Hey everyone. Today you will learn to make a cozy rag quilt with Grey Flannel wool appliqué on top.
Here we go.
Meet the fabric first
This is the LN04 - Grey Flannel Merino Wool Fabric, from WonderFil USA.
It is part of Sue Spargo's mill-dyed colors, 60 colors in all. This one is Grey Flannel, a classic grey.
The fabric is 100% Superior Grade Virgin Australian Merino Wool. It is proficiently woven and richly dyed. It is raised to a perfect hand.
It feels soft and luxuriously felted, designed for ease of stitch penetration. Your needle glides through without a fight.
The color boasts an even and saturated dye. It also possesses unparalleled colorfastness.
Now the real numbers. This size is a Fat 1/8. It measures 18 inches by 14 inches. It is cut from a true 36-inch yard.
The listed usages include wool appliqué, rug hooking, quilts, apparel, crafts, and more. We are using it for wool appliqué.
A matching Ellana 28wt 50/50 wool/acrylic appliqué thread is available separately. Use it, or use what you have. Completely up to you.
The project: a Grey Flannel rag quilt
A rag quilt is a soft, textured lap quilt. You sew squares with seams facing out, clip them, and after washing they bloom into fringe.
Our quilt finishes about 35 inches by 49 inches — a sweet lap size.
One Fat 1/8 will not make a whole top. That is just fine, folks. Flannel squares do the heavy work. The wool becomes the pretty detail.
Why does it suit a rag quilt? Wool appliqué does not fray like cotton, so motifs stay clean. Flannel seams do the ragging. You get soft fringe and neat shapes together.
And y'all, your shapes do not have to be perfect. Real leaves never match anyway. You are your own worst critic. Take your time. This is not a race.
Materials list
- 1 piece of LN04 - Grey Flannel Merino Wool Fabric — Fat 1/8, 18 inches by 14 inches
- 18 flannel fat quarters, or about 5 yards of flannel in total, split between front and back
- 35 batting squares cut at 7 inches, or an extra flannel layer
- Optional matching Ellana 28wt 50/50 wool/acrylic appliqué thread, available separately
- All-purpose sewing thread for construction
- Freezer paper, a fine marker, and sharp small scissors
- Spring-loaded rag scissors, hand-sewing needles, pins, a ruler, and a rotary cutter
Brief steps
1. Cut the flannel squares. Cut 35 front squares at 8 inches square. Cut 35 back squares at 8 inches too. Cut batting at 7 inches, so it stays out of the seams.
2. Cut the wool shapes. Trace circles about 2 1/2 inches across onto freezer paper, plus simple leaves or hearts. Press paper lightly to the wool and cut 18 to 20 shapes. Cut slowly, or points get ragged.
3. Stitch the appliqué. Center one wool shape on about half the front squares. Blanket stitch each shape by hand. Aim for stitches about 1/4 inch apart and 1/4 inch deep. Keep thread snug, not tight. Slow down on curves, or the edge puckers.
4. Make the sandwiches. Layer one back square wrong side up. Add one batting square in the center. Add one front square right side up. Pin, then sew an X corner to corner through all layers.
5. Join the squares. Lay out 5 squares across and 7 rows down. Sew squares together with a 1/2-inch seam. Keep all seam allowances facing the front. That front side is your rag side.
6. Finish the edge. Sew a 1/2-inch seam all around the outside edge. Go around twice if you like it extra sturdy. Just like that, the top is built.
7. Clip the seams. Clip every exposed seam about every 1/4 inch. Clip close to the stitching, but never through it. Slow down here, folks. I once clipped through a seam myself. The fix was simple — stitch that spot again — but patience saves the redo.
8. Wash and bloom. Wash gentle and dry in the dryer. Shake it outside first. Clean the lint trap partway through.
Practical tips
Save every wool scrap. Tiny circles make flower centers later. We're not reinventing the wheel here.
Test your blanket stitch on a scrap first. Wool forgives a lot, but a test tells the truth.
Want more texture? Add shapes to every square. Want it calmer? Use a few down the middle. My preference is every other square, but it is completely up to you.
If I can do this, y'all can do it. Super duper cozy, and really really fun to clip.
Thanks so much for stitching along with me today. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the LN04 - Grey Flannel Merino Wool Fabric at Linda's Electric Quilters.
