Scrappy Denim Rag Quilt Bag

Ow. I bit the inside of my mouth a little while ago, and now I have one of those little flappy sore things that make me sick just to think about. Maybe this is my punishment for being "ugly" earlier? ;o)

The real reason I'm online is to put up a few photos of the finished rag-quilt-style bag. I did the last bits of sewing this morning, then cut it (to make the raggedy fringe), washed and dried it. I might still add a few decorative buttons and snap closure; we'll see. . . The bag is made of denim from old jeans and a green cotton button-up shirt. There's no batting or interior layer of fabric.

Here's one photo. If you'd like to see a couple more, you'll find them in my flickr photostream.


It turned out ok-- good enough that I'll probably do more stuff like this in the future-- but I think I need to refine my sewing skills. They're pretty rough, still, and while that's not too noticeable in a design that's meant to look like it's been dragged halfway around the world and back, I'd still like to improve. I think I learned a few things working on this project, at least:

• Trying to piece together a project out of scraps is time-consuming.
• Seriously, unless you're down to your last penny or you just get a kick out of whipping something up out of (almost) nothing, save yourself a lot of trouble and don't do what I just did. ;o) It was fun knowing that I was using a bunch of pieces that might otherwise have been useless, but it took some creative thinking to find just enough of everything (without cutting into the other pairs of jeans I was saving for bigger projects).
  
• If my thread is all messed up (and loopy) on the underside when I'm sewing, I should rethread the needle.
  
• Even if I'm sure it's done right-- even if I'm convinced that it must be a problem with thread tension. Otherwise I'll just waste a lot of time tweaking the tension and growling at the machine.
  
• I shouldn't judge a raggy project until it's completely finished.
  
• They all seem to go through an ugly stage, but in the end, they turn out fine. Just keep going!
  
• If I think something looks "off", I should trust my instincts.
• Though maybe that seems to contradict the last "lesson". . . Anyway, the flap on this bag is a little skewed and goes down a bit farther on one side than the other. I should have-- well, could have done something about it before, but at this point it'd be too much trouble. Besides, I'm not going to be taking this into fine dining restaurants and fancy dress parties, so I'm not that worried. But it is a little annoying. I like things to be perfect, even if they hardly ever are-- especially when I make them myself! ;o)
  
• I ought to slow down during the sewing.
  
• I think this is where a lot of my sloppiness comes into play. I tend to hurry though the sewing part. (Well, it's hurrying by my standards; to an experienced seamstress it might be creeping along. . .) If I take a little more time, I think my seams will be straighter.
  
• Washing the bag in a pillowcase worked just fine!
• Or at least I think it did. . . The washer drain didn't clog (to my knowledge), and when I checked in the middle of the washing, I didn't see any loose fibers. After washing, I took the "unopened" pillowcase outside, took off the rubber band I'd used to close it, and shook everything off as thoroughly as possible. (There was a lot of lint and larger loose threads, so it's a good idea to do this in some out-of-the-way corner of the yard.) I dried the bag and pillowcase together (but not with the bag in the pillowcase) and checked the lint filter a couple of times during drying. There was quite a bit of lint, considering the size of the bag. (When I made my first bag, I hadn't heard of using a pillowcase to catch the loose threads. I just hand-washed it, then threw it in the dryer. I think I prefer this method. I think it probably "rags" the exposed seams more effectively.)

ETA: Psst! If you've stumbled across this blog searching for rag quilting info, you might want to head over to my sewing blog. I've transplanted all my sewing-related posts over there, and that's where I do most of my "fiber arts" rambling, now. :o)

Rag Quilting Video

Just in case anyone else is interested in rag quilting, I thought I'd share some things I found the other day.

Here are some video clips showing how to make a denim rag quilt:

Go to HGTV's Simply Quilts "video center". Once that's loaded, search (in the video center search box-- not the search box for the whole site) for "denim fray-edged quilt". There are three clips that take you through the whole process of making a denim and cotton (or flannel) rag quilt. It's pretty helpful if you learn best by watching and listening.

If you prefer written instructions, there are quite a few options.

Denim Chenille Quilt, by Catherine Timmons
This site has very detailed, step-by-step instructions for sewing a denim and calico rag quilt. The author even explains how to cut squares from old jeans using shears and a rotary cutter. Her method looks like a good one for getting the maximum number of squares from each pair of jeans (even if you don't have a rotary cutter). When I cut my denim, I took care to preserve the back pockets (to add a decorative touch to projects), but if you aren't worried about that, this is probably the way to go.

Ragged Homespun Quilt, from Jo-Ann Fabrics
Pretty straightforward description of a typical rag quilt. This one suggests homespun, but really, you can use any fabric that frays well.

Denim Rag Quilt, by Helen Cairns
Submit your e-mail and name to get this free pattern for a denim rag quilt using 6 to 8 pairs of old jeans (depending on their size, of course) and about 2 yards of flannel. (This is the pattern I based my first project on. I broke a needle, though, and put it aside before Christmas. More on that below. . .)

Denim Rag Edge with a Twist, by Rachelle Burleson
Denim rag quilt with "peek-a-boo" stars in a contrasting color. (You could change the pattern to have hearts or any other shape you'd like, too.)

Strippy Rag Quilt, by Trish Wilson
Here's a rag quilt with a different look-- scalloped strips instead of rows and columns of squares.

Rag Quilt Pattern, by Janet Wickell
This one alternates four-patch blocks and simple square blocks using five different fabrics. Good if you'd like a more structured look than the typical rag-bag look. (I like both styles, myself.)

Raggedy Quilt, from Crafts of Chaddsford
Yet another set of instructions. . .

No-Sew Calico Quilt, by Kelli Guhde and Cindi Schramer
This is a different type of raggy quilt. You don't even need a sewing machine for this one! Could be a fun project for kids too young to be trusted with a machine-- or for anyone who'd rather do their "sewing" on a comfy sofa.

And there are even more sites out there, but that should be enough to get you started. ;o)

I need to get back to work on my first denim rag quilt. I think I probably should have figured (and cut) for 1/2 inch seam allowances instead of 1/4 inch, based on everything I've been reading, but it's too late to do that now. I suppose I could still sew the squares together with the larger seams, but then the quilt would be quite a bit smaller than I'd figured, and I don't think I have enough matching "backing" fabric to add more squares. Besides, some of my "decorative touches" (pockets, labels, etc.) would be too big for the smaller squares. Well, I'll just carry though with what I originally planned, I guess, and hope that it'll be ok.

I've made one rag quilt-style bag from flannel, since putting away the denim quilt project-- and I'm in the middle of making a denim rag-quilt bag, now. I used scraps left over from the jeans I cut into squares (for the first project) and one of Donald's old button-up cotton shirts. (He still may not believe me ;o), but the poor thing was way past its prime. It had earned the right to go to the rag bag. . . .Why do I suddenly feel like Judy Plum on the prowl for material for her next hooked rug? (g))

I used this pattern, if you're interested. I substituted the denim scraps for the flannel because I wasn't sure how I'd like it and didn't want to waste good fabric on it until I'd practiced a little. I'm still not sure how it'll turn out. Right now it looks pretty pathetic, but I think it'll be better when it's clipped and "ragged".

Well, enough of that. I'll try to put up a photo when the bag's done. . . and maybe upload a picture of the flannel bag, too.

ETA: Psst! If you've stumbled across this blog searching for rag quilting info, you might want to head over to my sewing blog. I've transplanted all my sewing-related posts over there, and that's where I do most of my "fiber arts" rambling, now. :o)

Another hobby?!?

I've started work on a denim rag quilt.

Because I really need another craft to work on. And because I'm an expert seamstress and know everything there is to know about fabric, thread, and needle.

Ok, not really. (I'm guessing you knew that already.)

However, it is actually partly because I'm not an expert seamstress that I decided this might be a nice project. I'd like to learn how to sew simple things-- curtains, pillows-- possibly other little things, and this will force me to use the sewing machine long enough to learn more about how it works.

I've already learned a few new tricks over the weekend-- from Donald, who had to learn to sew in school. Maybe I should've taken home economics in school, myself. I grew up seeing Mom sew on a fairly regular basis-- Hallowe'en costumes, Sunday dresses for us girls, curtains, etc.-- but I guess that casually watching someone else sew doesn't mean you'll automatically be able to do it yourself. (Surprising, isn't it? (g))

Anyway, I've progressed this far: I've cut out my denim squares (from my old jeans that I knew I'd find a use for, someday) and I've started figuring out how I want to place the "fancy bits" (labels and other decorative pieces) on random squares. (It's been a challenge deciding how many is "enough, but not too many". I like the decorations, but I'm afraid that if I add too many-- however many that is!-- it won't look right.)

I also used some smaller pieces of leftover denim to make a couple of test squares-- just to remind myself of how the machine works and to get an idea of how the denim might fray. (I know you're not "supposed" to wash the completed quilt in your home washer, but I figured a couple small squares shouldn't do any harm.)

You aren't laughing at my crooked sewing, are you? It's not nice to laugh at a novice, you know. ;o) When I did the heart, I had forgotten from last time that it's easier to reposition the fabric if you "leave the needle in" and just pivot the fabric around. I was trying to reposition it with the needle hanging in mid-air. Obviously, that's not easy to do. I had also meant to do a double row of stitching around the outside of the square, but I got in a hurry and forgot. Well, they were just for practice, anyway. (Though I have seen these types of things used as coasters for drinks, so I might keep them for that. They'll do for the craft room or office, at least.)

I guess my next step is to either begin cutting out the flannel squares for the backing or take the plunge and begin sewing the decorative elements to the random squares. I hope the sewing machine will play nice and not do that weird "top thread getting caught in the bottom thing-a-ma-jig" thing it was doing yesterday. . . We got the kinks worked out, eventually, but sewing machines seem to be capricious beasts. You never know when they'll balk. ;o)

I solemnly vow never to use another person's machine until I learn (if I ever do) how to use them properly. My own machine, on the other hand, will just have to suffer through it as well as it can. If you're nice to me, I'll try to be nice back, Ms. Singer.

ETA: Psst! If you've stumbled across this blog searching for rag quilting info, you might want to head over to my sewing blog. I've transplanted all my sewing-related posts over there, and that's where I do most of my "fiber arts" rambling, now. :o)