Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums >
  • Main
  • Next Up - Rag Quilt >
  • Next Up - Rag Quilt

  • Next Up - Rag Quilt

    Thread Tools
     
    Old 06-11-2019, 12:28 PM
      #1  
    Junior Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: May 2019
    Location: Wisconsin
    Posts: 110
    Default Next Up - Rag Quilt

    I'm on the home stretch with the puppy dog quilt and it came out better than I thought it would. I'm beginning to think about my next project and I've decided on a rag quilt. I've enmassed a lot of patriotic--really nice patriotic--fabric and I'd like to use that.

    My question is...do I need to use flannel for a rag quilt or can I use regular quilting cotton fabric?
    Libits is offline  
    Old 06-11-2019, 12:46 PM
      #2  
    Super Member
     
    Queenbarbiej's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Jun 2015
    Location: NEBRASKA
    Posts: 1,082
    Default

    I've made three of them. One I used cotton fabric for the front and back with cotton batting in the middle. The second one I used cotton on top with a layer of flannel in the middle and on the back. The third one I used denim on one side cotton batting in the middle and cotton fabric on the other side.
    Queenbarbiej is offline  
    Old 06-11-2019, 01:02 PM
      #3  
    Senior Member
     
    IrishMom's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Dec 2017
    Location: SW Michigan
    Posts: 487
    Default

    I've made a few, some with cotton fabric on the front and back, and some with flannel and some with tee shirts. It works any way, but tee shirts and flannel will fray better. At a minimum I would put flannel in the middle -- and it's cheaper than batting and you can get some real bargains on it. The pattern of the fabric doesn't matter as it will fray, but the colors do matter. The most important thing is to buy some spring loaded scissors for the snipping. Your hands will be tired! You want your seams to be 1/2 inch instead of the normal 1/4 inch...and the bigger the pieces of fabric the easier on you. My tee shirt quilts are 12" blocks and my cotton fabric quilt (shamrocks) were 6". I think for cotton fabric the 12" might be too big but the 6" is small and involves a lot of cutting -- I would hit something in the middle. Have fun !!
    IrishMom is offline  
    Old 06-11-2019, 02:55 PM
      #4  
    Junior Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: May 2019
    Location: Wisconsin
    Posts: 110
    Default

    Thank you both. For the rag quilts you've made with cotton fabrics, were they soft? I have problems with my quilts not being soft enough---or at least as soft as I think they should be. I use Warm White for the batting and cotton fabric and, since I"m incapable anyway, I do not over-quilt
    Libits is offline  
    Old 06-11-2019, 04:37 PM
      #5  
    Super Member
     
    osewme's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Apr 2011
    Location: Texas
    Posts: 5,546
    Default

    I've only made one rag quilt & put flannel in the center. It turned out very heavy. I would suggest getting a pair of spring loaded scissors. It will save a lot of wear & tear on your hands in the long run.
    osewme is offline  
    Old 06-12-2019, 04:38 PM
      #6  
    Senior Member
     
    Join Date: Dec 2010
    Posts: 452
    Default

    I love to make ragged quilts because they are quilted as you put the blocks together. I have made 14 of them, from
    twin to king size. For the top and backing, I use flannel, and warm and natural as batting. This makes a very heavy, warm quilt. Definitely use spring loaded scissors to cut the edges. Flannel batting would save some money and
    might not be as warm. Quilting cotton for the top and bottom would probably be nice if you wanted a cooler quilt.
    I double stitch the seams since here is so much pull on the seams. I take the quilts to a laundromat and wash them
    in hot water and dry them in their dryers when I finish the quilts. There is too much lint from the flannel quilts for
    your home washer and dryer. Have fun making yours; they are addictive.
    Rose Burnett is offline  
    Old 06-13-2019, 03:10 AM
      #7  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Aug 2009
    Location: Illinois
    Posts: 1,819
    Default

    I use flannel for rag quilts. I have a throw that I won as a prize at a women's gathering some time back. It is made with cottons but, even though the clips are appropriately done, it has not ragged out as well as flannel does. It seems it rags a bit at each laundering but it's going to be a long process.
    illinois is offline  
    Old 06-13-2019, 03:10 AM
      #8  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Apr 2010
    Location: Massachusetts
    Posts: 2,005
    Default

    I make my rag quilts with flannel layer cakes, batting cut one inch smaller in the middle and flannel on the back which I cut from yardage to make the back squares all the same.
    Maureen is offline  
    Old 06-13-2019, 04:46 AM
      #9  
    Super Member
     
    Join Date: Aug 2014
    Location: Idaho
    Posts: 1,287
    Default

    I have made flannel, which is soft. I was gifted a beautiful Christmas one in cottons that is not soft at all ☹️
    Fizzle is offline  
    Old 06-13-2019, 05:35 AM
      #10  
    Senior Member
     
    IrishMom's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Dec 2017
    Location: SW Michigan
    Posts: 487
    Default

    I've made two with cotton tops (Christmas and St Patricks Day) But, I then used flannel squares for the back and for the middle. They are cuddly, but not as cuddly as my tee shirt rag quilts -- the first one of those I made almost didn't get the recipient!

    If you are going to use cotton fabric, then I would definitely use flannel on the back!
    IrishMom is offline  
    Related Topics
    Thread
    Thread Starter
    Forum
    Replies
    Last Post
    Latrinka
    Pictures
    23
    09-28-2014 05:26 PM
    ragqueen03
    General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
    12
    09-21-2011 02:17 PM
    sunnyhope
    Main
    18
    09-14-2009 07:48 AM

    Posting Rules
    You may not post new threads
    You may not post replies
    You may not post attachments
    You may not edit your posts

    BB code is On
    Smilies are On
    [IMG] code is On
    HTML code is On
    Trackbacks are Off
    Pingbacks are Off
    Refbacks are Off



    FREE Quilting Newsletter