judykay

I want to make a full size (larger than lap size but smaller than twin) denim chenille rag quilt and would like some tips from those who have done one. My idea is to make it rag quilt style on the denim side and alternate the chenille side with various flannels and the centers are going to be gingham. My question is do I do the chenille cutting before or after the quilt is all sewn together or should I sew some squares together then do the chenille cutting then more squares. Also any suggestions as to the size of the squares?

OCquilter

I don't have any advice on the size or order of cutting but I have found from my experience with chenille scarves that you need to use a fairly small stitch or the threads just pull through and out after cutting. This sounds like a wonderful idea. I make baby rag quilts with 6" finished size blocks. The block are made from various fabrics like minke, satin, and flannel. I just make pinwheels, bars, or just whole squares out of scraps and sew them together. I may use some chenille on the next one.

Tartan

Do you mean ragged denim squares on one side and chenilles fabric on the other? When I do chenille, it is several layers of fabric sewn in 45* lines across a background fabric. If you sew across the flat side of the denim squares the chenille side will work but the rag side is going to have lines sewn across it. Will it still rag? Will your machine be able to sew over the denim seams and the chenille layers?
If I have the wrong concept, never mind.

alleyoop1

From my understanding of chenille cutting, you will need layers of fabric and then stitch rows and rows of narrow stitches and then slide the chenille cutter between them. All that stitching will make the denim side very stiff. Perhaps make the chenille first and then use it to back your rag quilt?

judykay

Tartan and alleyoop1,
Thanks for the ideas, I am going to rethink how I am going to do this, maybe do the chenille part then sew the denim squares on leaving a half inch all around on the chenilled squares so it will sill rag. Do you think this will work.

Tartan

Hmmm, interesting thought. Make chenille squares on the denim as backing but stop and start all around the edges the amount of the seam allowance you intend to rag on the other side. Sounds do-able!

I think I would cut the chenille on the back of the denim squares before sewing the denim squares together. It will be much easier and portable that way. The chenille should still be laying flat enough that you can sew the seams from the other side and you can wash and puff it when completely finished. Make sure to post a picture when you have it done.
PS. Make sure to keep the lint trap cleared when washing and drying rag and chenille quilts.

GrannieAnnie

Cutting the rag seams can get really tiresome. So for myelf, I'd use big pieces. The personal sized rag quilts I usually do are width wise strips.

If you rag out your pieces before you sew, it gets more difficult to piece them together. I did get the 8.5 rag cutter for my GO and although they are very neat the rag pieces slip around too bad.

One more thing, and this is probably semantics more than anything. But I thought "chenille" cuts were when you layer 5 or so pieces, stitch your lines usually on a diagonal, then come back and cut thru the top 3 or more pieces and leave the bottom two for your foundation. Ragging is what you are wanting to do, I think.

Again, the chenille ---ragging may be just individual meaning.

GrannieAnnie

I'm pretty sure you are not saying what you are thinking. I don't see any way to add rag square to the top of chenille.

judykay

In my mind ragging is where you sew wrong sides together then cut into the seam allowances & chenille is whereyou use a special cutter to cut thru all layers except the last one which in this case is the denim. The only reason I was thinking of ragging the top is so I could do the quilt as you go method. I am open and will welcome & consider any other possibilities, I am not looking forward to cutting for the ragging, it never comes out pretty like the pictures. I am so glad I deecided to do this posting before I jumped in feet first without thinking it thru like I have done with other projects. I am going to take it to the laundry mat to be washed when finished, my washer does not have a lint trap and I don't want all that fuzz going in my drain. Thanks for your thoughts on this project.

ragquilter

Are you planning to make individual blocks and chenille cut one side and the other side would be a denim rag quilt? That would work, the stitching for the chenille side would "quilt" the denim side and then just rag the denim seams? It would take a lot of clipping and be VERY heavy. If you make the blocks large, it would cut down on the clipping. I always do my clipping after the quilt is sewn together. I don't think you could make the chenille side whole because the seams would interfere with ragging the seams on the denim side. Have you thought about the squares might be too heavy for your machine with all the layers?