Baby Rag Quilt | Finished Rag Quilt

Just finished this little rag quilt for a friend's new baby. I think I have finally completed  my basic rag quilt technique. Here are the key components of my approach:

• Back the quilt with polyester fleece for warmth and lightness, instead of cotton or flannel. (I don’t include a middle layer of fabric at all.)
• Use wider 3/4″ seam allowances on all seams inside the quilt, so the ragged edges of the seams look very full and fluffy. This also lets more of the backing fabric show on the front, which gives a contrast I like.
• Add a wide border all around the quilt (the one on this quilt was 9″ wide), then cut and knot the border to make a knotted outer edge. A knotted border replaces a traditional quilt binding and looks more finished and cozy to my eye than a simple fringed border.

Next, I want to do some experiments on the pieced inner section of the quilt. Stay tuned!

The Simplest Rag Quilt Pattern: Squares

The beauty of making rag quilts is how easy they are. You can throw a soft and snuggly quilt together out of fabric scraps and leftover polyester fleece.  

The first rag quilts I ever made were large-scale squares of quilt fabric (9-1/2" to 12-1/2" squares) layered over the same-size squares of polyester polar fleece fabric. Here are a couple of examples. The first one has shabby chic hearts appliqued onto some of the squares:

This pink one has a narrow fringed border:

This red rag quilt is one of my early favorites.

Here's how to make the quilt:

1. Cut out the number of squares you want from both the top and backing fabrics, then arrange them in the simple grid used for these quilts. 
2. Layer each top square on a square of backing fabric or fleece. Quilt the squares by sewing an "X" across the square, or use any quilting design you prefer that fits on the square.
3. Sew the squares into rows, using a 5/8" seam allowance instead of the usual quilter's quarter-inch. 
4. Sew the rows together into a whole quilt. Use rag snips (available at quilting stores) to clip the seam allowances and the outer edge of the quilt into raggedy fringes.

If you'd like to make the quilt look a little more finished, you can also add fringed or knotted borders. 

Learn more about rag quilts and other kinds of quilting at Quilter's Diary.