My First Rag Quilt Part 1

I am making my first baby rag quilt!! I am super excited about it.  Here is what a rag quilt looks like if you have never seen one:

These quilts are sewn block by block, but the seams and snipped to create a slight fringe look~~

To start, pick out your fabrics, and depending on how many you want to have in the quilt, you may need 1-3 yards of each fabric.  Start by cutting off the selvage and cut fabric into 7" strips.  It's best to fold your fabric in half, so it doesn't take as long to cut.  After you have your strips, cut each into 7" blocks.  If you are using a fabric that is 42-45" wide, you should get about 5 squares, maybe 6 from each strip depending on your selvage amount.  

Here are my blocks:

Decide on the pattern that you want for the front of the quilt.  I decided to go green print and then the brown, green print and then brown, with it alternating on the back.  Put two squares (for front and back), wrong sides together (a total mess in my brain since I have been doing right sides together the last seven months on my bed quilt lol) and create your pattern.  For a typical baby quilt, you need about 7 squares across by 8 squares down, so start with that.  Here are my squares that are put together....

Similar pictures, I know, but if you look close at the corner, you can see the brown peeking out.  and this square is basically reversed for the brown square that goes next in the pattern.  Here is my pattern.  I took the picture before I decided on how many squares I wanted across, so same idea, but add one more square...

Okay, sorry about my belly being the picture, but I was already standing on a barstool (so dangerous, especially being 35 weeks pregnant, so you have to deal...lol)  And then you can start sewing.

From the top pictures, they used two different techniques.  You can sew X's on each square to keep them together or you can sew along all the edges.  Either way is fine, however, the X's definitely give an interesting look.  And then sew the blocks together, using a 1/2" seam, so that you can snip the edges.

This post is too be continued as I am able to get more done...maybe tonight or tomorrow.  But I am so excited for the finished product!!