Creations by Kara

Creating a home. . . with a can of spray paint in one hand and a measuring cup in the other.

Baby Rag Quilt Tutorial

| 106 Comments

So, I mentioned last week that we were in the middle of some tough adoption decisions. They continue. We had a birth mother tell us she wanted to place her baby with us. Our case worker called us to confirm it. Then a couple of red flags went up and our case worker told us not to get too excited. So as of right now, we just don't know. But we feel at peace. Our prayers are being answered in small ways every day. We know if this baby is meant to be a part of our family, it will all work out. If not, we know our baby is coming. Sometime. We want to be ready. :)

I know it seems a little crazy, but I find it very therapeutic to work on baby projects. My latest was making a rag quilt. (I think that's what they're called.) Just finished it this weekend. I've always loved them and wondered how they were made. My friend Tracie (who is hopefully picking up her daughter from Korea this week), showed me how. It's really quite simple, but does involve a few steps. I worked up some rag quilt directions for you just in case you have a hankering to make a stinkin' cute baby blanket. :)

rag quilt-tutorialUpdate: I get questions all the time about what fabric to use, so I thought I'd better explain it here.
-Flannel is the best fabric for rag quilts, because it frays the best.
-Cotton also works really well, it just doesn't make seams that are quite as soft and fluffy. -Minky does not fray, so it isn't the best choice for a rag quilt. You can use it on one side, but if you use it on both your seams won't fray, they will just look sloppy. If you do decide to use it on one side, I'd recommend using flannel for the other side.
Hope that helps clear up confusion. :)

Baby Rag Quilt Tutorial

1-The first thing you need to do is pick a pattern for your quilt, then decided the size you want it to be. I cut up a bunch of little 1" squares so I could arrange them in different patterns. I tried a few and liked this one the best:
rag quilt-tutorial
It has 64 squares in it. I decided to cut my squares 5". This will make a quilt that is 32×32". You can use any size of squares that you want and make your quilt any size that you want. For this size, I used 1 1/4 yards of fabric for each side, so a total of 2 1/2 yards.
2-Next you will need to cut out all of your fabric squares. I used my rotary cutter, and I highly recommend that. You can cut them by hand, but it is very hard to get them all straight, so it is harder to sew it together. Refer to your pattern to know how many squares of each fabric you need to cut. (TIP: If you lay your pattern out on a piece of felt, it won't slide around.)
I decided to make the back of my quilt pink, but you could use the same pattern on the back and the front if you like.
rag quilt-tutorial
3-Next you need to cut out your batting. I used warm and natural. It needs to be cut one inch smaller than the fabric squares. I cut my pieces 4 inches. Figured out that math all by myself thank you very much. ;)
rag quilt-tutorial
4-Take your back fabric and place it right side down. Lay the batting on top of it. See how there is a 1/2" border all the way around?
rag quilt-tutorial
Now take a piece of your top fabric and lay it right side up on top of the batting. I just laid it crooked so you could see how all the layers go together.
rag quilt-tutorialMake sure all the edges are even and pin it on two sides.
rag quilt-tutorial
5-Using a straight stitch, sew an x in the middle of the square. Make sure you don't sew all the way to the corners. You want to leave about 1/2" at each corner. Basically you are just sewing over where the batting is. It was hard to see on the dark fabric, so I switched out for my pink fabric. Sorry to confuse you. :)
rag quilt-tutorial
6-After you have completed all of your squares, it is time to start sewing them together. Pay close attention to your pattern so you are sewing them together correctly!
Take one square "sandwich" and lay it right side down. Place another "sandwich" right side up. Again, they are crooked just so you can see what it looks like.
rag quilt-tutorial
Line up all of the edges and pin one side:
rag quilt-tutorial
7-Now sew a straight line down the one side, using a 1/2" seam.
rag quilt-tutorial
When you open it, it will look like this on the front:
rag quilt-tutorialAnd this on the back:

rag quilt-tutorial

8-Keep going till you have finished all of your rows. Here is my first row all done:
rag quilt-tutorial

9- Now it is time to sew your rows together. Yippee!
Take the first row and lay it right side down. Place the second row on top, right side up.

Match up all the seams and pin them together:

rag quilt-tutorialThen place pins in between the seams:
rag quilt-tutorialNow sew down the side, using a 1/2" seam. Sometimes it is a little tricky getting it even. I had to kind of push the top fabric through so that it wouldn't bunch at the seams.

When you are done, pull out all the pins and open it up. It should look like this:
rag quilt-tutorial
10-Keep adding rows and sewing them together. You can start to see the design take shape. Woohoo!
rag quilt-tutorialKeep pinning and sewing until you have them all sewn together.

11-When you are done, you will need to sew around the edge of the quilt. Sew a straight stitch all the way around the edge, using a 1/2" seam.
rag quilt-tutorial12-Now it's time to clip those seams! Put in a movie, because this part takes awhile. ;) You will need really sharp scissors. Just go around the entire quilt, clipping every seam. You want to get close to the thread, but MAKE SURE YOU DON'T CUT IT!

It should look something like this:
rag quilt-tutorial13-Clip off all of the loose threads on the back and front of the quilt.

We are getting soooo close:

rag quilt-tutorial14-Your rag quilt looks pretty great at this point, but to really fluff up those seams, you need to wash and dry it. I did mine in cold water on the permanent press cycle, then dried it on high heat. When it comes out, voila:

rag quilt-tutorialNice and fluffy. Isn't that the cutest little rag quilt ever! Looove it!
If you decide to make one and have any questions, just let me know.

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106 Comments

  1. I've been googling instructions for rag quilts and found this post that way. I was so interested to see that you are trying to adopt. I'm the adoptive mother of two (both domestically through LDSFS) and we are in the process of getting approved to adopt a little boy from Korea. I haven't read your whole blog, so I don't know what is new with your adoption situation since this post was written. But I did want to share some words that I read from a birthmother recently. She reminded mom like you and me to remember that we are not waiting for a child. We are waiting for OUR child. Through the experiences I had surrounding our first two adoptions, I KNOW those words are true. And they give me hope when I need to be reminded now and then. Good luck!

    Oh, and by the way, I've looked at a lot of rag quilt tutorials, and yours is definitely my favorite. I emailed the link to my sister, who wants to make one for her daughter. Have you ever made a rag quilt with a fabric other than flannel? I think I may have more fabrics to choose from if I do cotton, but I'm not sure how well it will fray. I'd love any advice you might have.

    Becca

    • Thanks so much Becca, I always love getting comments from other mom's who have adopted. It is so comforting and gives me hope. :)
      I haven't done a rag quilt with anything other than flannel, but I have a friend who did flannel on one side, cotton on the other. It didn't fray as much, but it is still totally cute!

  2. Fun! One thing I've seen from being the sewing education field for years is putting a third fabric layer hidden inside, so it will only show in the seams – adds some fun color and surprise.

    *smiles*

  3. Another way to "fluff" the seams, is to take a comb and go against the grain with it before you wash it. It catches a lot of the little threads and gives it that "raggy" look very quickly. This method works with cotton and flannel; and saves your lint trap in the dryer. :)

  4. I'm making one of these quilts now with cotton. I'll let you know how it turns out. I'm new to sewing but thought this would be fun. My sister is having the first baby of our family so I wanted to make something special for him. I'm so glad my friend showed this to me. I love all your ideas!

  5. I finished my rag quilt this past weekend! Yay for me! It turned out pretty great, if I must say. But maybe it's where I used cotton instead of flannel, it's a little stiff feeling…? Should I wash it more, already washed it twice…?

  6. How many yards of fabric do you recommend and which kind? Any thoughts about using minky?

    • I recommend starting with at least 1 1/4 yards of fabric for both sides, so a total of 2 1/2 yards. Flannel works the best. You can use minky for the back, but it doesn't fray very well. You'll have to wash it a few times before it stops shedding along the seams. Hope that helps. ;)

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    • That is awesome Danielle! I checked it out and it turned out adorable. Love the pattern you came up with! Thanks for sharing. :)

  8. outstanding post! great advice, will take on board!

  9. I just wanted to let you know that I used your idea on my blog. Thank you for the tutorial – http://spartasavings.blogspot.com/2010/08/baby-nesting-project-3-rag-baby-quilt.html.

  10. My quilt was a hit at my sisters shower and I have orders for more. I'm having a hard time figuring out pricing…any ideas how to figure pricing??

    • That is always the hardest part for me. Usually I check sites like Etsy to see what others are charging just to get a ballpark. It also depends on the material you are using, some fabric is much more expensive than others. Rag quilts take a lot of time, so you want to make sure and charge enough to make it worth your time. Good luck!! :)

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  12. Anyone ever make one of these for a big people? Would it OD my washer and dryer with lint? I love this! I envision making a jacket like this too… my mind is going on and on with the possibilities.
    Glad you shared, glad I found you! Thanks!
    Lynda

    • You can totally make one in a larger size. Just empty the dryer lint screen a couple times while drying it for the first time.

    • I have made an adult rag quilt out of my daughters old cheer tshirts…turned out great and just used a flannel sheet in the middle for the batting. I cant believe how heavy and warm it is.

    • Rag quilts for adults are commonly made with denim on one side and flannel on the other–no batting needed! The denim frays beautifully and makes a warm, heavy, hard-wearing quilt good for watching tv or taking to the ballgame. Use new denim, or recycle the good parts of old jeans.

  13. Thanks a million for sharing this! I absolutely love it. I'm new to sewing on a machine. I am definitely going to attempt to make one for my niece whom practically lives with me. I'm really happy I found your blog. Thanks again!!

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  15. Thank you for your blog. I went out and bought way too much fabric yesterday before reading the total amount you used! I am making two blankets for a friend's twins (hopefully the blankets will turn out) and I hope to update you when they're finished. Terrific site, I hope that all is going well with your adoption processes. It is a long haul, I have friends on a waiting list for an adoption.

    Praying that God blesses your home and family!

  16. Thanks so much for the tutorial, l stumbled on your site while looking for sizes to make my grandbaby one for xmas this year. I absolutely love the colors you used, browns and pink are 2 of my favorite. I'll let you know how mine turns out, l'm using a rich purple and soft yellow plus some white pattern flannel.

  17. Thanks you so much for this tutorial! It was super easy to follow and every step was covered. Perfect for beginner seamstresses like me! I have my project all sewn and ready to cut the edges; I can't wait to see what it looks like all finished and washed! Seriously, thank you! I am pretty new to sewing, and your thorough yet simple tutorial gave me the confidence to try a rag project. Now that I've done it and it was easy and it turned out well I'm even more confident to try new things! I'll definitely be doing more rag stuff in the future :)

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  19. new folloer..

    love this..can't wait to try it
    :)

    also can u use any fabric?

  20. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it!!!!!
    Thanks for sharing!

  21. Kara, thank you for sharing this "step by step" tutorial! I am new to quilting and this is the very BEST rag quilt tutorial I have seen after about twenty in one night. I wonder, if I use minky should I was the fabric first and after? What if I mix it with cotton or flannel? Should I was them both first?

    Thanks again :)

  22. I meant to spell WASH. Should I wash the fabric first. SORRY.

    • I helped my cousin make a rag quilt with flannel on the front and minky on the back. We washed the flannel first, but not the minky, because it doesn't shrink.
      I don't recommend using minky on both sides. It doesn't fray, so the seams just end up looking sloppy. Flannel works much better for a rag quilt! :)

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  24. I have had fabric for a rag quilt for over ten years but it has sat in the drawer because I never really understood how to make it. Now I understand- thanks to your tutorial!

  25. Hey I left a comment about a month ago saying THANK YOU for this AWESOME tutorial! Here's what I made:
    http://www.pinkpineappleprojects.com/2011/01/rag-quilt-christmas-stocking.html

  26. Hi Kara,

    I love your blog – I'm going to stalk you, for sure. I discovered it while searching for a tutorial on rag quilts. Yours is the clearest, most easily understandable I have found. You did a great job explaining each step for us quilting newbies, and your pictures are top notch.

    I do have a question for you. I'm at the clipping stage and I am a little confused about the best way to clip the corners so I don't end up taking a chunk out of the fabric and making the finished quilt look a bit wonky in the process. Do you have any pointers for me?

    Any help you can give me would be SO appreciated!

    Thanks,
    Mary

  27. I love thus idea. I work at a daycare and one of my mom's made this following your instructions! So I am going to try my hand at it. Wish me luck! Ps. I hope you get your child! My husband and I have two children and always wanted three but I have terrible pregnancies and the doctors told me both times that I should not get pregnant again because I will surely die. We decided that we were not going to press our luck again. but we have decided to look into being foster parents and if God gives us the oppertunity to keep one of those children than that's what we'll do. Good luck and I'll be praying for you!

  28. Thanks for the great instructions! The photos really help allot. I have a new grandbaby coming soon so this tutorial is perfect for me! Ill keep my fingers crossed for you and your new baby.
    Thank You Again
    Fran

  29. This is beautiful! Thank you so much for posting! I have never made a quilt before, and am having a son in June. I just got a really great deal on some Debbie Mumm fabric at Jo-Ann's, without any plans what to do with it. Just couldn't pass up the deal. It's gonna make a GREAT rag quilt! Can't wait to get started. Your instructions are very clear, thanks again!

  30. I love this! What a great batting-stash-buster quilt.

    Thanks for sharing!

  31. I was just wondering if you had to do the "x" mark in the middle or if you could do a circle or something besides an "x"?

    Thanks, Sheila!

    • I think a circle would work as long as it was pretty large. You just want to make sure the pieces of fabric are attached well enough that they can't slide around. Let me know if you try it, I'd love to see the result!

  32. I am going to start cutting my fabric Monday and I will def let you know how it comes out. Thanks for replying back to me!

  33. Thanks for this great tutorial! This is one with pictures all the way through and I really appreciate it!

    My question is this: I want to make a double sided rag quilt, with pattern on front and back. Do you think that I should split my seams so they are front and back, or will that make them not frilly/frayed enough? I could do one side without frays like your sample, but I want it to be clear that it was meant to be like that, and that I wasn't just being sloppy and didn't want to finish my ends on one side.

    Thoughts?

    • I also am trying to find easy directions to do this. Instead of doing one layer in the middle, I want to do two at the same size of the top/bottom so there will be 4 pieces of fabric. Is there an easy way to make a two sided rag without having to make one top layer of two and one bottom layer of two and quilting them together afterwards?
      Anywebsites that show ideas?

  34. I found your tutorial while reading someone else's blog. It's fantastic. I can't wait to try it out. I do have one question. How do you think fleece would work? Thanks again!

  35. Hello! I also love this site of yours. Looking for a rag quilt pattern, and how to's is not an easy task. You did a great job with this tho! My question to you is this: If I want to use 5 different types of fabric, using the same fabric for front and back, how much of each fabric do you think I need if Im doing 8 inch squares and wanna do like 5 squares by 8 sqaures? This is my first quilt so I am all new to this. THANKS :)

  36. I have looked at so many tutorials on rag quilts, and so far yours has been the easiest one to understand. I am looking forward to making my first rag quilt for a sweet friend of mine who is having a baby this summer. Thanks for posting this tutorial!

  37. I love your tutorial. I am new to all this quilting stuff but your directions are quite clear – can't wait to try it.

  38. i just stumbled onto this tonight. i was looking for a new baby blanket to make and this looks awesome and wait to try it!

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  40. Very well done tutorial and a beautiful resulting quilt. I especially like your tip about cutting 1 inch squares to get your design layout. I can't wait to try this myself. :)

  41. If I wanted the entire back of the quilt to be one big piece of Minky, what would I need to do differently?

  42. I just had a granddaughter born on August 14, and by August 19 i had a finished rag quilt thanks to your tutorial! I didn't have a single question! Worked perfectly! Thanks! This won't be my last!

  43. I am having a lot of problems with the flannel shifting when I sew the X on it so then it ends up looking uneven. I love this idea. Any advice you could give would be welcome. I really want to make for my pregnant sister but I'm worried it is gonna turn out sloppy looking.

  44. How much of each color did you buy?

  45. My friend has made a few of these for babies and she doesn't bother to put the batting inside — just the 2 layers of flannel. Maybe because we live in a warm climate!
    I'm getting ready to make one myself for a baby due in Feb.
    Having a hard time finding the snubbed nose spring loaded scissors my friend has :(

  46. i am having a hard time figuring how much of each material to get.
    I'm using 5 inch squares. 72 sqs total. (9×8) 4 diff fabrics
    10 squares of fabric 1
    26 sq fabric 2
    22 sq fabric 3
    14 sq fabric 4
    can you help me with this?

    • Oh sheesh. Math is my very worst subject! I am so bad at figuring things out I usually just buy extra of everything so I know I'll have enough. LOL!
      To be honest, I sometimes ask the ladies at the fabric store to help me figure out how much I need. They are much better at it than I am. Sorry I'm not much help to you.

  47. Thanks so much for your step by step directions, it was my first ever quilt and it turned out AWESOME!!!!

  48. Two questions please…….Is it necessary to back tack on the cross stitching of each block? A note from and earlier experience…I made a rag denim (no stretch jean fabric) and flannel quilt some time ago. My dryer handled the lint but my washing machine did not….cost $100.00 for repair man to come out and clean out pump/filter!!! Any ideas how to prevent this problem?

    • Hi Sylvia,
      It's probably not necessary to back tack on the "x's" but I like to do it just to be safe.
      I've never heard of a rag quilt damaging a washing machine before. How awful! I wonder if it was just because the denim is so heavy? I know a few people have told me that they use a comb to "rag" the edges of their quilts. Maybe that would help remove some of the lint ahead of time. Good luck!
      Kara

  49. This tutorial was amazing! Got me through my first quilt :) Thank you so much!!! I am so grateful for the detailed instructions. I linked back to you in my post about it twice!

    Priscila @ jensennp.blogspot.com

  50. Your instructions are amazingly helpful!! Thanks so much!

  51. This tutorial is awesome! I have just recently started sewing/quilting and have wanted to do a rag quilt. The books I have are a bit confusing, so I was really happy to google your site. I made a Christmas rag quilted wall hanging, and I have to say it turned out pretty nice!

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  53. My hubby and I are expecting our suprise blessing #3 in Feb. and we are finally moving our 5 year old out of her toddler bed (She is VERY tiny for her age). She wanted to make her own "big girl bed" blanket… I am going to help her make this! I am so excited about it- she is too! We are hitting Hancock Fabrics today for their great black Friday sale. :) I am so glad I found your tutorial- it has been a while since I made one and I was struggling with fabric amounts. I was about to WAY overbuy fabric!

  54. LOL! I did overbuy at a black friday sale today, I want to make larger (twin size-ish) for my three grown sons for christmas. Then they can use them whenever… my question is this, I bought several solid colors of flannel, the reds and blues and dark browns have me worried…should I wash them first?? I'm worried about the colors running, or can I just add vinegar to the water when I wash the first time??

    Also, I want to use a layer of flannel instead of batting, do I still have to pre-quilt/tack it if I cut them all the same size and the middle layer will be sewn and be part of the fluffiness? I'm thinking of using 10" squares…

    Thanks for your help and great tutorial!

    Dee

    • I almost always wash my fabric ahead of time with any sewing project. It helps prevent colors bleeding, and drying the fabric in the dryer ahead of time prevents weird shrinkage in the final project.
      If it were me, I'd still sew the three pieces of fabric together with an "x". It will make it much easier to sew them together, especially since you are using larger squares. It's always frustrating when I'm trying to sew through multiple layers and they slip around. But of course, it is totally up to you. ;)
      Kara

  55. Kara thank you SO very much for this tutorial. My husband's grandmother has always made quilts for other people….and the other day I'd asked her if she knew how to make one of these….she tells me "Oh sure, you just cut up the scraps or clothes you like and make a pattern and sew them together!"…she thought I meant literal rags! So I'm pretty sure I'll be making one of these for her for a Christmas gift…after all, what do you make for the woman who can make anything? Something she doesn't know how to make of course! Thank you so much again!

  56. Hi Kara!

    Thank you for the lovely tutorial. I just finished cutting fabric for a Green Bay Packers quilt for my mother and father in law, and you taking me through it step by step has helped SO much!

    I have been told that it is generally a good idea to take your rag quilt to the laundromat so you don't ruin your washing machine or gum up the works in your plumbing, so I think I won't even risk washing in my own washer!

    I will definitely post pictures when I'm done :)

  57. Kara,
    Awesome tutorial! Thank you!

    I have a question…wanted to make one of these for a male and used denim mixed with some masculine cotton prints…do u think they will work ok together, or do the fabrics have to be similar weight? of course the denim is heavy and the cotton isn't….he'd rather have the 'heavy' feel of a blanket than the softness…just wondering how to do it best.

    I will be praying for your baby to find you soon :-)

    Thanks for such an easy tutorial!

  58. I love this!! I have seen several tutorials on this, but yours is the best one I have seen. I have both a 14 yr old girl and 8 yr old boy. This would not only be a great idea for a baby, but also a loving quilt for my kiddos'. What would you say would be a good yardage for a twin and full size bed. Yes, more time, but more love too.
    -Thanks

    • Thanks so much Aimee! Sewing I can do. Figuring out anything math related? Not so much. I usually just go to the fabric store and have the ladies there help me figure out how much I need. They are way better at it than I am! :)
      Kara

  59. I'm curious as to about how long this took to make? I'm thinking of making a twin-size, so I know it will take longer, but just trying to get an idea. (anyone who has made one can feel free to "weigh in". I would consider myself to have amateur sewing skills, but I can thread the sewing machine :) and sew stitches good enough for me! I think that once you get going, this is a fairly simple process….thoughts??? Should I even begin to attempt this (I am 7 months pregnant and work part-time…) am I crazy to think I could get this done and done half-way decently???

    • I made one of these in about 3 days. I probably would have had it done in 2 but I have a baby and the third day was mainly just cutting and washing/drying :) Hope that helps!

    • Haha! Kids really do have a way of making craft projects last longer, don't they? Three days is still really quick for a quilt though; that's why I love this method so much!

    • Yes, you should be able to get it finished. Another reader said it took her three days. Obviously a twin size will take longer, but you should still be able to get one done fairly quickly. Good luck!

  60. I was wondering when making this if its possible on the back to have just solid fabric without the squares?? how would I do that? any ideas….

    • For this method you sew the back and front together before piecing it together, so you can't have a solid piece of fabric on the back. You can do stripes instead of squares though, I've see a few of those online.

  61. Just found your instructions on making a rag quilt. I have been wanting to make one for my granddaughter but could not find clear instructions that compare to yours. Thank you!

  62. I made a dinasaur rag quilt from a Simplicity pattern. I used flannel but it pilled up so bad. How can I tell if the material I select will pill up or not? It really ruined it for me, although the dino turned out cute. I never gave it away :(
    Thoughts? HELP
    Thanks!

  63. I love your tutorial on making the rag quilt. I have been looking at several sets of directions and love the up close pictures you have with yours. It makes it so much easier to get a good idea of what to do. Also, I am an adoptive Mother. However, my situation is a little different. My hubby and I did an adult adoption of our youngest daughter. She had been in the foster care system, was adopted at age 12, but mistreated terribly. She was one of my hubby's ROTC students and that's how we found her. She has been a blessing in our lives and hopefully we have been the same for her.

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  65. I'm working on one of these right now for my daughter to take to college with her. It is denim on one side and flannel on the other. I'm not adding layer of batting, it is already heavy enough, and I'm not sewing the squares together in an X and it is turning out great. Because it is so heavy (X-long Twin), I'll be taking it to the laundromat to wash and dry. I read somewhere that if you clip the edges at a 45 degree angle that they fray better. I think I'll try it on some sample squares before I clip the entire quilt. I also read that you want to use 100% cotton for both front and back as polyester blends will not fray.

    • If you're not using batting, then you don't need to sew the "x", you are right! I've never heard of clipping at an angle. Let me know how it works.
      And yes, cotton is definitely best for good fraying results!

  66. Hi Kara,
    I'm so happy to have found your tutorial! I've been curious about how to make a rag quilt ever since I saw one in a specialty shop last fall. I was surprised at how simple it is to make (excellent step-by-step instructions). I split out the work over three days and spent about 3 hours each day to make the crib-size baby quilt. I bought the fabric and cut all of the squares on Saturday, sewed on Sunday and snipped, washed and dried on Monday. My kids helped me "make the sandwiches" and sew the x's. It was a real team effort!

  67. Kara,
    I don't have any experience with machine-sewing through batting. I pinned my first sandwich with four pins, but when I sewed through it, all the layers ended up out of line with each other. I understand that a small amount of mis-allignment wouldn't matter that much, but it was crooked by about 3/4 of an inch! Do you have any suggestions?

    Thanks,
    Vicki

    • Vicki, are you using the thin warm and natural batting? It doesn't shift as bad as the thicker stuff. Either way, if it is shifting that much, use more pins. At least two per side should hold it in place. Good luck!!

  68. I found your instructions through a Google search then I pinned this tutorial on Pinterest! You have great photos and instructions. I have all my strips sewed, but I haven't braved sewing strips to each other–I went and bought longer quilting pins in the hope that they will help with shifting. Thanks for sharing!

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  70. Hi! I would love to make this for my nephew, would should be here in about 5 1/2 weeks. My question is, are you using a sewing machine, and if so what setting? If not, how are you doing it?

  71. Hi Kara – I'm expecting my first great grand baby in July and want to do something special. I found your instructions and can't wait to get started – this will be perfect! But, I'm a little confused about cutting the flannel 1/2" smaller than the fabric squares and then sewing a 1/2" seam. Is there a problem with making sure the flannel is "captured" when sewing the squares together? I can't wait to give this a try! God Bless your efforts to adopt.

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