How to Make A Blue Jean Rag Quilt Valentine Pillow

DIY Heart-Filled Valentine Rag Quilt Pillow

How to Make a Blue Jean Rag Quilt Pillow

Valentine’s Day is a perfect excuse to quilt plenty of hearts! This year try a Blue Jean Rag Quilt Valentine Pillow. What fun they are to make and such an easy project. Here is an easy-to-follow tutorial ‘How to Make a Blue Jean Rag Quilt Valentine Pillow’. There are some variations of your own you may choose to add, but it’s all about happy flannel hearts and denim.

Why Use a Walking Foot for Rag Quilting

A walking foot is a wonderful tool for quilters. Many quilters only use a walking foot for quilting lots of straight lines. But they are indispensable for rag quilting. Just try it and you’ll be amazed by how much easier all those layers are to sew.

Download your Valentine Rag Quilt Pillow Pattern Now!

A walking foot helps to feed the top layer of fabric at the same rate as the feed dogs move the lower layer. When you have lots of thick fabrics, it’s very easy for the layers to shift and slide around. Once you get to the end of your seam, you’ll find it very difficult to keep your edges even.

Using a walking foot also helps to keep the weight of the fabric moving along evenly. Whereas a regular pressure foot will just let the layers slip where they want. That creates a lot of stress on your hands. I definitely recommend that you use a walking foot for every step of this project.

Blue Jean Pillow Top Design Layout

Arrange heart squares as desired. You may choose to use all the same fabric for your blocks or make each one different. The top layer will be visible, and the two bottom layers create a fuller frayed edge.

Rag Quilting Helpful Hints

Sometimes the simplest step can make the biggest difference. Rag quilting is not a task to take on with a dull needle. Start with a new needle and your sewing will be much smoother. Generally, a size 14 is adequate for flannel rag quilting, but definitely use a size 16 when using denim. It’s a bigger needle that makes a slightly larger hole for nice, smooth sewing.

Another tool that’s important for rag quilting is a good pair of spring snippers. Most importantly, the spring action reduces the pressure off your hand as you clip. Spring snippers also are held differently than regular scissors, so you are less apt to have sore hands after all that clipping.

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How to Clip Rag Quilts

The standard clipping method is to clip all the raw edges with a ¼” clip every ½”. Sometimes corners and seams can become a bit difficult. Refer to the Rag Quilt Tips free printable for detailed rag quilt clipping instructions. There are some techniques that work very well in the corners and where the seams line up.

How to Wash & Dry Rag Quilt

Don’t be afraid to wash those frayed edges into submission! Definitely use a 2^nd rinse cycle to loosen and remove most of those bits of string. Rather than just adding one pillow to the washer, also add a heavy towel for some extra agitation. A towel also helps in the dryer to keep the pillow moving and releasing loose threads.

A Final Trim & You’re Finished!

Give your pillow a few good shakes. Then trim off any long threads or knots that may have developed. Once you have a clean looking frayed edge, you’re finished! Enjoy your new Blue Jean Rag Quilt Valentine Heart Pillow. If you decide to keep it for yourself, be sure to make another for your sweetheart.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Want to Learn More About Rag Quilts?

Be sure to sign up for my Free Rag Quilt eCourse.  You’ll receive a daily email for a week that outlines everything you need to know about rag quilting. Once you learn how to make rag quilt borders, you’ll want to learn all there is to know about rag quilts!

Find More Quilting Inspiration Here:

• DIY Heart Filled Valentine Quilting Patterns
• A Sweet Little Valentine Pocket Tutorial
• Heart Strings 4-Patch Quilt
• How to Make An Easy Blue Jean Rag Quilt
• Get 10 FREE Rag Quilt Patterns & Tutorials