All Things Transcription

My fondest memory of staying with my grandmother is her quilts. The feeling of lying under these quilts as a little girl is one of being weighted down to the bed by a soft yet incredibly heavy weight. What a cozy and safe feeling it was. All of the quilts were made of scraps that told a story. Old dresses and shirts recycled to make a beautiful pattern always fascinated me. By the time I was old enough to learn this art, my grandmother no longer quilted, so she could not teach me this skill.

Follow up:

I still do not know how to quilt in the traditional fashion. However, I recently started a project that satisfies this urge and is really easy to do. I got the idea to do this from a colleague who created one for a baby shower for another coworker. It is rag quilting. A rag quilt is a simple form of quilting that requires only basic sewing skills. If you can sew a straight seam on a machine, you can make one of these soft wonderful quilts.

These quilts are made with 100% cotton flannel. No other fabric will do as well. This is because it “rags” better. You want the fabric to ravel or "rag" when you wash it. The quilt becomes softer and easier to love each time you wash it. I cannot think of anyone of any age who wouldn’t enjoy one of these quilts for just this reason. They can be made in any size, from a baby quilt to a king size quilt for an adult. There is a very large selection of patterns available in flannel to suit any taste.

This craft allows you to be as creative as you want to be. Most people just use the same size square. However, it would be entirely possible to create a wide range of designs using this technique by the number of fabrics you choose to use and the shape of the “squares” themselves. They don’t really have to be square. Just think outside the box; no pun intended. I would imagine that even traditional quilt patterns could be used. This website has some nice examples. I especially like the one she made for her friend's baby girl.

Rag quilts can be very economical to make. Cotton flannel can be found in a variety of price ranges; usually about 3 dollars a yard. At this price I can make a 36" x 42" baby rag quilt for about $15. Not too bad for an original creation made with love. I also have a stash of flannel shirts I bought at a store closing for $2 each that I am holding in reserve to make a king size quilt for my own bed. I estimate that after buying a bit more fabric to fill it out it will cost about $50 to make. If you price some king size quilts, you will find that this is a pretty good deal.

The quilts require batting to make and this stuff can be found at an incredible price with a little searching. I have a fabric outlet that I frequent that carries it for an average price of $1 per yard. The batting is available in huge widths so you won’t be spending a lot of money on this either. They can also be made without batting if you desire.


You can also purchase a few other things that are not necessary but can be helpful. It would be best not to buy these until you decide whether or not you want to continue making quilts. They include a rolling cutter and a self healing cutting mat, rag quilting scissors, and a walking foot for your sewing machine. None of these things are outrageously expensive, but they are also not completely necessary. Ordinary fabric scissors can be used both to cut the squares out and to clip the edges of the squares to make them rag. If you pin your squares together and sew carefully, the walking foot is unnecessary also. The fabric can shift until the corners do not match if you do not pin them together. The rag quilting scissors make the process a little easier on your hands. No matter which type of scissors you use, take frequent breaks to prevent lots of pain.

Ultimately, this craft is simple, fun, and allows you to create beautiful gifts for friends and family. There aren’t too many people who would not appreciate this type of homemade gift. It is easy to make with rudimentary sewing skills. It is extremely economical to start making these, unlike many other crafts and allows you to use your imagination. If you enjoy sewing and want to try something new I highly suggest that you give rag quilting a try.