# sentimental rag quilt



## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm working on my very first ever quilt. I've read that rag quilts are forgiving in that you can "hide" mistakes with the frayed edges. It's very important to me to get this right the first time as I can't get more of the particular fabrics chosen to make this. It's being made from my grandfather's last few pairs of jeans and my grandmother's bathroom towels. They're all cut in 8" squares so that I could keep the pockets...










this is a pic of the almost final pattern layout (towels are arranged the same but played with the patterns made with the different colors of jeans a bit more) and it's hard to see but there's an X across the quilt made from the pockets.










I'm thinking of using this as the backing...the lumberjack pattern not only reminds me of both of my grandparents as grandma always wore flannel shirts and ballcaps and grandpa was the creator of the game Timber. 

OH! and I'm conning my mom and my aunt to embroider "the Timberman" on a few of the squares...I don't have a pic of him but he's the lumberjack on the games for those of you in the Pacific Northwest that might know the game 

Any and all tips you could give me before I start stitching would be awesome!


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Sounds like a wonderful project. I know a lot of people use jeans for quilts, but I have never heard of anyone using towels, so I am not sure how that will work out for you. I like the red plaid backing you have chosen. Is it flannel?


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

yes it is


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## happyjunker (Mar 22, 2009)

I say go for it! It looks like you have a great design planned out already. I hate to be your washing machine when you snip and wash it to fray. LOL... Best of luck to you!


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I say go for it, you will be wrapped in your grandparents memories when you cover with it. I don't think the towels with make much difference. Once it's backed and quilted or tied. But I would use a commercial washing machine to wash it because it will be very heavy when it's finished.

Is that backing fabric a very lose weave? It might frey too much, but you might want to sew a straight stitch around the backing blocks before sewing them together with the front blocks.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

The backing is the pattern I want but am having some trouble finding it in just a regular flannel. The pic was taken from a website that wants $11 per yard and only has 2 yards for sale and now that you mentioned it, it does appear to be loose weave I'll have to go back and make sure it's not a wool blend I've seen the pattern a few other places for 5ish per yard but they are sold out at the moment.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

For your plaid (back) look for shirt flannel.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

really really set on the red buffalo check flannel have also seen it as lumberjack flannel in a couple of places. I dug out my copy of the game and here's the character to be embroidered on some of the jean squares...he'll be all black silhouette style but this is him.


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## Delrio (Mar 11, 2007)

I'ts gonna be a great memory!!


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

oh that's going to be wonderful! I don't see why the towels won't hold up.....they're meant to be used and washed. I would use a small stitch though. I have a sentimental quilt too. It's the only one I have that my Grannie made. Polyester strips, an old, old blanket for the back, and cotton thread from the mill she worked in. That thread I think was what they made the chenille on bedspreads from. I don't think it was ever meant to hold seams together. That quilt never gets washed. I air it out and protect it. it rests on the foot of my bed in the winter and across an unused chair in the summer. Everytime I look at it I think of my Grannie and feel loved.


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