Thank you so much for saying that Renee! I keep trying to get better as I go along, I have a long way to go to catch up to MSQC though lol! I love them too! Happy Sewing :)
Omg, I found this video months ago now and tried it. Im actually new to sewing but I was so excited. I finished it all and it looked absolutely amazing, but, guess what I did. I didn't check the back of the quilt so imagine my shock and horror when I realised that some of the seams hadn't sewn properly at the back. The front looks great, but some of the back is completely open. I was gutted. Completely my fault. Your tutorial was amazing. Now Im trying to work out if I should start again and be more vigilant. So for anyone new, please check the back of your quilt to make sure your sewing properly!!
Hi Lorraine, I am so glad to hear that you made one. The first sewing project never goes the way we want and the longer you are sewing the more you realize you will always need your seam ripper for something. Mistakes are inevitable, no matter your skill level, but I hope it doesn't stop you from trying again. Sewing feels so good when our projects come together! I am trying to think of an easy way for you to solve your problem. But picking the stitches in those areas and resewing those seams is probably the best long term solution. :)
Ty so much Tamara. I learned so much from this video. After watching several of your tutorials, on rag quilting, I am so exited and looking forward to giving it another try. :D
Love your videos, they are VERY HELPFUL to this beginner! Have you made a T-shirt Rag Quilt yet? If so, do you have a video for that? I’m undecided about sewing an “X” in the middle of the T-Shirts. I call it a “T-Shirt Quilt”, but it only has 5 T-Shirts in a Queen Size Quilt, the rest of the quilt is made of cotton & flannel squares! I Would love to hear your suggestion regarding the “X”. Thank You Again!!
Hi Sherry, so glad my videos can be helpful! I have not made a t-shirt rag quilt as of yet but I wouldn't want to sew "X"'s down the middle of the shirt. So instead of adding batting I would add 2 pre washed flannel squares to the back of each tshirt square (cut the same size as the Tshirt square. This will give you a nice heavy feel and a thick ragged look without needing an X sewing across the pretty image of the Tshirt. The X is only needed when there is loose fabric/batting between the two layers of fabric as it will bunch up in the wash. I hope that makes sense. Happy Sewing!
WOW! That would be tiny. Perhaps you could do a 1/4" seam allowance if you make one that small. Just a thought. Or you could just sew chenille-it tape onto a piece of fabric to make a faux ragged cover. Hope that helps, Happy Sewing!
Thank you for loads of good information. Your panda, fish and ladybug pattern is 3955 and was originally suggested as a fleece project but could easily adapt to flannel. Were you able to find it? I’ve enjoyed making some of the animals as well, but have encountered a few issues with the butterfly pillow. Good luck with your projects! And thanks again for sharing.
I am so glad I could be of some help! Alas I have not found that pattern yet. But I had no idea it was intended for fleece! Interesting 🤔 I love learning new ways of sewing. Perhaps a fleece blanket is in my future. I will have to try the butterfly pillow out too. I am interested to see what was confusing. I do find that some of these patterns don’t come with enough instructions at times.
Hi Tamara, So far I have made two rag quilts but how do I keep my back fabric from being loose and cut it uneven when cuttings the center lines and the side seams? That's about the best way I can explain it even though it doesn't make much sense. TIA Terri
Hi Terri, I am not sure I understand your question, but have you seen my rag quilt tutorial video? th-cam.com/video/Fia6ApOPBIw/w-d-xo.html I walk you through all the steps on how to do it. You will sandwich the top, middle and back together, then sew an x across the square before putting all the squares together. Hope this helps! Ask me more if it isn't clear and I will try to explain things better.
Hello, Love your rag quilts!! I was wondering if I could use the 6" flannelette in the center and skip the 5" batting for a flannel rag quilt. That would give the full seams without the cost & bulk of the batting also for a baby blanket. OR can I use 6" batting in the middle? Will batting rag up? Also Love your binding border. Going to make this week for my two soon to be granddaughters
Hi Luan, Yes you can! I walk through the whole tutorial here: th-cam.com/video/Fia6ApOPBIw/w-d-xo.html I do add batting but if you don't want to you don't have to. And if you use the same size flannel for the inside layer as your outer layer then you don't have to sew the criss crosses either.
Thank you for your suggestions. I did watch that video too. I love the squishy feel with the 2 layers with batting. Would putting a third layer of flannel in the middle for the extra raggy look give it that full/squishy look or is the only way is putting the smaller batting in the middle? Also what size square would you use for a lap/sofa quilt? My next project after the baby quilts. 😊Thank you
Adding an extra layer of flannel can work too. Just remember the more layers the thicker the seam you will be sewing through. Changing to a Jean needle may be helpful if you get a lot of layers. As for the size of square my lap quilts I have done with 6” squares. But you could go bigger if you wanted.
Good Question! I have never bothered to use cotton thread with my rag quilts. I have used all purpose thread and had great results. But you are welcome to use cotton if you want.
I am a totally new sewer. I googled "Brother sewing machine walking foot". Of course, there was more than one selection that came up. How do I choose which one to order? One of them was almost $50 !! I could not afford that one. The others were within my budget but which one?
So glad I could help😄! I have linked to the equivalent of my sewing machine in the description of the video. But the actual sewing machine I use is a babylock crafting machine. They don't make it anymore (that I can find). The sewing machine that I linked to I have tested out LOVE it! It is a great quality sewing machine for beginners and crafters. Hope that helps!
I haven't done a rag quilt with any other fabric other then the one where I added cotton: th-cam.com/video/_Sya4HdwF-s/w-d-xo.html But using the same concepts you may be able to add fleece. It's quite thick though so I am not sure how the ragging would turn out.
No. Eventually it will be done shedding. When I gift them I do tell people to wash them separately with old towels in the beginning so the threads don’t get on everything else. But slowly that stops. Promise!
Hello first I am not very good at sewing but I don’t let that stop me. I have tried to make a rag quilt and unfortunately some of my squares did not line up as I thought they were and then there’s the shedding , horrible. I don’t know if it’s the material (it was a good quality) or what. I see rag quilts and they don’t have any little threads hanging from them. What am I doing wrong. So disappointed.
I have my rows done and ready to sew the rows together. Where the seams of the squares line up, I end up with a hard lump, even after snipping the edge for ragging. Is there a way to prevent this?
Hi Eileen, Here is the video where I talk about how to fold the seams to avoid as much bulk as possible: th-cam.com/video/Fia6ApOPBIw/w-d-xo.html But there will always be that initial lump. Sew slowly over them. When the squares are all together and you start snipping the seams the lumps will disappear. You can also use a jean needle if you need more strength for your machine to get through those lumps. Happy Sewing!
Sometime I clip right down the center and move on from there, so you end up with two triangle looking pieces. Other times I will clip up to the corner on both sides so it ends up with one larger triangle piece. No matter what over time it rags out and looks normal along side the other snipped pieces. don't worry too much about it.
What type of rotary cutter do you use to cut batting? or do you use scissors? And how often do you change the blade on your rotary cutter? Does it help extend the blade life if you clean the fuzz out of your cutter periodically?
Hi Anita, I use the same rotary cutter to cut everything, including batting. I also use fabric scissors when I am doing a rough cut. As far as my blade, I change it when I notice that a cut skips small sections or that I have to push really hard down on the handle to get a nice cut. Clearing out the fuzz doesn't seem to have an effect for me. It may help the blade roll smoother. I just hate to get close to the blade until I absolutely have to! Hope that helps. If you want to see what I use I list it all in this video here: th-cam.com/video/7A7SOCPrZ-c/w-d-xo.html Hope that helps!
PLEASE HELP??? I am making a minky and flannel rag quilt with each square having either 2 layers of minky and 1 flannel piece or 2 flannel and 1 minky piece. I desperately need help figuring out what is the best needle to use on my sewing machine for these 3 layers of fabric and what tension to use? My needles just keep bending. I am using an Organ brand 90/14 universal needle. I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong? I am using a walking foot and I do not put any pressure on my fabric while sewing either. Please help?
I’m prob too late but I will try anyways. A Jean needle may help. But sewing with minky is not easy. I wouldn’t recommend minky for a rag quilt because of the layers and minky doesn’t rag the same as layers of flannel. Sorry for the late reply!
I am not sure I understand your question Linda but I will try my best to answer. If you wanted to make a larger rag quilt without cutting I would suggest trying this no cutting method here: th-cam.com/video/5SUEKtD-iTc/w-d-xo.html To make it a twin size I would make three the width of the twin blanket and then sew them together to make a longer twin blanket. Sew them together using the same seam allowance before snipping the edges. Hope this helps! Happy Sewing Linda!
Carol James 1 second ago I have made to rag quilts and I am so upset about the sheading of threads, even after numerous washings and dryings. No one seems to mention this. I am embarrassed to give them as a gift. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Hi Carol, the shedding is part of the ragging process. I wash and dry my rag quilts, then take a lint roller and sometimes a cheap ladies shaver to take the excess threads off the quilt before I gift it. But I always tell the person I gift it to that it needs to be washed with old towels for the first bit. Eventually she shedding stops! 💜Hope that helps 😀If you want to see how I wash my rag quilts check out this tutorial: th-cam.com/video/PNK88ChVQNA/w-d-xo.html
Hi Valerie, perhaps a double gauze blanket would be a better fit then? Here is a tutorial with 4 options. The double gauze fabric is a popular one for babies. Hope that helps! th-cam.com/video/_paLbUWBERs/w-d-xo.html
Skip video effect was distracting , i found it hard to watch. I was wondering about the spring loaded scissors you used to clip the edges. thank you for posting !
Thanks for your input, much appreciated as I am still learning all this editing stuff. I don’t want to waist people’s time so I took out my breaths☺️but I agree, when I am just talking to the camera all those edits can be annoying to watch. Glad I was able to help you find a good pair of scissors. That is very important to help save your hand and time when making these rag quilts!
Tamara, I'm a hardcore MSQS fan. But I sooooo enjoyed the 3 tutorials of yours that I've watched. You do a wonderful job. Thank you so much♥️
Thank you so much for saying that Renee! I keep trying to get better as I go along, I have a long way to go to catch up to MSQC though lol! I love them too! Happy Sewing :)
Omg, I found this video months ago now and tried it. Im actually new to sewing but I was so excited. I finished it all and it looked absolutely amazing, but, guess what I did. I didn't check the back of the quilt so imagine my shock and horror when I realised that some of the seams hadn't sewn properly at the back. The front looks great, but some of the back is completely open. I was gutted. Completely my fault. Your tutorial was amazing. Now Im trying to work out if I should start again and be more vigilant. So for anyone new, please check the back of your quilt to make sure your sewing properly!!
Hi Lorraine, I am so glad to hear that you made one. The first sewing project never goes the way we want and the longer you are sewing the more you realize you will always need your seam ripper for something. Mistakes are inevitable, no matter your skill level, but I hope it doesn't stop you from trying again. Sewing feels so good when our projects come together! I am trying to think of an easy way for you to solve your problem. But picking the stitches in those areas and resewing those seams is probably the best long term solution. :)
Ty so much Tamara. I learned so much from this video. After watching several of your tutorials, on rag quilting, I am so exited and looking forward to giving it another try. :D
I am so glad to hear that! I love rag quilts so much and they are so forgiving for new sewers. You can do this!!!! 💗🥳
Love your videos, they are VERY HELPFUL to this beginner!
Have you made a T-shirt Rag Quilt yet? If so, do you have a video for that? I’m undecided about sewing an “X” in the middle of the T-Shirts. I call it a “T-Shirt Quilt”, but it only has 5 T-Shirts in a Queen Size Quilt, the rest of the quilt is made of cotton & flannel squares! I Would love to hear your suggestion regarding the “X”. Thank You Again!!
Hi Sherry, so glad my videos can be helpful! I have not made a t-shirt rag quilt as of yet but I wouldn't want to sew "X"'s down the middle of the shirt. So instead of adding batting I would add 2 pre washed flannel squares to the back of each tshirt square (cut the same size as the Tshirt square. This will give you a nice heavy feel and a thick ragged look without needing an X sewing across the pretty image of the Tshirt. The X is only needed when there is loose fabric/batting between the two layers of fabric as it will bunch up in the wash. I hope that makes sense. Happy Sewing!
Thank you for all the helpful tips!
You are welcome! Hope it inspires you to sew 🧵
Can I ask a question? How small could you go? Because I'm thinking of doing a junk journal cover with a rag quilt... 😊
WOW! That would be tiny. Perhaps you could do a 1/4" seam allowance if you make one that small. Just a thought. Or you could just sew chenille-it tape onto a piece of fabric to make a faux ragged cover. Hope that helps, Happy Sewing!
I too use the post it notes for same purpose.
Super helpful hey!?!?
@@TamarasJoyDIY 💯 exactly
Like your videos and quilts. Can I sew the quilt using my industrial/commercial sewing machine which does not use a walking foot?
Can you use a decorative stitch as your X on the blocks?
Excellent Info and video. Thank you. ❤️❤️
Thank you! I hope you found something helpful within it. My goal is to be as helpful as possible. Happy sewing! 🧵
Thank you for loads of good information. Your panda, fish and ladybug pattern is 3955 and was originally suggested as a fleece project but could easily adapt to flannel. Were you able to find it? I’ve enjoyed making some of the animals as well, but have encountered a few issues with the butterfly pillow. Good luck with your projects! And thanks again for sharing.
I am so glad I could be of some help! Alas I have not found that pattern yet. But I had no idea it was intended for fleece! Interesting 🤔 I love learning new ways of sewing. Perhaps a fleece blanket is in my future. I will have to try the butterfly pillow out too. I am interested to see what was confusing. I do find that some of these patterns don’t come with enough instructions at times.
Thank you 😊
Brilliant thank you so much 😊
Your welcome! Let me know if you end up having any questions on your rag quilt projects 😁
Hi Tamara, So far I have made two rag quilts but how do I keep my back fabric from being loose and cut it uneven when cuttings the center lines and the side seams? That's about the best way I can explain it even though it doesn't make much sense. TIA Terri
Hi Terri, I am not sure I understand your question, but have you seen my rag quilt tutorial video? th-cam.com/video/Fia6ApOPBIw/w-d-xo.html I walk you through all the steps on how to do it. You will sandwich the top, middle and back together, then sew an x across the square before putting all the squares together. Hope this helps! Ask me more if it isn't clear and I will try to explain things better.
A walking foot helps avoid potential puckers where your quilting intersects (ie X).
That is a great idea!
Can you do a ragquilt with just cotton fabric
Hello, Love your rag quilts!! I was wondering if I could use the 6" flannelette in the center and skip the 5" batting for a flannel rag quilt. That would give the full seams without the cost & bulk of the batting also for a baby blanket. OR can I use 6" batting in the middle? Will batting rag up? Also Love your binding border. Going to make this week for my two soon to be granddaughters
Hi Luan, Yes you can! I walk through the whole tutorial here: th-cam.com/video/Fia6ApOPBIw/w-d-xo.html I do add batting but if you don't want to you don't have to. And if you use the same size flannel for the inside layer as your outer layer then you don't have to sew the criss crosses either.
Thank you for your suggestions. I did watch that video too. I love the squishy feel with the 2 layers with batting. Would putting a third layer of flannel in the middle for the extra raggy look give it that full/squishy look or is the only way is putting the smaller batting in the middle? Also what size square would you use for a lap/sofa quilt? My next project after the baby quilts. 😊Thank you
Adding an extra layer of flannel can work too. Just remember the more layers the thicker the seam you will be sewing through. Changing to a Jean needle may be helpful if you get a lot of layers. As for the size of square my lap quilts I have done with 6” squares. But you could go bigger if you wanted.
I square up my quilt blocks after I have sewn the quilt sandwich together.
You have more patience then me! I figure the ragging hides all my mistakes :)
The walking foot is a must.
Totally agree! It is my fav presser foot!
How do you get the extra fluffiness on on the seam
Does it matter if you use cotton or polyester thread when you sew your rag quilt
Good Question! I have never bothered to use cotton thread with my rag quilts. I have used all purpose thread and had great results. But you are welcome to use cotton if you want.
I am a totally new sewer. I googled "Brother sewing machine walking foot". Of course, there was more than one selection that came up. How do I choose which one to order? One of them was almost $50 !! I could not afford that one. The others were within my budget but which one?
Thank you so much
You are welcome Margaret😊
Very helpful, thank you! What type of machine do you use?
So glad I could help😄! I have linked to the equivalent of my sewing machine in the description of the video. But the actual sewing machine I use is a babylock crafting machine. They don't make it anymore (that I can find). The sewing machine that I linked to I have tested out LOVE it! It is a great quality sewing machine for beginners and crafters. Hope that helps!
@@TamarasJoyDIY Thank you!
would you be able to use fleece/sherpa on the other side?
I haven't done a rag quilt with any other fabric other then the one where I added cotton: th-cam.com/video/_Sya4HdwF-s/w-d-xo.html But using the same concepts you may be able to add fleece. It's quite thick though so I am not sure how the ragging would turn out.
When the rag quilt is in the dryer will it always shed little threads?
No. Eventually it will be done shedding. When I gift them I do tell people to wash them separately with old towels in the beginning so the threads don’t get on everything else. But slowly that stops. Promise!
Hello first I am not very good at sewing but I don’t let that stop me. I have tried to make a rag quilt and unfortunately some of my squares did not line up as I thought they were and then there’s the shedding , horrible. I don’t know if it’s the material (it was a good quality) or what. I see rag quilts and they don’t have any little threads hanging from them. What am I doing wrong. So disappointed.
Do you wash your flannel before cutting?
I have my rows done and ready to sew the rows together. Where the seams of the squares line up, I end up with a hard lump, even after snipping the edge for ragging. Is there a way to prevent this?
Hi Eileen, Here is the video where I talk about how to fold the seams to avoid as much bulk as possible: th-cam.com/video/Fia6ApOPBIw/w-d-xo.html But there will always be that initial lump. Sew slowly over them. When the squares are all together and you start snipping the seams the lumps will disappear. You can also use a jean needle if you need more strength for your machine to get through those lumps. Happy Sewing!
@@TamarasJoyDIY thank you very much Tamara that was very helpful!
Do you wash the flannel when using kinky and flannel? Wouldn’t the flannel shrink more?
I have never used minky fabric with this type of blanket. But yes, I do think I would prewash if you are combining that with flannel.
What kind of fabric do you use to make a rag quilt
Flannel. It rags up the best 👌
How do you clip the corners on the rag quilt?
Sometime I clip right down the center and move on from there, so you end up with two triangle looking pieces. Other times I will clip up to the corner on both sides so it ends up with one larger triangle piece. No matter what over time it rags out and looks normal along side the other snipped pieces. don't worry too much about it.
What type of rotary cutter do you use to cut batting? or do you use scissors? And how often do you change the blade on your rotary cutter? Does it help extend the blade life if you clean the fuzz out of your cutter periodically?
Hi Anita, I use the same rotary cutter to cut everything, including batting. I also use fabric scissors when I am doing a rough cut. As far as my blade, I change it when I notice that a cut skips small sections or that I have to push really hard down on the handle to get a nice cut. Clearing out the fuzz doesn't seem to have an effect for me. It may help the blade roll smoother. I just hate to get close to the blade until I absolutely have to! Hope that helps. If you want to see what I use I list it all in this video here: th-cam.com/video/7A7SOCPrZ-c/w-d-xo.html Hope that helps!
PLEASE HELP??? I am making a minky and flannel rag quilt with each square having either 2 layers of minky and 1 flannel piece or 2 flannel and 1 minky piece. I desperately need help figuring out what is the best needle to use on my sewing machine for these 3 layers of fabric and what tension to use? My needles just keep bending. I am using an Organ brand 90/14 universal needle. I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong? I am using a walking foot and I do not put any pressure on my fabric while sewing either. Please help?
I’m prob too late but I will try anyways. A Jean needle may help. But sewing with minky is not easy. I wouldn’t recommend minky for a rag quilt because of the layers and minky doesn’t rag the same as layers of flannel. Sorry for the late reply!
How would I make a twin bed rag quilt without cutting pieces
I am not sure I understand your question Linda but I will try my best to answer. If you wanted to make a larger rag quilt without cutting I would suggest trying this no cutting method here: th-cam.com/video/5SUEKtD-iTc/w-d-xo.html To make it a twin size I would make three the width of the twin blanket and then sew them together to make a longer twin blanket. Sew them together using the same seam allowance before snipping the edges. Hope this helps! Happy Sewing Linda!
Do I prewash before cutting??
Yes prewash before cutting that way less fabric will fray. The smaller the fabric the more fray will happen when washed. Hope that helps😀
Have you done a quilt with ragging on both sides?
Carol James
1 second ago
I have made to rag quilts and I am so upset about the sheading of threads, even after numerous washings and dryings. No one seems to mention this. I am embarrassed to give them as a gift. Any suggestion would be appreciated.
Hi Carol, the shedding is part of the ragging process. I wash and dry my rag quilts, then take a lint roller and sometimes a cheap ladies shaver to take the excess threads off the quilt before I gift it. But I always tell the person I gift it to that it needs to be washed with old towels for the first bit. Eventually she shedding stops! 💜Hope that helps 😀If you want to see how I wash my rag quilts check out this tutorial: th-cam.com/video/PNK88ChVQNA/w-d-xo.html
I want to make a baby blanket. But afraid the threads wont be safe for babies 😢
Hi Valerie, perhaps a double gauze blanket would be a better fit then? Here is a tutorial with 4 options. The double gauze fabric is a popular one for babies. Hope that helps! th-cam.com/video/_paLbUWBERs/w-d-xo.html
Skip video effect was distracting , i found it hard to watch. I was wondering about the spring loaded scissors you used to clip the edges. thank you for posting !
Thanks for your input, much appreciated as I am still learning all this editing stuff. I don’t want to waist people’s time so I took out my breaths☺️but I agree, when I am just talking to the camera all those edits can be annoying to watch. Glad I was able to help you find a good pair of scissors. That is very important to help save your hand and time when making these rag quilts!
That's a hem ruler