About Homespun Fabric

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1 About Homespun Fabric Homespun fabric is highly recommended for this and most rag stitching projects. Other cottons simply will not fray as well. Flannel will fray decently but it has a tendency to pill when washed. Homespun is a yarn dyed fabric meaning that the design comes from the colors of the thread. It is not a printed fabric so it has no front or back side. Both sides are the same. The threads are often somewhat coarser than traditional cottons and the weave is sometimes looser. These are the characteristics that make homespun so perfect for rag style projects. Although most homespuns are manufactured internationally now, this type of fabric is called homespun because the technique is very similar to the way that pioneer women used to create their own fabrics. The threads will occasionally have nubs and imperfections in them which is the nature of the fabric. After the first wash, homespun fabric will shrink about 10% and become very soft and supple and the loose weave will tighten up. About ¼ cup of table salt in the first wash will help set the color in any 100% cotton fabric and prevent color bleeding. A liquid fabric softener will also help loosen the strings for rag projects. An excellent online source of homespun fabric is:

2 About Ragged Style Stitching Rag stitching can be totally addictive! Once you get the hang of it, you will realize that it s fast, fun and simple. Even the most basic sewing project can become totally cute and unique when it is done in rag style. One of the most popular features of rag style stitching is its forgiving nature. In other words, it s really hard to mess this up! Most seams and stitch lines are covered over with the fray when your project is finished so no one will ever see the crooked stitch lines or the uneven intersections. This makes rag projects great for beginners who will be very encouraged to create such a great looking product so easily. It also makes rag projects great for experienced crafters who don t have much time and want to make something quick and easy. Here s some tips based on our years of experience sewing rag style with homespun fabric: Wear an apron. Those strings get everywhere and an apron will help when you need to clean yourself up fast. Keep plenty of lint rollers handy. These will not only help clean the strings off your projects when you are finished but they ll clean the strings off of you that the apron left behind. Also use these to clean your cutting table and even the floor under your chair when you re done. They are a great time saver. Don t try to do too much clipping at one time. Your hand will get really tired. Space it out if you have a big project. Use spring loaded scissors if possible. It s not necessary but does help with hand fatigue on the big projects like quilts and tablecloths. Put the kids to work! Clipping seams on big projects is not hard. Just teach them to not cut too close to the stitch line. If you do cut into a stitch line, restitch the area immediately and put just a touch of a liquid fray preventer on the area to secure it. Don t stress over getting everything lined up just perfectly. As you can see from our tutorial pictures, we believe that when you are rag stitching, Close enough is good enough.

3 Pink Stripe Ragged Homespun Quilt Approximately 66" x 95" Finished Size Materials List for oversized Twin Size Quilt: yards of assorted homespun cotton fabric (be sure to use homespun or yarn dyed fabric; printed fabric will not fray well) 1 full size quilt batting Thread Basic Assembly Instructions: 1. Cut the fabric into 42 long strips, each one measuring 72 x Cut the batting into 21 long strips, each one measuring 70 x Sandwich one piece of batting between two pieces of fabric and pin in place.

4 4. Stitch down the center of each strip to secure the batting in place. 5. Stitch across the width of the strip in two or three different places to secure the batting even further. You can place these cross stitch lines in a specific measured place or you can just space them out randomly on each strip.

5 6. Do the center stitching and cross stitching on all the strips. 7. Now stitch the strips together to form the full quilt. 8. Clip each of the seam allowances with clips that are place approximately ½ inch apart and ½ inch deep. Be sure that you don t clip into the stitching line. This will take a long time and it is a good tv night project. 9. Stitch a line around the perimeter of the quilt 5/8 inch from the edge. 10. Clip around the perimeter ½ apart and ½ inch deep. Be sure that you don t clip into the stitching line. 11. Machine wash your quilt in cold water using detergent and liquid fabric softener. The liquid fabric softener is not required but it will really help loose the strings to create a fluffy fray. Add ¼ cup of table salt to the wash to help stabilize the colors and slow any fading. 12. Take your quilt outside and shake loose the strings before putting it in the dryer. You may need help with this part. 13. Machine dry. Clean the lint trap a couple times while drying since there will be an excessive buildup of strings. After drying, take it outside and shake again. Use a lint roller to clean up any remaining strings.

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