WTC Quiltstitched with care since 2001

Free pattern: flannel rag quilt

A rag quilt is the most forgiving quilt you can make. Each square is its own little quilt sandwich, the seams are sewn on the front on purpose, and after you clip them and run the quilt through the wash, they fray into soft, fluffy ridges. There's no binding to sew and no separate quilting step, and slightly uneven seams disappear in the fluff.

A flannel rag quilt of gray, blue plaid and cream squares with fluffy frayed seams between every square
Rag quilt layout: 30 flannel blocks in grays, blues and creams, 5 across and 6 down
Baby size: 30 blocks, 5 across and 6 down. The fluffy seams form a grid between every block.

How it works

Each block is a front square and a back square of flannel with a smaller square of batting between them. You quilt an X through each block, sew the blocks together with the seam allowances on the front, snip those allowances every ¼ to ½ inch, and wash. Flannel frays beautifully; quilting cotton frays less and looks thinner.

Sizes and materials

Squares are cut at 8 inches and sewn with ½-inch seams, so each block is 7 inches in the finished quilt, plus a ragged edge all the way around.

BabyThrow
Layout5 × 6 blocks7 × 9 blocks
Finished size, about36 × 43 in50 × 64 in
Blocks3063
Flannel for fronts1⅝ yd total (from several prints)3¼ yd total
Flannel for backs1⅝ yd3¼ yd
Cotton batting, 6-in squaresCrib size (45 × 60 in) covers itTwin size (72 × 90 in) covers it

Flannel shrinks more than quilting cotton and the usable width after washing is often under 40 inches. These amounts allow for five 8-inch squares per strip across the width; prewash the flannel first so the squares don't shrink unevenly later.

Cutting

  • Fronts: cut 8-inch strips and subcut 8-inch squares (30 for baby, 63 for throw). Mix several prints and solids.
  • Backs: the same number of 8-inch squares. One fabric for the whole back looks tidy; the backs show only on the reverse.
  • Batting: cut 6-inch squares, one per block. Keeping the batting out of the seam allowances is what lets the seams fray and lie flat.

Make the blocks

  1. Stack a back square (right side down), a batting square centered on it, then a front square (right side up).
  2. Sew an X from corner to corner through all three layers. A walking foot keeps the layers from shifting, but a regular foot works if you pin.
  3. Make all the blocks before you start joining.

Join the blocks

  1. Place two blocks back sides together, so the seam allowance ends up on the front of the quilt. This is the opposite of normal quilting.
  2. Sew with a ½-inch seam. Sew the blocks into rows, then sew the rows together, again back to back.
  3. At the intersections, open the seam allowances of the rows in opposite directions so the crossing seams lie flatter.
  4. Sew all the way around the outside edge, ½ inch in from the edge. That line holds the edge together and gives it a ragged border to match.

Clip and wash

Snip every seam allowance, including the outer edge, every ¼ to ½ inch, cutting almost to the stitching line but never through it. On a throw that's a few thousand snips; spring-loaded rag-quilt snips save your hand, and many quilters do it over a few evenings in front of the TV.

Wash the quilt on a regular cycle and dry it in the dryer. Check and empty the dryer's lint trap partway through; a new rag quilt sheds a lot of lint in its first wash and dry. A second wash makes it fluffier still.

Variations

  • Use 6-inch squares (5-inch finished) for a busier look, or 10-inch squares (9-inch finished) to finish faster.
  • Make every front square from an old flannel shirt for a memory quilt. See memory quilts from clothes.
  • Use minky or cotton for the backs; the fronts still need to be flannel or homespun so the seams fray.

More free patterns: see them all. This pattern is free for personal and charity use. Please don't sell the pattern itself.

You might also like