Ragged Log Cabin Baby Quilt Tutorial

Today we have a project that we hope will appeal to beginners and to die hard quilters alike…it is a Ragged Log Cabin Baby quilt!

 

It is a great project for a Saturday afternoon….with very few pieces, this quilt can be cut and sewn in an afternoon!

Then all that is left is some clipping, rinsing, and drying and its ready for snuggles!

Here’s how to make it!

(To make the instructions as simple as possible we will be referring to the quilt map below when talking about both cutting and and sewing.)

The first thing we need to do is to cut our pieces.  You will need to cut 2 pieces (a front and a back) for each of the following measurements.

(Remember that the numbers below are going to correspond to the quilt map above!)

#1. 20″x 20″

#2.  10″x 20″

#3.  10″ x 29.5″

#4.  10″ x 29.5″

#5.  10″ x 40″

#6.  10″ x 39″

#7.  10″ x 49″

After your pieces are cut you need to make a decision…do you want to place batting in the middle of your blanket or not?

I personally like to put warm and natural in the middle of the blankets.  So when making this blanket I just cut one piece of warm and natural to fit each of the 7 measurements listed above.  However, I cut my warm and natural exactly 1 inch smaller than each of the measurements shown above.  For example, piece #1 needs to be cut into a front and a back that each measure 20″ x 20″ so I cut the warm and natural to 19″ by 19″.  And the pieces for #2 measure 10″ by 20″ so I cut the warm and natural to 9″ by 19″.  (And so on an so forth….)

Place the front and back of each each of your quilt pieces (#1-#7) together with wrong sides together .  (And if you used warm and natural slide it between the front and back pieces at this point.)

Then sew from corner to corner diagonally across each piece (keeping the front and back wrong sides together…and your warm and natural in between).

Your sewing lines will cross in the middle.

Two tips for sewing your pieces together:

#1.  You can use a fabric marker and your cutting ruler to draw your diagonal lines to follow when stitching.

#2.  You can pin your pieces together to keep them from slipping and sliding as you sew them together.

Once each of your pieces have the front sewn to the back it’s time to assemble your quilt.

To do this sew piece #1 to piece #2.  When you sew them together put the back sides facing each other and sew along the front side of your quilt pieces using a very generous .25″ seam allowance.  This will leave that raw, unfinished, seam sticking out on the front of the blanket.  This will feel completely wrong but is exactly what needs to be done to create a ragged quilt.  After you sew piece #1 to piece #2 sew then stitch on piece #3 and so on and so forth following the map above until all 7 pieces are sewn together.

Once you blanket is assembled the last sewing that needs to be done is around the perimeter of the entire quilt.  Stitch around the entire perimeter of the blanket a generous .25″ away from the edge of your quilt.

Now that your quilt is all stitched it is time to add the cute ragged effect!  To do this you will be clipping along the exposed, raw seam edges that run all over the front of this quilt.  I cut about every .25″ and clip up to but NOT through your stitching.

Once I finish clipping I throw my quilt into the washing machine on the rinse and drain cycle.  After that it goes straight into the dryer until warm, fluffy, and dry.

Then when you pull it out of the dryer all the raw, clipped edges will have frayed and fluffed up just like magic!

And the more they are washed and dried the fuzzier the seams continue to get.

 

 

I love this quilt!  It is so fun.  It is a perfect size for toddlers and babies alike (finishing up at around 48″ square).  And really is a great project for those who are experienced and beginners alike!

-liZ