I pretend to quilt
Hi!
Okay, so the other night I posted a status on Facebook about how I was finishing up a rag quilt for Truman’s bed. It’s been a longer process for me that has taken some extra patience, perserverance, and time…..all of which do not usually sum up my typical crafting/sewing character.
You should know a few things about me in regards to this project: 1) I am NOT a quilter (they who are, however, are amazingly precise people) - I like quick projects that are finished at the end of the day, and to be quite honest, between the time napping kid #1 goes down and #3 gets up is getting shorter everyday 2) This is a rag quilt. As in….raw edges out….as in…no quilting really required because I used flannel as the “batting”, and as in the “messy” look is really what you’re going for, and 3) I was really initially motivated by the fact that I love designing color and fabric combinations…that was by far the most fun part!
I was initially utterly and completely inspired, (all the while drooling) over Melanie’s beautiful rag quilts found in her Etsy shop Southern Charm Quilts. Before seeing her shop I had completely underestimated rag-quilts. I think before I thought they were maybe a little too country for my liking, or that it would look too feminine on a boy’s bed. But her shop shattered those thoughts - every ounce of her work is gorgeously done and yet is so fresh!
So while I’m not a quilter, I am kind of the queen of fabric-hoarding. (I mean seriously people…it took one Hoarders episode viewing at my mom’s to realize that I need to be careful folks). I pick things up at thrift stores…garagle sales…and re-puprose things around the house as well. For those of you who are creeped out by this, well, I get that. It is kind of odd to think that someone’s once-worn corduroys are now lying in pieces on my son’s bed. I certainly LOVE new, modern fabrics and have many drool sessions there too, but fabric prices are just plain steep these days, and are usually out of my budget. Using mostly fabric scraps and second-hand (good quality!), materials, I was able to make this quilt for under $50. That’s quite a deal considering the plan is for this to be used at least for the next several years. I’m no expert…especially since this is the first time I’ve even ever done a rag quilt, and this is not a tutorial. This is just me sharing some pics and some thoughts. Feel free to comment with your own experiences and additions!
A few shots of the finished quilt:
1) Before you get started, check out this Rag Quilt Calculator. Uhmm ... YES! I love other people’s smarts and organization. See H.S. algebra teacher? I didn’t need to ace that class after all. This will help you get organized with your fabric and know how many yards you would need to buy if necessary. It will also just help you get all those crazy numbers and squares out of your head and onto paper. That’s how I work.
2)As mentioned above - think outside the box on fabric. Obviously, if you want to buy new - awesome! There are some crazy beautiful prints out there! I actually did end up ordering a 1/2 yard of guitar fabric just to make it extra special for Truman, but other than that I used stuff I had or things bought second-hand. When thrifting I often look in the tablecloth and bed-sheet section - lots of good finds there. Also, I’ve picked up corduroys & denim shirts and pants (good quality only!), that I then cut up into quilt squares. I also always look in the “bargain bin” at Joann’s. They often have end-of-bolt items an extra 50% off.
3)It’s fun to use different textures….I used a combination of minky dot, corduroy, denim, flannel, cotton, and linen.
4)The middle layer is flannel and the back layer is mostly a heavy linen. Traditionally, (and I’m NO expert, but from what I understand this is true), quilters use quilt batting for the inner layer. However I was going for easy and inexpensive. I purchased the flannel with a 40% off coupon, and then because I didn’t use batting, I didn’t actually have to “quilt” on top (though I could have for the look of it - I think it’s preference).
5) I won’t lie….my blanket got slightly off and a little wonky on one side. But I think that adds character (and maybe that statement just makes me feel better about my lack of precision:) Really though, I just trimmed one side a little before stitching around the entire blanket. You really wouldn’t know except now I just told you.
6) Spring-loaded scissors are where it’s at. I bought a pair on sale ($12!), back at Thanksgiving and they helped a lot. With rag-quilting you do a lot of snipping and traditional scissors will have your hand aching. These little snippers worked like a charm.
7) After washing and drying the blanket I had to do a little “maintenance” on it. There were tons of stray strings (that I didn’t want), and lots of lint all over the blanket. I just did a little snipping and took a lint brush and we were good to go.
I cannot explain how fun it was to finish this project! I’m already dreaming up Tava’s quilt! Are you ready to start one? Do you have any other helpful tips before I dive into my next one? Would love to hear from a pro or two! 
