A rag quilt actually isn’t made of rags at all, it’s made of flannel. These quilts unlike most quilts do not have any batting for insulation. The Rag Quilts are made of 2 layers of flannel. It is called a Rag Quilt because once the pieces are sewn together, all of the seams are then cut or clipped about every 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Every seam is clipped this way and when the quilt is finished being clipped it is shaken and washed and dried several times. This causes the flannel to fray. Under most circumstances fraying is not desired, however with a rag quilt that is exactly what is wanted . This gives a fluffy, soft feel and appearance to the quilt.
Some of these quilts are made with solid colors and others with prints or plaids. When two different colors are sewn together and cut, after the washing and drying the colors of the flannel look like they are woven together. They also can be made in the shape of a square or rectangle and in all different sizes from a baby quilt to a king size quilt. The squares or rectangles can give the quilt a really different look. They can also be made in the shape of a square on it’s edge or on point. You can see the attached pictures for some of the variations there are to a rag quilt.
Why are rag quilts made of flannel only, you might wonder. Well, all fabric frays however the amount that it frays depends on the type of fabric. Flannel is used so that the cut fibers fuzz up to the sewn stitches. Other fabrics can fray into strings while even others just come apart. Flannel is the best fabric to make a rag quilt!
Be aware that when drying a rag quilt for the first time or two you will need to clean the lint catcher several times before it is dry as the flannel makes a lot of lint. I’m sure you don’t want to catch your dryer on fire.
If you have any questions about a Rag Quilt, please email me @ tomlinsondonna59@gmail.com
Have a great day!
Embroidery and Creations by Donna 