Rag Quilt Seam Allowances
Sew rag quilts together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance before you experiment with wider seams.
Rag Quilt Sandwich Assembly
Rag quilt patterns contain specific assembly instructions, but understanding a few basic concepts will make the process easier. For this example, we'll pretend our quilt is made from 10-inch squares of fabric.
- Position a backing square right side down. Put a flannel or cotton square of the same size on top of it, aligning all sides (if you're using cotton batting, see page 4). Now place a quilt top square on top of the batting, right side up.
Slide a few straight pins through the stack to hold fabrics together.
- Make additional 10-inch square sandwiches until you have enough to assemble the quilt.
- Arrange the stacks in rows as desired.
Sew the Rag Quilt
We'll sew sandwiches together side by side in horizontal rows.
- Gather the first two blocks in the first row. Place them wrong sides together, and note which edges should be connected. Sew along that edge with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.
- Add the next block, again placing wrong sides together. That might sound simple, but it can be difficult to break the right sides together habit.
Sew the blocks in each row together. Attach rows to each other, placing them wrong sides together and matching seam intersections. I've found that frays look more balanced later if you do not press seams to one side before joining rows -- just flip the allowances to each side and match seam lines.
When the quilt is complete, sew a seam around the quilt, 1/2-inch from each side.
