So last year I made my first raggedy quilt on the sewing machine. It was flannel and I loved it! So when I saw the French Flower quilt made in with the same method, I knew I just had to make one.
This quilt is gorgeous! I didn't make it full size or big enough to cover a bed but as a throw it still works. I like the laptop size when I quilt on the machine. I don't have a longarm machine so it's really tough for a whole quilt to go through my machine, even when it's rolled up. But with this method you can make a quilt as big as you want working row by row as you go.
You just cut out four different sizes of squares and then round them out for flower petals. I cut them 3, 4, 5 and 6 inches for the flowers. Then I cut the edges to look like five big loose petals.
I cut out a rough leaf shape and made two for each flower. I started in the center and just kept turning and sewing round each layer of petals.
I didn't pick up my thread or backstitch until I was done with the whole block. All layers together.
I used a flat sheet to make 11" x 11" squares, enough for the front and back. You can make it as big as you want just by making more squares. Mine is offset and I used half squares of 5.5" x 11" for those four. I made three rows of five blocks and two rows of four blocks with a half block on each end of the row. I used half inch seams. My finished quilt is about 50" x 50" and I cut all my batting to 10" x 10". I didn't catch the batting in the block seams when I put the blocks together but it's O.K. if it does catch some batting in the seam as it helps to hold it down in the corners.
Than I just sewed the edges into rows back sides together so the raveled edges would be on the front of the quilt. Then I sewed a normal binding on around the quilt and just cut the edge with scissors so it would be raggedy too.
When I was done I washed it on gentle cycle and picked the strings off before throwing it in the dryer on the lightest heat setting.
It came out looking beautiful and yes you will be picking off strings from everything for a while. It took me one day to cut the pieces out including the batting. And two days to run it up on the sewing machine for a total of three days from start to finish! It's quick, it's pretty and it's warm so I'll probably make another one later. Wouldn't these make nice Christmas gifts?
