make a mess in the washing machine. Using a commercial machine is a great idea. I went to the hardware store and bought my very own wire brush to help the fray the edges. The older they get and the more they are washed the softer they get.
09-26-2010, 05:10 PM
#47
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: vancouver, washington
Posts: 70
Originally Posted by EmsMom
Wow - I LOVE this place. You are all so very helpful and encouraging!! I had posted this question on this first board I found online and nobody at all responded or even said hello LOL
I think I will go ahead and do it with the "mix" of fabrics. Like I said - I only have four squares of the minky so I will probably use that on the four corners.
I wish I could take credit for the fabrics but I can't -- I got them on ebay already in that set. I figured for my first quilt it might be easier for me to just buy precut blocks.
I am sooo excited I might have to start it while my daughter is sleeping instead of waiting until she goes to cispus for 5 days LOL
Thanks again - you all have helped me tremendously and made me feel very welcome.
I think I will go ahead and do it with the "mix" of fabrics. Like I said - I only have four squares of the minky so I will probably use that on the four corners.
I wish I could take credit for the fabrics but I can't -- I got them on ebay already in that set. I figured for my first quilt it might be easier for me to just buy precut blocks.
I am sooo excited I might have to start it while my daughter is sleeping instead of waiting until she goes to cispus for 5 days LOL
Thanks again - you all have helped me tremendously and made me feel very welcome.
My first rag quilt
[ATTACH=CONFIG]106107[/ATTACH]
09-26-2010, 06:34 PM
#50
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Galveston Texas
Posts: 1,596
I love pink. I saw that said Pink is not a color, it is an attitude. I have mixed fabrics with good results, go for it. And I love minky, you might want to make sure that the grain runs the same way. I put it in my quilts so it goes down. You can feel the grain when you rub it.
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