Quick Cheater Baby Rag Quilt Tutorial

Quick Cheater Baby Rag Quilt Tutorial

I have to be honest I have always been a bit intimidated by a rag quilt. Which is why I have never actually made one! I came up with this tutorial so that I could continue my streak of never making one! This is NOT a tutorial for a traditional rag quilt. This is a quick cheater version that uses a layer cake and a quick and easy method to throw together a quick baby quilt! Scroll to the bottom for a video walkthrough. Here is a quick cheater baby rag quilt tutorial.

This is just one of my 50+ easiest sewing tutorials. Check out the rest HERE.

Quick Cheater Baby Rag Quilt Tutorial

Supplies:

Moda Layer Cake (pictured is Just Another Walk in the Woods) – These layer cakes are fantastic for this project so that you don’t have to do ANY cutting and the sheared edge keeps the fabric from fraying. These two things help to make this project come together very very quickly.

Thermoweb Fusible Fleece (2 packages)

Aurifil Thread – I love the smooth silky feel of this thread. I love using a contrasting color so that it really shows off the thread in my quilt. You spend money on your thread so why not use a fun color to show it off?

Instructions:

You can plan your fabric ahead of time if you are so inclined. I went with a totally random pattern and just grabbed  different pieces. Start with two squares from your layer cake. Place them wrong sides together and sew along one edge. This is opposite of how you normally sew. We want to see the seam and the raw edge. This is planned and the finished quilt will have all the seams showing (stop now if that doesn’t interest you!)

Repeat this step 4 times (you will have four sets of pairs.) I used random prints but I tried to get one of each from the line onto each side of the quilt.

Now add one more square to each row. This will leave you with 4 rows of 3 squares. Then sew the 4 rows together in the same manner. Lining them up wrong sides together and sewing on the outside with your contrasting thread.

Repeat this entire process one more time to create the back of the quilt. Next grab your fusible fleece. Can we talk for just a second about how much I adore this fusible fleece from Thermoweb? It comes in small batches which is great for your small projects so I am not left with a ton of excess small bits of batting. It is iron on which I find so helpful! I use this fleece in TONS of projects because I love it so much!

You will use one entire pack of fusible fleece and then 8-10 inches of the length of a second pack. Carefully line up the fleece on the wrong side of the bottom/back of the quilt. Place the fleece about 1/2″ inside the exterior of the quilt (you don’t want any of the fleece to hang out so we are leaving a lip so make sure the fleece is enclosed all the way around.)  Then add the top of the quilt and iron the fleece in place.

The last step is to sew around the perimeter of the blanket using a zig zag stitch. The zig zag stitch will catch the edge of the fleece and secure it in place. You could use another decorative stitch if your machine has one and you want an additional fun touch.

I did not quilt on the inside of the blanket but you could add some fun yarn ties if you are so inclined. You could also add some appliqués to add a touch of personalization. There are a lot of fun customization options including embroidery, iron on vinyl, appliqués, and more!

Be sure to trim all your excess threads since they are visible on the front and not hidden like most quilts. That is it! A finished quilt. The edge shouldn’t do too much fraying since it has been left with the sheared edge in tact!

Isn’t it pretty?? I just adore this Moda fabric. The hand is so soft and it will be great for a little one. This would make such a special personalized gift.

Will you try a quick cheater rag quilt? Have you made a traditional rag quilt, how does this compare? Share with me in the comments below. For another fun baby blanket check out my 15 Minute Baby Blanket.