Making a Rag Quilt

Hopefully by now you have all of your Christmas shopping finished, or at least planned.

If you are like me, you’re still dreading going to the malls and hoping that somehow Santa will drop in and leave everything.

And, as much as I would like that to happen, I know it’s not.

So, within the next day or two – or maybe next week when the weekend shoppers are gone – I’ll trudge on over and do my shopping.

Or, maybe I’ll spend the time creating some simple rag quilts.

I really love making rag quilts because they go together so quickly and you can use flannel or batting between the layers.

Rag quilts are the original quilt as you go project since you finish one square at a time and then sew them together.

The difference is, there is no hand work involved – once the squares are sewn together, your quilt is ready to use (or give away!)

For easy instructions for making a rag quilt, visit:

http://how-to-quilt.com/articles/2003-rag-quilting.php

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

And the celebration continues!

Maybe my memory is failing – after all, I am getting somewhat older…

But I don’t remember Valentine’s Day celebration lasting for multiple days.

My friend, Jim, and I had tickets to a play on Saturday night, and wanted to go out for a nice dinner before the show.

It’s always been easy to just call up and reserve a table – - not so last Saturday night.

It didn’t take long to discover that it was “Valentine’s Weekend!”

Now, that wasn’t created by greeting card makers.

Maybe restaurant owners.

Anyway, we did get a nice dinner and got to see an interesting play.

Had a great time, and now we’re back a work

Today you’ll read about seam allowances in rag quilts.

Rag quilts are fun and easy to make.

As a matter of fact, if you start early in the morning, you might be able to finish one in time to wrap it up for a gift this evening – depending on how large you make it, that is!

If not, I’m sure that you can finish it by the weekend, and present it as part of Valentine’s Week!

www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/2010-seam-allowances-in-rag-quilts.php

Heart Rag Quilt

 

Quilting with Tweens and Teens

With the colder weather just around the corner, it may be time to start thinking about things your kids can do indoors on those days they can’t be outdoors.

For the older ones – the tweens and teens – this is a great time to introduce them to the wonderful world of quilting.

You’ll find lots of ways to encourage your older kids to get into quilting when you visit:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/4094-quilting-with-teens.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny

 

Make a Spirit Quilt For Your Favorite Team

Football weather is in the air. School athletes are heading to the field for game night, which can get pretty chilly in some areas of the country.

A team quilt is a fun way to stay toasty, while getting into the spirit of the sport.

You’ll find ideas for team spirit quilts, cushions, sweatshirts and more when you visit:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/1449-sports-quilts.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny

 

How-to-Quilt.com Weekly Newsletter

Tangled Arrows Quilt Block

Thanks to the thousands of you who participated in our 7th Annual How to Quilt Survey, the How-to-Quilt.com staff is already working to put your feedback into action.

There were a few surprises this year and I’ll fill you in on some of those, as well as a bit about what you can expect as a result of your responses.

In this week’s newsletter, we’ll focus on rag quilts and what makes them unique.

• Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar on Strip Piecing
• Rag Quilt in a Weekend Guidebook
• Tips for Snipping Rag Quilt Seams
• The Weekly Crossword Puzzle – it’s different every day!
• Halloween Roundup for Postcard Quilts for the Troops – the deadline is September 23rd
• August’s Free Quilt Block Patterns

http://how-to-quilt.com/newsletter/snipragquilts.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny

 

How to Design a Rag Quilt

Before attempting to design your first traditional quilt, you might find it educational and fulfilling to design and create your own rag quilt.

Rag quilts are called “rag” quilts because all the seams are visible on the front of the quilt, and the seam allowances are clipped and frayed to create an interesting texture.

You’ll learn just how to go about designing a rag quilt, and you can sign up for this week’s free Fun with Rag Quilts webinar, by visiting:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/1443-design-ragquilt.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny

 

Choose Your Quilting Scissors Wisely

If you quilt, sew or craft, you know that not all scissors are created equal.

While we may start out using an on-hand pair of scissors we found in the kitchen drawer, we soon learn (usually with pain and frustration) that the right pair of scissors for the job makes life so much easier.

In today’s article, you’ll learn about the various types of scissors commonly used in quilting, as well as when and why you should “choose and use” them:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/6079-quilting-scissors.php

Happy Quilting and Cutting!

Penny

 

Talk Like Shakespeare Day

If William Shakespeare, arguably the most popular and most widely studied playwright of all time, was alive today he would be 447 years old on April 23rd.

In honor of the bard, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater asks us all to “Talk Like Shakespeare” on this day.

I take the challenge a step farther – challenging all quilters to quilt like Shakespeare.

That may sound difficult, but you’ll find plenty of Shakespearean inspirations – and some correlating quilt block patterns – when you visit:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/4079-talk-like-shakespeare.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny

 

Make a Rag Quilt Easter Basket

If you are looking for a fun and easy Easter project that will utilize your quilting skills, try quilting an Easter basket for a special child you know.

Using rag quilting and traditional quilting skills, it is easy to do without a pattern. You’ll learn how when you visit:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/1426-rag-quilt-easter-basket.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny

 

Tips for Making Rag Quilts

Rag quilts are fun and easy to make. They are very forgiving in many ways, and sewing them together can be easier than piecing a patchwork quilt.

In today’s article, you’ll find tips on everything from choosing fabric for your rag quilt to choosing what you wear when washing and drying it:

http://www.how-to-quilt.com/articles/2004-tips-for-rag-quilting.php

Happy Quilting!

Penny