Let's Get Acquainted ~ A Frayed Frog [shaggy] Quilt tutorial

I am happy to say that today is my day for the Let's Get Acquainted 'New Blog' Hop organised by Beth at Plum and June. 

Today I have a tutorial for using fun novelty prints and making a shaggy/rag time/or frayed edge quilt.  This is a stash buster for me as I have been collecting many of these fabrics for a long time!  I've added a few spots, dots and solids to allow me to make the a size I wanted, but this quilt works just as well using up scraps or charm packs that you may have lurking about!  Your quilt can be as big or little as you want.  But first things first - here is a little bit about me so you can 'get acquainted'!

I am originally from Canada but moved 'abroad' in 2001.  I've been married to Mr Crafty Shenanigans (Mr Patient most of the time) for 11 years now and we have a crazy dog who is a dachshund/beagle mix = doxle.  I have a degree in Fine Arts with a major in printmaking and sculpture and I have done crafts since I was wee little.  Dolls?  Nope - didn't play with them.  For me it was crayons and glue!  In secondary school I managed to sew a few skirts, re-purpose some clothes into other things for art class and did the odd bit of sewing hems and letting out my dad's trousers - but no quilting!  I discovered patchwork and quilting in 2009 as it was one of the items on my 'bucket list' so I signed up for a class and I haven't looked back since!  I made two quilts in that class and was hooked!  I now have a growing fabric obsession stash and a big pile'o'scraps to play with.  Scraps are important - they are great for applique (a newly discovered craft/technique for me) and they can be added into practically any project!
 
I was asked a few questions to help you get to know me:
How long have you been quilting - since 2009
Favourite quilting tip - Measure twice, cut once.  This one is from my dad who does woodworking and carpentry but it totally applies to cutting fabric too! 
Favourite blogging tip - leave comments on the blog posts you read - if in doubt what to write, mention how/where you found their blog, leave a positive message or ask a question.  It's so nice to know people are actually reading the posts we write and it helps the community of bloggers to get to know each other.  And it is a friendly, courteous thing to do!
Favourite fabric - I have quite a few favourites but the top two for me right now are Joel Dewberry's 'Modern Meadow' line (especially the green and navy colourways) and some of the Amy Butler 'Love' fabrics as you can see in 'My Precious' quilt blocks in my mosaic below.
Favourite craft book - I've made a few things from the 'Zakka' book and I love the 'Fresh Quilting' book by Malka Dubrawsky too. 
Favourite book(s) - "Shell Seekers" by Rosamund Pilcher and "The Crystal Cave" by Mary Stewart.
Favourite quilting tool(s) - sewing machine, rotary cutter and seam ripper!
Binding - by hand or by machine? - Both - first by machine then I finish it by hand which I love to do.

Here are a few pictures of just a few of my favourite creations that I have made:

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A Frayed Frog Quilt
[a.k.a Shaggy Frog Quilt]

Tutorial by [Amy's] Crafty Shenanigans

~Please read through the whole tutorial first before starting!~

MATERIALS LIST

-pencil and/or water soluble marker

-ruler, rotary cutter, cutting mat, scissors

-wadding - scraps can be used

-fabric* - pick whatever you fancy really! Use some fat quarters, half metres, charm squares or scraps (pieces of at least 4.5" square)

-thread, pins

-iron

-sewing machine :)

*Note:  The amount of fabric needed depends on how big or small you want to make your frayed edge/shaggy quilt to be!  My quilt will be 9 rows of 9 squares each = 81 for the top and 81 for the bottom, which means I need a total of 162 fabric squares.  Sewn up, this quilt measures 30 x 30 inches.  This is a good size to be used as a play mat, as a stroller blanket, a child's security blanket or for the car as a knee warmer!   This type of quilt is not recommended for babies.  I used approx 12 fat quarters but lost track of exact amounts, sorry!!  I'm also no mathematician!  ;) 

INSTRUCTIONS - please read through the tutorial/instructions before starting!

Fabric preparation

1.  Iron fabric before cutting.  I do not pre-wash my fabric, in case you wanted to know!

These are the fabrics I used for the front and back.
Kona Ash was also used but not shown.

2.  If confident, stack several fat quarters in a pile so you can cut several pieces at a time...to save time!  Or just cut it one fabric at a time, row by row then square by square.

3.  Cut fabric into 4.5 x 4.5 inch squares.  My quilt in this tutorial will have 81 top squares and 81 bottom squares = 162 total 4.5 x 4.5 inch squares.  TOP TIP: plan that the top fabric squares are the same as the bottom fabric squares - it makes 'designing' the quilt a lot easier later! 

4.  Cut wadding into 3 x 3 inch squares.  Cut half as many as your total fabric squares - I will need 81 and here they are:

5.  Draw an 'X' diagonally from corner to corner on half of the fabric pieces - on 81 pieces in this case.  Some darker fabrics needed the pencil, others I could use the water soluble pen (picture is faint but the blue line is there!). 

Assembly

6.  Place a bottom piece of fabric right side down (so you can see the wrong side facing you).

7.  Place a piece of wadding in the centre of this square.

8.  Place a top piece of fabric (with the 'X' drawn on it) right side up over the wadding and pin all three together so it is a sandwich of fabric--wadding--fabric. 

Picture shows my three layers with the bottom layer with the right side facing towards the table. 
Notice that I have used different tops to bottoms - it is easier to keep them both the same! 
As my dad would say 'do as I say, not as I do! 

9.  Take this sandwich and sew along each of the diagonal lines you drew on earlier making an 'X' in thread on the square sandwich to make your block.  Remove pins.  TOP TIP: chain piecing is fast and uses less thread than starting-stopping-and clipping.

Chain piecing.

10. Continue to sew all 81 of your sandwiches into blocks.  I just love saying 'sandwiches'! 

Design
11.  Design your quilt by laying your blocks out in a pattern that you like.  Here are a few of the options I considered for my quilt:

12.  Once you have decided your layout, pin each square to the one beside it so you have rows held together by pins, like this: 

You will be placing the squares back-to-back when you sew the 1/2 inch seam so the shaggy edge will appear on the top of the quilt and the smooth side of the quilt will be the back.  See how I've got the seams together with the pin so they are looking somewhat like how they will when they are sewn?  Hope so!

13.  Mark your sewing machine with a 1/2 inch mark for easy sewing.  I used the sticky bit of a sticky note.  Draw a line in pencil instead if you want to.

Construction
14.  Now sew the blocks, with 1/2 inch seam allowance, to join them together into rows.  At this stage I sew block to block within a row and once all 9 are sewn together I label that row with a number which helps later when sewing the rows together.  REMINDER:  you will be sewing each block with its back to the other back when sewing this seam. 

15.  Press all seams open.

16.  Take two rows of joined blocks and place them back to back (smooth sides together).  Pin at each junction so they will line up visually on the back once sewn.  Keep the seams flat and sew these two rows together using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.  Continue to sew neighbouring rows together until all rows are sewn.

Here is what it looks like when you sew row to row:

17. Now your quilt blocks and rows are all sewn together - yay!  Next step is to sew around the whole perimeter/outside edge using a 1/2 inch so the outer squares have a finished edge and an edge to cut towards as well.

Shaggy frayed edge and finishing
18.  Take a sharp pair of scissors and clip/cut ALMOST to the seam on every seam allowance.  Be careful NOT to cut your stitching.  I suggest cutting every 3/4 inch.  Clip the outer edges as well.

19.  Remove as many loose threads off the quilt that you can.  Shake it outside to remove even more!  Now put the quilt into a pillow case or duvet cover (depending which one it fits into best) and tie shut.  This helps contain the threads from all of the cut edges so they don't clog up your washing machine!  I don't pre-wash my fabrics so I use a Colour Catcher in my first wash as well.

20.  Wash the quilt in the duvet cover at 30* on a gentle cycle.

21.  Remove quilt from the duvet cover and shake it out OUTSIDE to get rid of any more threads.  Then tumble dry low heat on a gentle cycle.  Be sure to clear the lint catcher a few times during the dry cycle.

22.  Repeat 19 to 21 again t make the edges more frayed.

23.  You are now done - yay!  Enjoy your frayed edge/shaggy quilt! 

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Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy making a frayed edge or shaggy quilt using your novelty prints!  Feel free to add a picture of it to the Let's Get Acquainted Flickr group if you do - we'd love to see it!  :)  

Here is a reminder of Plum and June's details of the hop.  There is a fabulous giveaway there too!
My co-partner today is:  Heidi from Fabric Mutt!  Be sure to hop over to see what yumminess she has created! 

Also, up next on Thursday 31st May is:
Jodi from Tickle and Hide and  Libby from Miss Beau Jangles.  Don't forget to check out Nik from Boldgoods and Alyssa from Pile O Fabric who posted on Thursday last week.  

Enjoy the Blog Hop!!  Hope to see you again soon!

Amy

P.S. If there is anything you'd like to see MORE of on my blog, I would love to know.  I would also love to have your feedback - feel free to email me here if you have any constructive criticism :)  I'm (kind of) tough so I can handle it!

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Extra ramblings!
~ homespun fabrics work amazing in shaggy quilts.  See mine here.

~ use small pieces of wadding up - the bits that always looked 'too small' to do anything with - now you can save them for this project!!  Zig zag them together if you have to!

~ this is a great beginner quilt or one for people with limited space as there is no basting and it is basically 'quilting as you go'
~ there is no binding on this quilt so once you are done you are done - no sewing by hand for hours!

Fabrics used:
- Kona in 'Ash'
- 'Oh Hoppy Day' by me-O-my for SPX Fabrics
- Freespirit/Westminster fabric 'Essential Rhinestone'
- Kona in 'Green' (not sure exact colour)
- Denyse Schmidt Flea Market Fancy 'Green Medallion'
- 'Holiday Helpers' by Karen Montgomery for Timeless Treasures Fabrics
- Michael Miller 'Play Stripe' in red
- yellow with dots - unknown
- Michael Miller 'Green stripe' - not sure exact name
- yellow with swirls - unknown
- white with multicoloured dots - unknown
- Thomas Knauer 'Savanna Bop' - 'circles' - not sure exact name

I am linking to Sew Happy Geek's Manic Monday linky party, sew many ways' sew darn crafty, Frontier Dreams' KCCO and Quilting by the River's Linky Party Tuesday.