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| Rose Rag Quilt |
Crafting the Rose Rag Quilt by Shabby Fabrics
Designed by Jennifer Bosworth of Shabby Fabrics, the Rose Rag Quilt is a perfect budget-friendliness and instant gratification project for anyone seeking a cozy and affordable quilt. The rag quilt is special in that it eliminates the need for a longarm quilter to do expensive longarm quilting for the quilter. You don't piece a top then send it out to be quilted, you make individual block sandwiches all of which consist of three layers of flannel, top, middle, and backing.
Jennifer explains the exact mechanics of rag quilting in her YouTube Tutorial, to make it accessible for beginners and satisfying for more advanced quilters. This technique uses a 1/2" seam allowance in comparison to the standard 1/4" seam used in patchwork, and is seamed together with backing sides. This reveals the raw edges of the quilt's top layers and snips these raw edges every ¼ to ½" with spring-action rag snips.
These snipped edges, when laundered, will soften into a super lush and velvety texture, resulting in an exceptionally soft and durable blanket. This project starts out with all the fun and trick stiches, like gliding through dense flannel with a walking foot and marking seam lines with a heat erasable Frixion pen.
Key Highlights & Tips from the Tutorial
- 3 Layer Construction: All blocks are made with a layer of flannel on the top, a flannel layer (as an alternative to traditional batting) in the middle, and a flannel backing on the bottom.
- 1/2-Inch Seam Allowances: Wider seam allowances are important to have adequate width of fabric to snip into without cutting the stitching lines.
- Walking Foot Efficiency: With the walking foot you are using the upper feed dogs to pull thick, multi-layered flannel sandwiches evenly through your machine.
- Snipping Exposed Seams Block by Block (Snip-as-You-Go): When blocks have exposed seams, they're blocked before the quilt is complete to avoid hand fatigue.
Final Thought
Rag quilts are a great reminder that quilting can be simple and easy without having to be complicated and high-maintenance to be beautiful. The Rose Rag Quilt will bring the timeless beauty of flowers to everyday use: a cozy blanket for cold winter nights and family movie nights. You can either begin with a pre-made kit in flannel, or you can create from your fabric collection, but either way, there's no doubt that the completed piece is going to be comfy!
Full Tutorial: Rose Rag Quilt Free Video Tutorial
