Creating a Cozy Rag Quilt: A Step-by-Step Project
Patchwork and Quilting
Rag Quilts
Rag quilts are soft and cuddly, making them excellent lap quilts for a chilly day. A soft rag quilt is a perfect gift for kids or adults, but be sure to make a few for yourself. Rag quilts go together quickly and without the stress of sewing absolutely perfect seams. You can complete this easy rag quilt pattern in just a day or two.
This rag quilt is sewn in greens and reds that convey a Christmas theme, but the colors and fabrics aren’t overly holidayish, so it will work anytime. Its patches are an orderly arrangement of five fabrics in different color values.
My rag quilt patches are sandwiched with flannel batting. Flannel is soft and frays nicely along seam edges. It stays intact, so there’s no need for quilting stitches. Use flannels in all three layers for an even softer quilt.
Quilt Size: 38-1/2″ x 53-1/2″
Larger photo of the rag quilt.
Rag Quilt Yardages
- Large squares: Floral print, 1-3/4 yards
- Four-patch blocks: Four different prints, 3/4 yard each
- Flannel: 2-3/4 yards
Rag Quilt Cutting Chart
Floral Squares
- Cut (7) 8-1/2″ x 44″ strips, then cut (34) 8-1/2″ squares from the strip** (called subcut)
Four-Patch Blocks
- From each fabric, cut (4) 4-3/4″ x 44″ strips, then subcut (36) 4-3/4″ squares from each set**
Flannel:
- Cut (4) 8-1/2″ x 44″ strips, then subcut (17) 8-1/2″ squares**
- Cut (8) 4-3/4″ x 44″ strips, then subcut (72) 4-3/4″ squares**
**Additional fabric needed if yardage isn’t at least 43″ wide after removing selvages
Assembling a Rag Quilt
A preview of the rag quilt sewn together, but before the seam allowances are clipped to encourage fraying.
© Janet Wickell
Rag Quilt Basics
Rag quilts are easy to make once we learn to reverse the sewing method we normally use to make a quilt. All rag quilt patches are sewn with their wrong sides together so that seam allowances are visible on the front of the quilt.
A walking foot isn’t required to make a rag quilt, but it’s helpful. The foot’s built-in feed dogs help grip and advance the upper layer of fabric in unison with the sewing machine feed dogs underneath, keeping the layers from shifting apart as they move through the sewing machine.
We’ll sew this rag quilt together with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Locate the 1/2″ mark on your sewing machine’s throat plate. Mark it with a Post-It note or strip of masking tape to help you remember to sew a wider than usual seam.
Make the Quilt Sandwiches
- Place an 8-1/2″ floral square right side down on your work table. Center a flannel square of the same size on top of it. Top off the pile with another floral square positioned right side up.
- Repeat to make a total of 17 quilt sandwiches from the 8-1/2″ squares.
Don’t worry if the fabrics in each stack aren’t perfectly matched — they’ll be fine once they are sewn together.
Should You Quilt?
There’s no need to quilt the squares, because flannel doesn’t come apart with use like regular batting does.
Make the Rag Quilt’s Four-Patch Blocks
Make the four-patch blocks for the rag quilt.
© Janet Wickell
Assemble the Four-Patch Blocks
Set your machine to sew a shorter than normal stitch length. Shorter stitches help keep seams intact when edges are clipped to encourage fraying.
- Decide how you want to arrange the four small squares in four-patch blocks. Lay out components of a block next to your sewing machine.
- Align the top row sandwiches with wrong sides together. Sew the middle seam with a 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat for the bottom row.
- Join the rows, placing wrong sides together. Push seam allowances in opposite directions and butt together before you sew.
Use the first block for a visual reference as you assemble the remaining blocks. That may sound silly–these are very easy blocks–but it’s easy to place a patch in the wrong position while becoming accustomed to this “backwards” sewing method.
- To save time, chain piece all of the top row stacks, then do the same with the bottom row stacks. Remember to use a 1/2″ seam allowance.
- Clip the threads between units. Stack the top and bottom row pairs next to your sewing machine, arranging them to form the correct block layout.
Take a minute to look at the backs of your quilt blocks. They have the finished look that we normally see on the top side of a quilt, making the rag quilt easily reversible.
Rag Quilt Layout
© Janet Wickell
Assemble the Rag Quilt
The rag quilt has seven rows. Each row contains five blocks with plain squares separating the four-patch blocks.
Use your fingers to press seam allowances in opposite directions as you match rows for sewing. Use straight pins through all layers to keep edges aligned and remove pins as the sewing machine needle approaches them.
- Gather three four-patch blocks and two sandwiches made from plain squares.
- Sew the components together, beginning and ending with a four-patch block and separating the three four-patch blocks with a floral square. Refer to the top row in the Rag Quilt Layout drawing above.
Place wrong sides together when you assemble components and be sure to use a 1/2″ seam allowance.
- Repeat to make a total of 4 identical rows.
- Gather three floral square sandwiches and two four-patch blocks. Sew the components together as you did the previous rows, but begin and end each row with a floral square. Refer to the second row in the Rag Quilt Layout drawing.
- Sew the rows together as shown in the layout, beginning with a row that has four-patch blocks at its ends and alternating row types as you work. Be sure to align rows with wrong sides together and sew with a 1/2″ seam allowance.
- Sew a seam 1/2″ from all four edges of the quilt.
It’s time to clip into the seam allowances to encourage fraying when the quilt is washed.
You can use any type of sharp scissors to make the clips, but spring-loaded scissors that open automatically after each cut keep your hands from becoming tired. Most types have handles that your fingers wrap around rather than into, eliminating the holes that can make your fingers sore after many cuts. I use the Heritage snips shown above. They’re available from many sources, including Joann.
Make clips straight into every seam allowance, spacing them about 1/4″ apart and stopping before you reach the seam allowance. Be careful to clip in only one direction at seam intersections. Clipping in two directions in those areas removes chunks of fabric, resulting in gaps along frayed edges.
Make clips in the seams that surround the perimeter of the quilt, taking care to cut in only one direction at each corner.
Wash the Rag Quilt
Wash the rag quilt in a long wash cycle. I use a delicate cycle because rougher agitation doesn’t seam to make the clips fray more. I usually put a bit of soap in the wash, because it seems to help the edges fray. That could be my imagination, so use plain water if you prefer.
Inspect the quilt between the wash and rinse cycles. Did you forget to clip seams? Clip them now, before the rinse. Put the quilt into the dryer when the cycle is finished. Remove when dry and clip away loose threads if necessary.
Final Inspection
A closer look at the rag quilt’s frayed edges. The quilt had been washed one time when this picture was taken. I’ll wash and dry it again to create additional fraying.
© Janet Wickell
Take a Close Look at the Rag Quilt
I used a dark green flannel behind the four-patch squares and an ivory flannel behind the large floral pieces. I like the way the dark and light flannels contrast with the cotton prints along frayed edges.
Check again for unclipped seams and clip as needed. Turn the quilt over and inspect the seams from the back side to make sure no seams have unraveled from accidental clips into the seam allowance.
Repair broken seams if necessary. Begin sewing a bit before the broken seam and stop sewing a short distance past the damaged area, backstitching at the beginning and end of the new seam.
Wash the quilt again if you would like to encourage additional fraying.