Thursday, July 15, 2010

Super Quick Baby Rag Quilt

Just in case you let time get away and you are in desperate need of a special baby gift, here is a super quick baby quilt that I swear you can whip up in an afternoon.
It is a a 9 patch/4 patch Raggy Quilt. Even if you are a beginner I bet you can do this and it will turn out perfectly adorable!

For fabrics you will need:
1 1/4 yard total for the top in 3 or 4 different fabrics OR if you want a scrappy quilt you will need 36 6 1/2" squares in any variety of coordinating fabrics.
1 1/4 yard solid white or colored flannel for center/batting squares
1 1/4 yard for backing

Other:
Matching thread, ruler, fabric marking pen or pencil, sharp scissors or a pair of Fiskars Rag Quilt Snips.

I highly recommend the investment in the rag quilt snips! Once you get hooked on rag quilting you'll see how totally worth it they are because they can cut through all the layers like butter and save you hours of snipping and pain. Get a coupon for Joann's or Hancocks and get some if you can.

This pattern makes a little 33"X33" finished quilt, nice for infants, and a good size for car seat and stroller. For a larger crib size you can do a little math and add a few rows. I don't want to confuse anyone here with my convoluted math calculations so I'll leave the math up to you ; )

Start by cutting your top fabrics into 6 1/2" squares. You will need a total of 36 squares. I used 3 different fabrics here and cut 18 squares of the main print and 10 squares of the gingham and 8 of the minky dot. My ruler happens to be 6 1/2" wide and I use a rotary cutter, but if you don't have these supplies you can always cut a 6 1/2" square paper pattern to use.

Lay out your 4 patch blocks like this. There will be 5 of the gingham block and 4 of the minky dot block.

Now lay the squares Right Sides Together (RST) and stitch down one side of each set taking a 1/4" seam allowance. Open them up and press the seam toward the darker print. Lay the top row on top of the bottom RST matching the center seam and butting the seam edges together, stitch them together.

Open the block up and press the seam allowance well in one direction. Repeat this to make a total of 9 four patch blocks. They should all measure 12 1/2" square. Trim up any uneven edges if neccessary.

Cut 9 each of the backing and center batting squares to 12 1/2" each.

Lay the backing squares down, then layer one batting square on top of each.

Lay one 4 patch block on top of each of the backing blocks to make a "quilty sandwich."

This step is really not necessary because we are using flannel for the batting and it is cut to the same size as the block. But you probably want the quilt to look "quilty" so you can do a little quilting here to add a pattern and some dimension to your quilt. Using your ruler and marking pen, mark an X from corner to corner in each direction on each 4 patch block. Now stitch from corner to corner on your marked line.
When stitching raggy's I always "chain stitch" the X's. I stitch them one after another in one direction, then snip them apart and go back and chain stitch the other direction.

Snip all your X'd blocks apart.

Now you will want to lay out your 9 patch like so, alternating the blocks to form a pattern.

Take the first two blocks and lay them WRONG SIDES TOGETHER (WST)
Stitch a seam down the right side of the blocks using a 1/2" or 5/8" seam allowance whichever you prefer.

Add the next block to row 1, It will look like this, with the seams exposed on the front side of the quilt.

The back side will look like this, with finished seams the X's will match up to form a diamond pattern on the back.

Continue making row 2 and 3 the same way.

Now you will want to join row 1 and 2 together with WST and making sure to match the corner seams together. Fold the seam allowances to opposite sides so they look like this:

Add row 3 in the same way. Now the top of your quilt will look like this big 9 patch put together with the seams all exposed on the front of the quilt.


This is optional, but I usually round the corners before finishing the quilt. I use a large spool that I happen to have handy, but you can use a saucer or whatever else you have that looks about right to you. Lay the "template on the corner so that is meets up with both straight edges and mark the rounded part in between.
Cut on the line, repeat for each corner.

Stitch all the way around the outside edge 1/2" from raw edge. Stitch again 1/4" inside first row of stitching.
Now you are ready to snip the seams to create the raggy bloom. Snip about 1/4" apart all the way along each exposed seam. When you get to the intersections of the seam you will need to pull them open and snip into the folded parts too.


Your quilt is all done and ready to wash to get the ragging to bloom! Run the quilt through a short wash cycle and then tumble dry on medium heat. Don't forget to check your lint trap on your dryer part way through! There will be a lot of loose threads in there. I use a dryer sheet too, but that is optional.
If you have some scraps left over you can make one of these cute raggy burp rags to match.

Enjoy!

Let me know what you think! If you try my tutorial I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment or a link to show off your creation!

10 comments:

  1. Hi, Thanks for stopping in at my place..Those little crochet dresses are so precious..how blessed you are to have one which is truly vintage, which belonged to your grandmother..I am glad these are making a comeback for next generation to enjoy.I am glad I stumled upon them...It was nice visiting with you,and meeting you...

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  2. I always wondered how the raggedy quilts were made. Thanks! Maybe I'll make a throw quilt. I have material that is suppose to be for babies but I want it for my bed (it's just flowers and adorable). I bought some fabric thinking I'll make something one day.a

    I love the signs. They are wonderful!! My dad & stepmom live near the ocean in Santa Monica. One of those signs would be great for their side patio. Hmmm great Christmas idea.

    All these craft blogs get me motivated an I am a beginner to most crafts. Your tutorial was very easy to understand.


    Katharine @ Kat's Almost Purrfect World
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