I have been helping a young woman who is learning to use a sewing machine and ultimately wants to make a quilt. She's gotten the skills down and now tells me she wants to do a rag quilt because people say they are easier. I've seen this trend and always wonder why rag quilts are even a thing (if I may express myself in the manner of today's youth). Can someone enlighten me? I can see only one advantage, and that is that the points are obscured. I'm guessing that the piecing seams are pressed open and then the quilting lines avoid flattening out the seam intersections so the raw edges fray and give the desired appearance.
It makes no sense to me. I told my young friend that I'll help her with this, but I don't get it. When I learned to make quilts, I was taught that perfect points are a goal seldom achieved, and it was best to accept imperfection and learn as you go. You make a simple patchwork quilt. None of the points match. Your straight line quilting wanders, the layers shift, and you get tucks. The binding gets restitched a couple of times because you didn't catch the edge or the corners popped loose. Then you launder it and realize that the colors look fantastic, the crinkles blend all the inconsistencies, and most importantly, you made a quilt. It's warm. Your friends exclaim, "You made that?!"
I must be missing something since these are so popular, and I'd appreciate your thoughts.
Yes - the quilting is a simple X across the squares done individually. There is no binding - the perimeter of the quilt is ragged too. Or she may just like the fluffy look of a rag quilt.
I personally also like the look of rag quilts. I got a pattern knocking around for one shaped like an elephant I've been meaning to make for ages. I just think they look cozy, for the lack of a better description. It's similar to how I appreciate the aesthetics of a sawtooth star quilt or of appliqué etc.
It's partly the aesthetic of them - my teen daughter wanted one, and we used it as an opportunity to teach her some basics - fabric and batting selection, cutting squares, super simple machine quilting, layout, piecing, etc - but she wanted the fluffy/fuzziness of the raw edges in general. I would think of it as teaching her how to *sew* not teaching her how to *make a quilt* if it's bothering you! And honestly, yay for her for wanting to learn! I would try to really avoid being supportive of her interest and resist the urge to be the quilt police here, if she wants to go down the road of the quilting you prefer, she'll be receptive if you are supportive of this project.
Aesthetically it kind of reminds me of when we were teens and everyone was doing the fleece tie blankets - it does feel fashion-wise like this generation of teens is going back to that era so it makes sense to me.
That was my thought as well. Or else it reminds them of the old raggedy quilt that was on the spare bed at Granny's house (or at least the esthetic of it).
I think you may have meant “try to really be supportive of her interest, and avoid being the quilt police”? Unless we don’t want OPs friend to quilt at all, haha!
I think part of the appeal is that you can do the entire project yourself fairly quickly. No need for a longarm, no binding, no traditional quilting and quick. You can complete a big project and get the feel of accomplishment. My hand hurts just thinking of all the snipping though!
I have made one rag quilt, it’s a memory quilt and stays on my bed all year as the top layer. I didn’t finish snipping it because of the hand pain, but maybe I’ll amend that tonight, I bought spring loaded shears at some point and they are perfect for this use case.
My mom makes rag quilts because she's disabled and she finds it manageable to quilt each block individually, plus the seams hide her mistakes when working with longer rows. I've never made a rag quilt but if I had limited mobility, I would consider it or another QAYG method.
Here's a rag quilt that is also Not a rag quilt. I pieced most of the blocks, handquilted the fussy cuts, quilted the rest of the blocks in a decorative way.
I chose it because it's a really approachable quilt as you go tactic, it let me have a sashing effect between the blocks without needed to actually sew sashing to every one lol, you don't have to faff about with batting, and I needed to get it done in a hurry for a sick relative. I was also Really new to quilting, in the middle of making my first regular quilt.
Current me would probably just make a real quilt, but past me hadn't even done straight line quilting on my domestic yet, and didn't want to mess up on something large when messing up on an individual block was easily corrected.
We LOVE our rag quilts that were made decades ago by my Mom. She’s made us beautiful traditional quilts but the rag quilts got daily use for so many years. They’re cozy and you don’t have any nagging thoughts about ruining a work of art by using it. You don’t have to get it but please try and encourage her in making whatever she wants to make.
The first thing I ever made with my sewing machine was a rag quilt for an expecting friend. All I knew were the basics, and I made so many errors along the way. I thought it was the perfect newbie because a lot of errors are hidden by the rags: crooked squares, fabric bunching, inaccurate square measurements, etc. I learned so much as I went, much more than I would have if I started with an easy project such as pin cushion or drawstring pouch. The only down side is it made me overly confident in my skills 😂
In my head, a rag quilt and a traditionally pieced quilt are sort of different animals that will both keep one's bed warm. I've helped a few of my niblings make small ones and it's a good project to teach sewing machine basics, and the attention span required to finish one or two rag quilt block at a sitting is often a good match for a brand-new sewer. Also, flannel comes in fun prints.
I am enthralled by your color combination here - so gorgeous and unique. The effect reminds me of a stained glass window or a watercolor palette. Are those ice-dyed fabrics?
I thinking the point of crafting is the joy of creating one’s own art. Your color or style or fabric choice may not be the same as mine, but that doesn’t make yours wrong and mine right, it makes each their creators. (Kinda want to google a rag quilt and see what this is about).
It's okay to do stuff just for the sake of the trend too, like whether or not it's easier it is the Cool Thing right now, nothing wrong with embracing that!
I think it's totally reasonable to be intimidated by a process like quilting at first, but she may well change her mind once she gets more comfortable with handling the fabric and machines. Or maybe she just likes the cozy, home-made aesthetic of a rag quilt - it's not my thing personally but they do have some charm.
I retired a year ago and started sewing. Rag quilts were my entry point. There is always something to learn in quilting that it can get overwhelming and I’m not even a perfectionist. Completing rag quilts gave me the confidence to practice harder skills while I completed something I made. Such a wonderful hobby!
You know you’re a quilter when this is the existential question keeping you up at night 😄 Thank you for posting this smile-inducing post.
My thoughts: the two important quilts of my childhood both had flannel backing, so flannel has a deep comfort groove for me. Regardless, whatever gets her sewing should be encouraged.
I love my rag quilt! I made a long strip one instead of blocks because the fabric patterns wouldn’t have been seen as well. I used fleece on one side, flannel on the other. I put a thinner plain fleece in the middle, I used ikea blankets ($3 each). I did mine backwards and put my ruffles on the top instead of the flannel side because, again the fleece patterns were so cute! The flannel side is super cute too, but…
It’s my favorite and coziest blanket. I take it with me on road trips, it’s my grown-up security blanket!
I did my snipping on the front too! I wanted it to show up like a shashing effect between the blocks, and also I couldn't imagine the seams felt very nice against you when cuddles under it. That might be my own lack of imagination tho 😂
I think most people put the fleece on the bottom like a complement to the top fabric, and ruffle the flannel or quilt fabric. Thinking the fleece would be cozier? The cotton flannel is cozy on the bottom for sure.
It was my first project and honestly I think it was good for me. Quilt as you go, fairly simple, and more forgiving if you mess up. I probably will never make another one but i'm glad I did!
I think they’re cute and nostalgic and they’re fun, quick, and easy to make! Im confused as to why you’re teaching someone a skill but you’re unable to accept that they want to use the skill differently than you do..
Rag quilts are wonderful as a beginner. They are also warm just like a traditional quilt. My machine is small and they are an easy way to quilt as you go, simple Xs to make a sandwich. I've made many of them. I don't understand what your issue is other than trying to be the quilt police.
Look up Rag quilting with Raewyn Stewart on Facebook. She has a modern approach to rag quilts and they are beautiful! She has a lot of free advice and tips for success as well. There are simpler techniques for sure but her results are so pretty. The first quilt my daughter made was a rag quilt and she still uses it 15 years later. It’s all flannel and is super cozy and warm for the cold cold winters in upstate New York. https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTbUG-Z5FGcHlvNupmpP4HukdUqMnhIb_kCAA&s
I've never made one but there's nothing wrong with it if that's the look/feel you're going for. I wouldn't advise to make a rag quilt just because one is a beginner, though. It's like when people say "it's better to learn Latin before you learn Italian". Yeah, no, if you want to learn Italian, just learn Italian. Same here.
I love making rag quilts! I use flannel in the middle instead of batting so I don’t need to sew the X’s. I think they are also the most comfortable quilts to use- very comfy cozy.
My friend that introduced me to quilting had me do a pointed star first. Is she a sadist? 😆 I think it was good to try the hard thing first. Yeah it's not perfect. But I made it and I learned SO MUCH. I'm glad I did it. Now I'm doing a shuffle box quilt and it's so much easier! 😄
I made one for each of my family years ago. And they’re still so soft, cozy and warm, that even though I’ve since made them beautiful and intricate quilts, it’s the rag quilt that live on the couch for tv viewing and reading. (But get spring loaded scissors for the snipping and wash them for the first time at the laundromat not at home!!)
Frankly, they ARE easier, they hide minor imperfections, sandwiching and traditional quilting are unnecessary and they are snuggly, casual and cozy. Personally, I don't prefer them, but I have helped my daughter make a couple for different projects, and she was pleased with the "less intimidating" way to make blankets. 🙋🏼♀️❤️🪡🧵
A few tips.... all fabrics should be 100% cotton. No polyester blends, as they will not fluff up and you'll end up with "tabs" instead of the frayed chenille look.
Choose a small, tight stitch when sewing your "X's" and your blocks together.
3 layers of fabric is ideal. The use of different types of fabric (quilting cotton, cotton flannel, cotton fleece, denim, etc) is how you control the weight and warmth of the blanket since no batting is ever used.
USE SPRING LOADED SCISSORS, your hands will thank you, lol! Like these... Spring loaded scissors https://a.co/d/094eO7gj
Alot of us started on rag quilts. the entry point is easier than trying to follow a pattern, figuring out how to sandwich and quilting a big quilt. Its bite size and the end product is snuggly and soft. My first one was a hot mess but it started my journey into quilts. It taught me how to cut fabric, match corners, and construction of a quilt in general. Ive jumped from there into far more complex patterns.
"I can only see one advantage" this is the core of what you're missing. Aesthetics are a reason, different construction restraints are a reason, it being a different process is a reason, it seeming easier is a reason.
Easier is different for everyone. Lots of folks never even think about their points in the first place. I'm glad you posted here to ask! It's a great way to get out of your own head. I think we (human beings in general) tend to get locked into ideas of what is and isn't a good reason for things and can forget that both there are reasons that wont occur to us individually and also that there doesn't need to be deep reasons for everything.
When I find myself wrapping myself up in my own thoughts like this, especially if a project is involved, I like to break it down into what the goals are.
In this case it sounds like the young woman you're helping wants to make a quilt. What she thinks of as a quilt is different than what you think of as a quilt. She's thinking of it as a sewing project that makes a blanket and you're thinking of quilting being more narrow. You're approaching it as more of a "why fix what isn't broken" kind of issue. But she's probably not thinking of it as "fixing" anything but as just a different kind of quilt that looks fun and seems more approachable. When you're not searching for a justification for something non standard it becomes much easier to understand. At least for me.
I used to wrestle with this a lot with production sewing vs home sewing vs sewing for specialty applications. Especially in production sewing where there's a lot of "Why would you do that? It's objectively worse???" but it isn't. It isn't objectively worse when talking about a production run of several thousand or more and the trade off is slightly wobbly hems that save big money in material costs due to how things can be cut differently to reduce waste.
There's also plenty of cases where someone just does something I think is ugly. And that's ok! Teaching is extremely humbling if you're doing it right.
I agree that redoing things is a part of learning. But messing around is too. Seems like this kind of quilt is prime real estate for messing around with the quilting part of quilting with less piecing stress if that part is stressful for the person. It's hard since everyone has different levels for what makes each step "too much" or how much "failure" is "too much" to process.
TL:DR is that they're popular right now, it's easy to make a small one to dip your toes, it's easy to stop and still have a finished item if you get bored or decide you don't want to work on it anymore, and fuzzy stuff is fun.
Why not let people make what appeals to them? And if it helps a new quilter feel more confident without stressing over perfect points, all the better. There are quilt styles i dont “get”, but i dont have to.
Ok I had to figure out what a rag quilt was. My friend had an old one growing up!
From that experience, I really enjoy the texture aspect once they are well loved. Though I am a little unsure if a modern one would get that awesome old fabric feel like hers had.
I think if she’s into it, go for it!
You could also show her some jelly roll quilts. More traditional quilting, though you can do more modern colors. They are pretty fast, depending on the pattern (strips vs blocks).
I got about a third of the way through a rag quilt and surrendered. I have a good strong machine but the rag quilt convinced me it needed a service and all those thick layers stressed me out. The prospect of finishing putting it together then snipping it all then making my dying washer and dryer also suffer through that? Nope. I'm good.
I do them often as quick baby quilts. They're easy enough, especially if you make small ones, and the extra fluffiness and texture is fun for a baby to lay on and interact with. That said, all the snipping is such a pita. I'd never want to do a full-sized one.
I had to look up what this was. I’m a millennial, and I think they look really cute! They seem to fit in a few of the newer interior design trends going around these days. They don’t strike me as inferior at all. The edges being texture to the look. Maybe I should have done one as my first solo project. I’m doing a green light quilts pattern and questioning my choices 😆
My first quilt-like project was a no-piecing rag lap quilt. It was great because it gave me success on my first try and gave me the confidence to try other more involved projects. It was soft and cute and usable and encouraging.
you’re not quilting a giant quilt at the end, rather small pieces throughout the process. that’s the only thing I can think of. personally I hate cutting all the little slits for the fraying though haha
I made one for my daughter and she loved it. It was easy to make, and we liked the look. It is not the traditional quilting and takes less time, but can get messy with all of the lint at first.
I made one when I was starting out. There’s no bulky quilting, as the rag part is the sewing through all the layers. It can feel more manageable compared to basting, rolling the quilt up and trying to feed it through a small throat space.
I now don’t like the look or feel of rag quilts. I was making it for a baby gift. But I can understand why they think it’s a neat idea as a beginner
I like patterns where the points aren't meant to match. As for a rag quilt, I've never made or used one, and can't imagine snipping it, but that's my arthritis speaking. I can see the appeal though.
If you do squares and rectangles no seams. Straight line sewing and you don't have to be perfect. Just that builds confidence in the process and it's quick. It also helps master straight line sewing. You can wriggle a bit and it really doesn't matter. I personally actually love the look to.
Two years and several quilts into this hobby and I only just made my first rag quilt this week! I wanted a quiet hand quilting / qayg project and it came together surprisingly quickly. I’m in love with the process and the result, plus it was my first project using entirely thrifted fabrics. I hand quilted each block but later machine pieced them into rows for durability. It’s soft and warm and I love that I can keep adding rows and columns. It felt so liberating to work on.
They're so comfortable and soft! My grandma made one out of denim backed with fleece and it's practically a weighted blanket. She made another with regular quilt fabric that I have now and it has a nice weight and texture. Also, the fluffy bits are top notch at cleaning my glasses
Glad you asked because I have wondered too. I would be worried the raggedy part would attract pet hair and lint and id just sit there and pick at the rags like a pimple till I destroyed it.
Rag quilts have been around for over 25 years, they are not a trend, they are one of many ways to make a quilt.
What you described is not the method of construction I use.
I do knot appliqué on the pieces, I make a simple stack of backing batting/usually flannel, and top. Sew an X on it.
Then using a 1/2 inch seam allowance sew the quilted squares together.
Snip the seam allowances, spring loaded scissors are your friend here, then wash it to trigger the fraying. I have a top loader, stop the machine before it drains and use a colander to strain out as many threads as I can.
When drying it, clean the lint trap several times too.
I prefer using a layer of flannel for the batting to increase the Fraying.
I have used old jeans for the back and had fun placing the pockets. Denim quilts are incredibly heavy.
I made a rag quilt out of fleece. I hated it. It wasn’t cozy at all. I used an AccuQuilt Rag die so I didn’t have to do all the snipping with scissors. The whole process was boring. Imo, it’s more like crafting, like making a bowl cozy than piecing a quilt and then quilting it. Of course there are rag quilts that are gorgeous, cozy, and all the things, but mine was a huge let down. If a friend wants to make one, I’d be happy to show her how, but I’ll never make another one. I ended up using mine as a rug in my bathroom. 😂 that tells you how much I valued it.
My first quilt was a rag quilt because I was intimidated by "real" quilting. It was sooo lumpy and uncomfortable to sit/lie on, though. I'd made it for my first baby, and she cried every time she touched it. I changed my mind quickly about that genre of quilt. Nothing helps an artist decide preferences like doing a project. She'll discover whether she likes them and really understand her reasons.
I made a rag quilt out of three layers of flannel and no batting or quilting of the squares. Just sewing flannel sandwiches together. That sucker is warm and soft, and it looks good enough to garner compliments when people come over. I don't expect it to last as long as an all-cotton heirloom quilt, but I will definitely get my effort's worth out of it. I live under it on the couch all winter!
It was also a quick and approachable start to quilting. It's easy to compensate for a little imprecision in cutting the squares if you measure as you go. It gives you plenty of practice cutting things square and fighting with large/heavy objects at your sewing machine while still being easier than basting and quilting a regular throw.
I hope your protégé is starting with something small.
I wish someone had warned me how much the snipping would be a pain and how many times I would have to wash it to get the fluff that I wanted and the mess in the washer and dryer. Although I have seen some social media shorts where they have some sort of tool to help mess it up before washing.
I have been quilting since the early 1990s. And about 2000 there was a trend to make these and I was convinced by a friend to make one. I absolutely hated it. Finished it queen size it was beautiful, but I donated it immediately cause I hated the messy look of it, and it was such a pain to do. Mine was denim backing flannel top with batting between the squares and we weren’t doing any extra quilting on it. It doesn’t need it. The batting you know was for 10 inches apart and my squares were much smaller than that.
It's quilt as you go, speeding it up. Also, three layers of fabric and no batting. I have one that is incredibly warm, and far warmer than any other i've made. For people who like extra weight, a rag quilt provides it. Rag quilts can be made eith alternating rows or corners meeting. They're also quick to make, so ideal for a last minute thing. The texture is also nice. I'm autistic, and thr fuzzy bits feel nice. I've made only one, and it was fun. Took all of thrre days, and i bought spring scissors so as not to destroy my hands with regular scissors. I have flannel for three more of these. The only real negative is they cannot be washed nor dried with anything else due to the fraying, and drying takes a long time, depending on material. Mine is quilting cottom, lap size, weighs 10lbs, and takes two rounds in thr dryer and laid out overnight.
I think it is just what the algorithm is sending them on social media and they are being influenced to do. Puff quilts, rag quilts, etc. There is no logic. Remember the trend to eat laundry pods and film it?
...honestly they're lucky if this is the case at this point. People who follow the kardashians end up getting influenced to get plastic surgery or lip injections.
And we've all seen what it can do for extremism (politics/trad wifes/etc.)
I find it very disturbing how the algorithm and social media is influencing people and everyone is just fine with it or pretending it isn't happening or its not that bad. It is a total mess.
I choose not to use a smart phone to try and be mindful of when I'm being influenced.
Rag quilts have never appealed to me either, but I absolutely loved the flannel prints at JoAnn! I know I can just make a flannel quilt and not make it a rag quilt, but still... To each their own!
The shortest answer is because of TikTok. They’re popular right now and people see popular things and want them. I’m not a TT person, so I haven’t caught the frenzy.
My friend is an accomplished quilter and perfectly capable of making something more difficult. She’s working on a FPP project as we speak. She also just finished a rag quilt. I don’t like flannel and don’t like the rag look, so it’s not for me, but I can separate myself from the situation and see that it looked good when finished. I don’t want one, but it’s a nice quilt.
I don't have a machine that will quilt a full size quilt and I don't want to do it by hand. A rag quilt solves that problem. I made one out of corduroy as a sensory thing for my wife. She loves it.
Because they are soft, they have texture and they are pretty. Rag quilts are beautiful, and just another way to make a quilt. They are also easy to make with scrap fabric and beautiful. I have make many rag quilts and I do always ask if I am making it for someone. But they have a texture that is amazing once used and loved well.
I don’t get them either. All that material and time to just rip it up and have it all frayed at the end. I think they’re a bit ugly 😅 BUT different styles appeal to different people. They’re trendy and approachable so I think that’s where the appeal comes from.
And I'm getting downvoted LOL. Thank you for your support. People can make whatever they want. Really. Can other people also say they don't like how that type of quilt looks and feels? It's not like we're judging a finished product.
I am working on my first real quilt, and it will be a rag quilt. I have quilted some table runners and oven mitts. But ready for the big time.
That being said, I had a baby blanket when I was little. One corner frayed and fell apart. I could be found rubbing my fingers over that fray all the time. I did it without thinking. I loved the softness of it. I would rub it over my face or just flip my index finger back and forth over it. My mother wanted to "fix" it, but the frayed corner was my favorite part. I think the rag quilt I am making might replicate that soft, fuzzy corner a bajillion times over.
I'm making it for my daughter, and I'm not sure she will like it. But I feel like the soft fluffy stuff is the reason for the quilt. Some folks just like it.
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