I followed this tutorial by Lo Ray Minky and went to town. For the letters I printed out the name in a very large font, outlined and then cut them out and used them as a pattern to cut the fabric. I did not hem the letters…I'd have missed the baby shower deadline if I did. I just simply sewed them on with my trusty Elna. They will rag a little over time, but I made sure they are secure.
The fabrics came from Joanne's and the backing is minky and it was a cinch to sew, although I did have to clean out my sewing machine afterwards. If you are wondering how to clean your machine, this blog post I found will give you some great direction. I also keep some cotton swabs next to my machine. I find they pick up the lint quite well.
If you haven't done a rag quilt, pace yourself. Although they are super easy, they are also are very time consuming and can be tedious. Although in the middle of all that quilting I felt like quitting the rage, oh, I mean rag quilt, I personally feel the results are worth all the snipping!
Here's a few tips for rag quilts:
1. go ahead and get the spring loaded rag quilt scissors. You will need the extra sharpness to cut through all the layers of your exposed seams. Plus the spring action will help with hand soreness.
2. The smaller the cuts on the seam allowance the fuzzier your ragging will turn out, but try your best to be consistent.
3. When you are done with the cutting, take your quilt outside and shake it….a lot. In every direction. And then shake it again. This helps to reduce the amount of little loose threads in your washing machine.
4. Wash (I recommend using a quick cycle the first time) and use fabric softener.
5. Before putting it in the dryer, take it outside and shake it again. Also clean out your washer's drum-there will be clumps of little loose threads in there.
5. Dry. And then shake it outside again. And clean your dryer lint catcher.
Have fun making your rag quilt!
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