How to Make a Rag Quilt with Batting

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Typical quilts are made by first creating a quilt top, then by making a quilt sandwich that includes the quilt top, batting, and backing. Rag quilting short cuts the quilt top assembly and creates the quilt top while sewing the backing and batting pieces at the same time.

You have several different options for the middle layer.

Warm and Natural Batting

Warm and Natural batting will give your quilt a really nice weight. If you choose to use this as your middle layer, you will need to cut the batting pieces 1'' smaller than the bottom and top layers so that the batting doesn't show in the exposed seams on the top of the quilt.

You will not be able to use batting for patterns like the Flying Geese, the Hourglass Pillow, or the Arrow Quilt because as you are assembling your quilt you will be cutting sewn pieces, and then sewing them again. Your batting would show in the exposed seams.

If you use Warm and Natural for your middle layer, you must quilt each and every one of your fabric sandwiches. If you don't, the batting will move around and ball up in your quilt when it is washed. One easy way to quilt the sandwiches is to sew an X in the sandwich from point to point. But you can quilt the block using any quilting technique.

Examples of sewing squares together before sewing the quilt together: 

X from corner to corner

Quilting like on a quilt over entire block 

 

Straight line quilting

Flannel Fabric for Rag Quilt Batting

For the middle layers in my quilts, I prefer a coordinating layer of flannel. The flannel will add color to your quilt in the exposed seams, while still adding weight.

Cut the middle layer the same size as the bottom layer. This middle layer works well for the quilt assembly method where pieces are sewn together and then cut to make different shaped blocks. Quilts like Flying Geese, the Hourglass Pillow, or the Arrow Quilt will be perfect for flannel middle layers.

Another reason I prefer flannel for the middle layer is that it keeps the cost of the quilt down. Flannel costs about half as much as Warm and Natural batting.

Below is a quilt I made with black flannel batting, red flannel back, and kids pajamas as the top of the quilt. I loved how it turned out.  It was very warm and snuggly!

 I used the easy peasy rag quilt pattern for the above quilt. It can be found in our rag quilt pattern shop on etsy.

 

Easy Diaper Stacker Sewing Pattern - Rag Quilt Style

I don't know about you, but keeping my nursery tidy and clean after having baby seems nearly impossible.  This Easy Diaper Stacker Sewing Pattern will help you keep your nursery just a little bit cleaner by keeping all your diapers in one place!

Top Stitchers Aztec Print Christmas Dress

I am so excited to share with you my entry for the Top Stitchers Head to Head competition.  Just like last season, it was a little scary, a lot of knots in my tummy, and a lot more apprehension!

  I thought my prompt was all about Christmas…So, a couple Mondays ago, when it started to snow, I knew I was on a limited amount of time to get this baby from fabric to dress.

So after a mad dash to get the pattern printed, taped, cut, I was off the to machine.  Serging away at the dress.  Then, just as I was finishing up the dress, I looked outside and saw that all the snow that had fallen in the last couple of hours, had disappeared and there was no snow in the forecast the rest of the week!

That’s Idaho for you! 

 I have a feeling that if Idaho was a person, they would be bipolar.  Snow and cold one minute, and summer the next.  It is what it is, and I still love and live here…

After being bummed for 2.5 seconds, we dashed into action.  Grabbed a “few” photo props and jumped in the car, in search for some snow.

Off we drove to the nearby-ish hills.  Daylight was quickly leaving.  Finally, near the ski hill that is 30 minutes away from our house, we found a small patch of snow.  It wasn’t much, but it would do.

We set up a few things and started to snag a few pictures, when the DSLR camera decided it was time for a nap.  Unlucky for me, I hadn’t charged the camera.  '

 Silly me….Who needs a camera when they drive clear to the ski hill to get a few photos?

Thankfully, I had a backup phone camera that did the trick while we were there

 {who am I kidding, my phone never leaves my side, unless I misplace it for a few minutes}.

 Poor girl was freezing her hiney off, while I bossed her around.  I think this will be a trip all 3 girls remember for a long time 

{hopefully because it was fun and spur of the moment-not because I’m crazy…}

While there we discovered this beautiful rock wall and little stream, with lots of green all around.  And I’m not joking when I say that I was hoping to encounter any wildlife of any kind while there (I mean bears are really not my cup o’ tea)

Then off to home and to find some hot chocolate.

Now, remember how I told you that if Idaho was a person they would be bipolar.  The person would also be a woman, because Idaho can never make up her mind. 

The week proceeded like usual, until Thursday morning when I realized that it was…..

you guessed it….

SNOWING.

Not snowing a couple of flakes, but REALLY snowing.   

{yep, indecisive}

As soon as the girls got off the bus, Addy was instructed to “get dressed again, we’re going to the hay field behind the house and taking a few more pictures”.

I’m so glad that my 6 year old girl is such a good sport when bribed with hot chocolate.  I packed her through the backyard to the field behind our house and took a few more pictures. 

And that my friends, is how we got to where we are.  

With that all being said, make sure to stop by the Sewing Stadium: Top Stitchers post where I slaughter a remix of The Night Before Christmas Poem.

Also, I would love for you to check out, and give me your score!

A few of the details:

I used the Bluezette Dress Pattern by Love Notions and paired it with Riley Blakes beautiful knit print from their 4 Corners line that Simple Simon and Co created.  

The vest I just cut and cut and sewed until it fit.  I'll have the pattern for you all later on this week...or at least how you can make your own, no matter the size.  

Learning to Sew at a Young Age

I don't remember exactly how old I was when my mom first tried to teach me how to sew.  I am guessing between 8-9.  My mom was homeschooling and thought it would be great to do 4-h sewing.  So we went to town and picked out some 4th of July fabric and a short pattern.

I think my mom had to of been a saint because I remember vividly NOT wanting to sew the shorts.  I would sew a section and then it wouldn't line up right and when I came back later to finish the project they magically lined up!  It must've been too much for my mom to handle.  I am sure I wasn't an easy student.

What Does The Fox Say? Toddler Dress with Fox Quilt Block

I participated in the the Top Stitchers competition this week. It has been so fun! My challenge was to combine 2 different styles (quilting and clothing)

This is what I came up with!

A dress inspired by a Fox Quilt Block

Fox Ears Headband complete with cute little flowers

Zipper Pouch featuring a miniature Fox Quilt Block~Rag Quilt Style

When I first found out about the Top Stitchers Challenge, I thought "This sounds like fun".  Little did I know crazy fun, intimidating, challenging, and fun (did I mention Fun already?).  Once I found out all the guidelines, I started to wonder "what did I get myself into?!?"

Christmas Pajama Marathon

Christmas Pajamas are my favorite.  They are a Christmas Eve Tradition.  Every Christmas Eve we open up 1 gift each person.  They are always pajamas.  My girls have caught on now and know thats what they get and they are so excited!

This year instead of buying those cheap pajamas from Walmart on black friday I decided to make my girls them.  So I took an entire day and made 4 pajama sets for each of my girls and 1 pair for my baby.  

We are jumping for joy! It's pajama day at school! This calls for new pj's. Good thing pajamas are a quick sew. Any ideas for Dr Seuss day tomorrow?!?



A little update.  The Whoville hair that I did for Dr Seuss day can be found HERE

Scallop Seaside Shorts Pattern Review

I had the opportunity test the Seaside Scallop Shorts by Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop over the weekend. 

I was so excited to finally be picked to test one of Amy's patterns.  I have several of them and love Ever Single One of Them! 

This pattern did not disappoint.  (neither did my little girl during our mini photo shoot)  She cracks me up!

So if you would like to buy your own pattern it is on sale for 15% off today for its release.

So head on over and get your pattern today!  

Quick and Easy Girl Twirl Skirts with PDF Download

Let me just start by say that I might just be the only person that LIKES church at 1 pm on Sunday.  It gives me time to do things I wouldn't normally do during the week that I REALLY like to do.

 For example....paint my toes (and all 3 girls).  I don't have the time or the energy during the week to do it, but because I have time to kill Sunday morning, I am able to take a little Me Time.

This Sunday morning was no different as we sat and listened to +KLCE Classy 97 and the Sounds of Sunday.  The girls asked me if I could make them new dresses for church.

Of course I can, but how do you make 3 little girls dresses, in under an hour?

Make them a twirl skirt with a wide elastic waistband.  Super Simple.  Super Quick.  But Most Importantly....Super Cute!

Of course, I was in such a hurry so I didn't take any pictures.  Sorry!

But seriously they are so easy to do that you will be making a million of them in no time.

I made this little infograph with the information for you to make your own.  They seriously are so simple!  If you would rather the PDF version you can go HERE to download it

Aren't my girls just the cutest! Seriously, in love with these 2.

Ruffle Dresses 3 Different Ways

 For St Patrick's day my girls requested that I make matching skirts and dresses.  Of course everyone had a different style in mind.

Ruffle fabric is seriously the easiest fabric to work with.  I think the 2 little girls dresses took me less than 20 minutes each to complete.  The oldest wanted a dress instead so I had to do a little more on hers.  It has sleeves that I totally forgot to take pictures of, but you can see kinda what I did HERE (but I didn't cross them in the back).  I sewed a tube for the body part and then for the sleeves I cut pieces that went from below her collar bone to where I wanted it to hit her on her back.  It was about 8 inches long with the seam allowance.  They were about 6 inches wide.  Then I folded the top of the tube dress over and made a casing for a 1/4 inch elastic.  Threaded the elastic through, then had her put the dress on to see where to pin the sleeves. Then I just top stitched them in place in the same place that I sewed for the casing.  It really was simple...

For the middle daughters dress I used 3 inch elastic and then I did the ruffle going vertical instead of horizontal (same as mine).

For the baby I did the ruffles going horizontal.

And of course my husband and daughters didn't think it appropriate for me to go to church without a matching skirt. But sadly, I didn't think a ruffle tie would look very good with the hubby's suit, lol

 

Pencil and Notebook Case for Child Sewing

I just adore this pattern of the Pencil and Notebook Case.  It was one of the first ones that I had ever written. It is the perfect pattern for a child to learn to sew with a little supervision.

My daughter found my pencil and notebook case pattern that I wrote a couple years ago.  She immediately wanted me to teach her how to make it.

You can purchase the download version HERE or the shipped version HERE

Instead I told her to read the pattern, and let me know where she wanted/needed help. 

This is the finished product.  I just purchased an embroidery machine and we embroidered her name on the front of it.  She was able to sew all the appliqued flowers onto it, we even added a few more onto the back.  She sewed most of it together.  I only topstitched around the outside, and did the pencil spaces.

To say that she is in love is an understatement.  Sorry for the blurry pictures, this was right before church, and the lighting in our house was pitiful...

Fabrics can be found at: