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| Isn't it Pretty?? |
This girly striped rag quilt is perfect for beginners. This was my first time as well and I think it turned out great!! Its really more of a blanket than a quilt but hey, that's what they call it!! If you can cut & sew in straight lines then this is for you. I have seen a few on Pinterest and websites that involve squares but, I did stripes for two reasons.
1. It was A LOT less work and
2. I love the striped look.
I decided to make a twin size quilt for one of my boyfriend's daughter's. (Actually have to make one more but I'm taking a day off!)
This quilt took a few hours, but I think it was so worth it and fun! I can't wait to show it to the girls.
I used flannel for both the front and back and Warm & Natural batting for the center. Jo-Ann Fabrics had flannel on sale this week for $2.50/yard and Warm & Natural for $6.99/yard. And I had a 20% off coupon. Total cost was about $30 for one. Don't you love sales!?
Supplies:
-5 coordinating fabrics in flannel, 2 yards each-2 Yards of Warm & natural (you can use flannel if you want it to be lighter and cheaper!)
-Spool of Thread ( I used white)
-Sewing Machine
-Rotary Cutter
-Self-Healing cutting mat (or sharp scissors
& your floor!)
-See-through or quilting ruler
-Sharp embroidery scissors
Here are a few things I noticed that may make it easier for some.
1. Flannel at Jo-Ann is 42" wide (44"wide at Hobby Lobby), this was the perfect width for my quilt.
2. If you don't have a rotary cutter and a mat, GET ONE. Don't just get one, get a nice one. Mine is a cheap-y and it hurt my thumb after an hour of cutting.
3. Some people use flannel as batting. I wanted a thicker quilt so I used Warm & Natural.
4. Straight lines at the beginning make the end SOOO much easier!
Here are standard sizes for twin / crib / toddler quilts.
I made mine 71" x 85" mostly because I wanted it to be as easy as possible and didn't want to cut more than I needed to.
Here we go!!
1. Double fold your fabric so that there are two layers.
2. Cut 2 strips of each fabric @ 8" wide (will be 72" when opened)
3. Cut 2 strips of each fabric @ 6" wide
4. Cut 2 strips of each fabric @ 4" wide
5. Cut 2 strips of each fabric @ 3" wide
6. Fold your batting so that it is double folded also.
7. Cut 5 strips of batting @ 7" wide (will be 71" when opened)
8. Cut 5 strips of batting @ 5" wide
9. Cut 5 strips of batting @ 3" wide
10.Cut 5 strips of batting @ 2" wide
11. Layer the matching strip in this order: face down, batting, face up. Make sure there is a 1/2' inseam all around. This would be the perfect time to place a few pins in this to hold it in place. I however couldn't find mine so I just stacked them on top of each other.
12. Sew a straight line down the middle of each strip.
13. Be sure to double stitch the beginning and end of the strip with the reverse to add durability.
14. Now do this 19 more times!
HINT:
I "cheated" and taped some ribbon down at the 1/2" mark as a guide so it was easier for me to see! It worked really well!
16. Start Sewing them together.
Always sew with the right (smooth) side of the quilt up.
I found my pins!!!
17. I made three separate "panels" so that it wasn't so heavy while I was sewing. I sewed these together after they were all done.
18. Now at this point I had a raggedy looking edge on one side with uneven stripes, so I trimmed it up so it was all even.
19. Go around the entire quilt with a 1/2" border around it.
20. Now grab yourself a glass of wine (or two!) and plop down on the couch, because this part kind of sucks. OK, not really, but it seems much worse than it actually is. Snip the edges of every stripe and the border. It took me probably 2 hours to do this but I was kind of stopping and starting again.
My mom, who is much more talented than I, hand binded her quilt. I was not about to do that! But, if you want to, just don't snip the outside edge and bind it.
21. FINALLY, throw it in the wash. Use cold water and while drying be sure to check your lint trap periodically. It is sure to get full!
Now...I have to make one more just like it!!
