Rag Quilt

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag QuiltIf basting and binding a quilt isn’t really your thing, and if you don’t particularly like quilting large quilt tops, then a rag quilt is the perfect quilt project for you. 🙂 With a rag quilt, you create smaller (therefore easier to handle) quilt sandwiches, quilt them while they’re still small, and then piece them together to form your quilt. If that sounds confusing, check out my 8-step rag quilt tutorial below.

(Click picture to enlarge)

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt

This quilt measures 23″ x 23″ which works perfectly for throwing in a stroller, or as a wall hanging quilt. Speaking of strollers, rag quilts are great for little ones as they offer a textured material for them to touch and explore.

I have a similar tutorial called Frayed Seams Quilt which uses fleece material as the entire quilt backing. You can check it out for an alternate rag quilt design.

Materials for a 23″x23″ rag quilt:

  • 10 quarter yards of varying prints
  • 1 yard of fleece (or batting, see note in step 1).
  • Coordinating thread

Step 1 – Cut fifty 6.5″ squares from your quarter yard cuts (note: 1 quarter yard = six 6.5″ squares). From your 1 yard of fleece, cut twenty-five 6.5″ squares*.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt*If you prefer to not have the fleece show at the seams as it does in this tutorial (see step 4), or if you prefer to use batting instead of fleece, cut twenty-five 5.5″ squares instead. Then, when you make your mini quilt sandwich as described in step 2 (below), make sure the fleece/batting is centered in between the fabric pieces.

Step 2 – Make a mini quilt sandwich: take one fleece square and sandwich it in between two fabric squares. The wrong sides of the fabric should be facing the fleece. Repeat until you have 25 mini quilt sandwiches. When putting these together, plan for how the front and back of your quilt will look.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt
Step 3 – Quilt all 25 of the mini quilt sandwiches you made from the previous step. For this quilt, I quilted a simple X. Start and end your stitch with a back stitch.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag QuiltNote: For Steps 4 through 6, use a walking foot if possible (to prevent puckering).

Step 4 – Sew the quilt sandwiches together: Sew 5 rows of 5 quilt sandwiches each, using a 1/2″ seam allowance. The front of your quilt will have the 1/2″ seam, as shown below.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag QuiltThe back will look like this:

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt
Step 5 – Then, sew your five rows together the same way, so that the 1/2″ seam allowance will be at the front of your quilt.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt
Step 6 – After you’ve sewn all five rows together, sew a 1/2″ seam allowance around the perimeter of the quilt. This quilt requires no binding!

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt
Step 7 – Snip little frays (roughly ¼” apart) along all of the ½” seams including the perimeter seam. Do not cut outside of the seam. Use scissors that have really sharp tips (I used applique scissors). I was able to cut through two fabric layers per snip.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag Quilt
Step 8 – Lastly, throw the quilt in the wash (cold water, gently cycle) and dryer (tumble dry low). Washing and drying the quilt will make the fringes you cut from the previous step soft and fluffy.

Quilt Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting in the Rain - Rag QuiltThat’s it! As always, let me know if you have any questions and I’d be happy to help you out.

Happy Quilting!

62 Responses to Rag Quilt

  1. Christine February 28, 2011 at 2:04 pm #

    Cute idea…I have seen this technique but never bothered to see how to do it. I have been browsing through your tutorials and I enjoy them; they are great…not too detailed and clear. Thank-you so much for taking the time to do them!

  2. Christina February 28, 2011 at 2:07 pm #

    I've never seen one done like this, I love it!! Would it work to make a normal quilt this way? The back of this looks like a normal quilt, so in theory it should work….right??

  3. Di~ February 28, 2011 at 3:19 pm #

    I love rag quilts! They really have good pratical purposes. Next time try cutting the fleece smaller than the fabric squares, then you won't have to sew through it or cut it and it won't show. This really gives a rag quilt a nice drape, also.

  4. Jodi February 28, 2011 at 4:13 pm #

    Oh, thanks so much for the tute! I'm going to try it when I finish up some UFOs!

  5. Marianne, aka Ranger Anna February 28, 2011 at 7:44 pm #

    I use a pair of Fiskar "nippers" for these and flannel rag quilts (no batting needed there.) It's soooooo much easier. I'm not usually one to put a brand name out there, but they work so dang well~~no aching hands!

  6. seespotshop March 1, 2011 at 4:18 am #

    Do you think this would work with batting instead of flannel? I have a lot of "dog quilts" from longarm practice sessions, and this would be a good use for them.

  7. Quiltingintherain March 1, 2011 at 5:20 am #

    Hi all, thanks for your comments!

    To seespotshop: Yes! As Di suggested, if you use batting instead of flannel, simply cut the batting 1 inch smaller so that it doesn't show at the 1/2 seams like the flannel does in this tutorial. For example, cut your batting (or fleece) into a 5" square, and sandwich that in between two 6" fabric squares. Then later when you sew your 1/2" seam allowance, the batting won't come through at the seams, only the fabric will. This will also make it easier later when you're snipping all the frays at the seams. I hope this makes sense…please let me know if you have any questions at all!

    To Marianne: thank you for that suggestion! I am buying myself a pair of Fiskar "nippers" next time I'm at the fabric store!

    To Christina: if you don't mind having the seams showing, then you can make any quilt like this. Did that answer your question?

  8. Quiltingintherain March 1, 2011 at 5:33 am #

    Hi all, I made a little update to step 1 (in red). To seespotshop, hopefully it helps. To Di, thanks for the suggestion!

  9. pintar é vida March 14, 2011 at 11:49 pm #

    que lindo este trabalho voçê é muito caprichosa beijosss….

  10. Jeanne March 16, 2011 at 1:17 am #

    I just meandered/stumblede over from somewhere, I forget where, but sure am glad I did. Love your quilts, especially the rainy day quilt. Great instructions. Jeanne @ The Learning Curve http://jeannegwin.blogspot.com/ Sutmble over for a visit. New blog but slowly coming together. Happy days!

    • Mimi March 2, 2020 at 12:43 am #

      Your site says Malicious link.. blocked by my virus program.

      • Mimi March 2, 2020 at 12:43 am #

        I am referring to Jeanne’s link.

  11. Sandy April 4, 2011 at 3:16 pm #

    Your instructions look so easy that I am going to give this a try! Thanks so much!

  12. Kerri June 12, 2011 at 10:56 am #

    Beautiful work and I am even more determined to get mine made!
    Thanks for the inspirations and tutorial!

  13. SimJaTa June 21, 2011 at 1:07 pm #

    I just made my very first raggy quilt bag, what a disaster! will be on my blog soon if you all want a laugh.. I just found you whilst looking for help on how to get it right next time – best instructions I have seen, going to be following your blog and thank you for your help and clear instructions.
    Lynda

  14. Anonymous November 11, 2011 at 11:17 pm #

    What is I want to make this quilt but without the seams showing?? I want the front to look like the back does. How would i do that?

    • Anonymous September 6, 2013 at 7:06 pm #

      cut the batting smaller as suggested in Step #1. Instead of layering as shown, layer the two fabrics right sides together, then center the batting on top. Sew around all four sides of the square, leaving an opening of approximately 1 1/2 inch. Catch just the edge of the batting as you go to secure it in place. Turn right-side out and quilt as desired. Then you will need to whip stitch or zig-zag the blocks together. The opening should be closed when joining the blocks together. Someone try that and let me know if it works!

  15. Kat November 13, 2011 at 6:59 am #

    I upped the block size to 7" and did 8 rows of 8 blocks each. Turned out about 48" or 4'square. Ideal for a lap quilt or over the back of the couch. 🙂 Loved your clear, concise directions! I just about finished this in an afternoon. Still have all my clipping to do… boohoo.haha

  16. Anonymous February 28, 2012 at 10:08 am #

    I've spent hours on youtube looking for videos that would help….. then stumbled on your 8-step instructions…. THANK GOODNESS!!! So simple and easy:))! Thank YOU!

    One quick question – The shaggy quilt I'm making came with binding material (instead of fraying around the edges), but I don't know how to do bind…. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you in advance!

    Tina

  17. Mrs. Hood April 9, 2012 at 2:20 am #

    I have never, ever quilted before… how hard is it to really start? Would hand-stitching just be a pain in the butt?

    • Anonymous May 15, 2013 at 5:20 am #

      I think hand-stitching works best for pieces that have more complicated shapes (with curved edges, for example). However, if you have never quilted before and would like to give hand-stitching a try, why not just choose one block to make and turn it into a potholder? That is a good way to get some practice and learn a little bit about the process before getting involved in a big project.

  18. mmae May 8, 2012 at 6:46 am #

    WeLL, about starting to Quilt…..Not hard at all to begin. You can do AnYThiNG you set your mind to and their are many awesome patterns for us beginners 🙂
    Have fun!

  19. rnaomi July 23, 2012 at 4:38 pm #

    Great tutorial!! I am getting ready to start my rag quilt this week, and I have a question about thread color. The back fabric of all my quilt sandwiches will be a green minky fabric. Should I try to match the thread to the green back when I quilt the "X"? Or should I use a light color? Does it matter? Thanks for any help you can offer!

  20. Księżna Foksal July 26, 2012 at 9:02 am #

    ależ to proste!

  21. Anonymous August 11, 2012 at 2:45 am #

    I read somewhere that you should use flannel as it "rags" better. Unfortunatley, the fabric I want to use is 100% cotton, will that work as well?

    • Anonymous July 9, 2013 at 4:45 am #

      I recently made a rag quilt out of flannel and I don't like it. when I washed it, it came out of the dryer looking like it was 10 years old. Don't know why that happened but next time I will use cotton.

    • Anonymous September 25, 2014 at 5:44 pm #

      All of mine have been made of cotton. And they look lovely. 🙂

  22. Anonymous August 25, 2012 at 10:28 am #

    Hi there, Thanks so much for the nice pics and great instructions. I have one question. When you attach the "rows" together, do you open up the seams to sew the rows together, or do you fold the seams over to opposit sides? I cannot tell in the pictures….

  23. Pam September 12, 2012 at 5:38 am #

    I bought 100% cotton batting to use between my flannel strips. Do I really need to cut it smaller so it won't be sewn in the seams, and why is that important. I've never done this kind of quilt w/batting before, but thought it would look fluffier using the batting as part of the seam. THoughts?

  24. Anonymous September 15, 2012 at 5:35 pm #

    Thank you so much for this post! I saw a quilt like this when on holiday in the States and knew I just had to have a go! It is top of my list. Cheers!

  25. Anonymous September 30, 2012 at 6:35 am #

    http://www.beverlys.com/rag-quilt-how-to.html

  26. Maggy November 8, 2012 at 5:11 pm #

    I am getting ready to buy a sewing machine and learn to quilt. I have so many friends with new babies plus four of my own. I have my own baby blankets that after 30 years look like they are coming apart and thought it would be perfect to up-cycle for my little one and just add to it. I am super excited at how simple this looks and am SO GLAD I happened to stumble upon your sight on Pintrist! Cant wait to try it! <3 Love the clear simple step by step instructions and the pictures for us beginners!

  27. Dorothy Middlemiss February 19, 2013 at 4:52 pm #

    Can you bind off a rag quilt

  28. Cass May 13, 2013 at 9:53 am #

    I made it on the weekend. Great instructions – thank you xxx

  29. christina July 28, 2013 at 12:35 am #

    I want to personally thank you for your insight on quilting techniques. I've made a couple of the flannel baby quilts and they came out beautifully for gifts. I have been making quilts for 40 years using as many "shortcut" techniques as possible. Yours are by far the easiest. Next I'm going to try your "woven" quilt as seen on Pinterest. U DA BEST!

  30. Anonymous August 26, 2013 at 9:33 pm #

    What would be the sizing if I wanted to make a throw? And how much fabric you think?

  31. Lucy1944 September 25, 2013 at 9:24 pm #

    What stops the material from loosing threads when washed and fraying down to seam ?

  32. Whitley Hill October 30, 2013 at 4:09 pm #

    what stitch are you using when you assemble it all together?

  33. Grace November 25, 2013 at 3:34 am #

    I love this tutorial! I have always been so intimidated to try to sew a quilt but I believe THIS I CAN do!

    So wonderful of you to show us. I wish all tutorials were so SIMPLE and CLEAR and EASY to understand. You made it so simple and clear I don't think I'll even need to read it step by step AGAIN to do it…..lovely.

  34. Lisa D Ray December 10, 2013 at 1:37 pm #

    I am so glad I found this,I already have my squares ready (sewn front and back) but I thought "Oh no I messed up" lololol thank you for doing this.

  35. Suzanne Raiford January 6, 2014 at 4:25 am #

    Thank you so much! I have always wanted to make a quilt like this.

  36. Sarah Covington February 10, 2014 at 9:00 am #

    I cannot wait to try this out. It will be my first time and I will hand sew, instead of a machine. Thank you for sharing!

  37. Cindy February 24, 2014 at 3:55 am #

    Thank you for great idea. Should the fabric be washed and dried prior to starting to prevent shrinkage?

  38. Flower girl July 8, 2014 at 6:53 pm #

    Great way to use up bits of batting. I sometimes stitch them together, but this is a much better use. You could make a great group quilt this way!

  39. Anonymous July 8, 2014 at 10:06 pm #

    Please explain how you positioned the layers of fabric when the seams of two blocks came together and how you clipped these many layers.

  40. Marcy August 28, 2014 at 11:03 am #

    Hi There! I found your post through Pinterest. It looks like you have used quilting cotton material instead of flannel. I have made several flannel rag quilts, but never with cotton. I was reading another tutorial and the writer said that cotton frays so badly she would not suggest using it. How has yours held up?

  41. Anonymous September 25, 2014 at 5:56 pm #

    I would suggest that the batting be large enough to just catch in the seam. I used 8.5 for batting and 9 for cotton. I had used the one inch smaller rule until on my fourth one, the batting acted weird and bunched up towards the center because it was not held into place. I had to tear the entire thing apart. (Luckily, I was able to pull up the batting and cut the squares down an inch to make a pad for my recliner.) On the next quilt, after I get the squares together I clipped out the extra batting as close to the seam as possible. On the next quilt, I plan to clip the corners of the batting before sewing the X to keep from having all that bulk where the 4 join. Hope this is helpful and makes sense.

  42. Sue November 6, 2014 at 12:50 pm #

    Awesome tut!!! But if you want to save your hands and your sanity, get yourself a pair of rag quilt snips (less than $15 at Joanns). Trust me, it makes all the difference! 🙂

  43. Anonymous December 30, 2014 at 5:02 am #

    I am currently in the process of making this. I have gotten half of my "mini quilt sandwiches" sewn together. It's a slow process for me since I'm in my third trimester and also a stay at home mom to a 3 year old. This is my first sewing project, so it's not anywhere near perfect but your tutorial has made it so simple for this novice to comprehend!

  44. Sharon January 18, 2015 at 2:12 am #

    If you use flannel for the batting do you have to sew an X through the 3 pieces? I am going to embrodier on some of the squares do I have to put an X through them or how do I put them together.

  45. Anonymous April 21, 2015 at 3:26 pm #

    I would like to know if I could make a rag quilt with cotton fabric instead of flannel.

  46. Anonymous May 4, 2015 at 5:18 am #

    I believe for your quilt to rag, it has to be either flannel or 100 percent cotton and you can always use flannel for the batting. Lots of times you will find flannel on sale a lot cheaper than the batting. Not like material that is 60 polyester and 40 cotton. I think it needs to be 100 percent cotton. If I'm wrong on this please let me know. I have made several baby rag quilts and I cut my block and then cut my flannel or batting 1 inch smaller. Usually a baby quilt can be completed in a night. instead of putting a X on some of my squares, I put a heart on some of them (by hand) because I was making a quilt that someone had lost their Mom and the daughter had given me several pieces of her Mom's fabric that she had. Seem like it would take a long time to hand stitch a rag quilt but if you have the time, I'm sure it can be done. Hope this helps. Shirley K…

  47. Haberdashery September 15, 2015 at 10:30 pm #

    What a beautiful, happy, fun tutorial. You are so generous to share this with the world. I will be whipping one of these up today, so I won't forget your easy methods! Thank you!

  48. Mercy March 5, 2016 at 7:22 pm #

    Me encuentro encantada de estas explicaciones tan claras y motivantes, Dios te bendiga por todo lo que nos proporcionas.Mercy

  49. Jill April 11, 2016 at 2:49 pm #

    I have made these for years. At first I used batting and sewed the X. Now I don’t put anything in the middle of my sandwich and I don’t sew the X. It’s much lighter and can be used all year long. I also figured out if you cut your fringe really close together and not so close to the seam it really gives a beautiful effect and you don’t have to fix any accidental cuts into the seam!

  50. Nessa July 4, 2016 at 1:57 pm #

    I’ve made several rag quilts. They are absolutely beautiful. The last one I made had several seams that came undone. I would suggest creating a double stitch or restraining each time you put the squares together. It’s very frustrating, but you don’t want to sell or give to a friend and it fail on them. Happy sewing;)

  51. Linda August 7, 2016 at 10:43 pm #

    Great tutorial! Everyone can create one of these with minimal sewing skills, and this page will really help. 🙂
    I have made several rag quilts with 100% cotton fabric on the top and 100% cotton denim (either recycled or off the bolt) and used fleece for the batting. I cut the fleece small enough so that it is not seen when the quilt is completed, since it will not fray like the cottons. The denim makes it heavier, but some people like the weight. They also make a great floor quilt for a baby’s tummy time on the floor, If it is made with fabrics that they can grow with, it will last them for many years of TV watching and road trips. If you put a lot of time into it, it’s nice to know that it will be used a lot, not put away after a couple of years. One of my first ones went to a 14 year old who is going through chemo treatments. Her mom says she takes it along for every hospital stay and treatment.
    HELPFUL HINT: Get a pair of Fiskars clippers that are made for rag quilting–it will make the tedious job of clipping a gazillion seams so much better than with scissors!

  52. Rhonda September 12, 2016 at 1:57 am #

    I am curious if you cut the batting or fleece out of the fringe after you snip it? i am making my first rag quilt.

  53. Lisa G. September 4, 2017 at 6:05 am #

    I am working on a denim rag quilt and found that the fabric was too thick for my machine so I ended up having holes in the middle of the squares. What is the best way to fix thise?

  54. Mimi March 2, 2020 at 12:40 am #

    Great tutorial! I have to make this, you made it look like so much fun. Thanks for sharing.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. How to Make Rag Quilt Patterns: 44+ Free Tutorials with Instructions - June 10, 2019

    […] Making Your Own: Rag Quilt Pattern […]

Leave a Reply

Site by Spunmonkey.