My insanely crafty friend over at Lit and Laundry is hosting a new feature: Finished for Friday!  Time for lots of show-and-tell for what we’ve made this week.  Wohoo! Head on over and check out the other links, and submit your own!

The blocks have been sewn into rows and the seams pressed open.

Early last week, I talked about turning the old receiving blankets into quilts.  I thank everyone for their suggestions, and started by making two small lovey-sized blankets with no batting.  The two layers of flannel, alone, were plenty cozy.  They’re each made from 6″ squares, five across and five down (well, 10 and 10 if you figure it’s two layers).

I can see why people get spring-loaded scissors for cutting all of the seams. It really hurts your hand with a regular pair of scissors!

I have to say, making my first rag quilts was pretty fun!  It seems to take every rule of quilting and turn it upside down.  Make your seams invisible? Nah, make them the big feature.  Precise quarter-inch seam allowance?  Instead, let’s do something like five-eighths!  Wrong sides together, sew and make it all visible!  It makes you feel like such a rebel from the usual precision and constraints of “normal” quilting.  OK, maybe “rebel” is a bit strong.  It’s just fabric, after all.  But still, it was fun.

Both quilts, assembled and snipped and ready for the washing machine.

Close-up after one run through the washer and dryer. They're starting to fray nicely!

Beware, when washing these babies. The first time, they will completely clog the washer’s lint trap.  Be ready to replace it, or your next regular load of laundry will have water spraying all over the basement. Trust me.

Have they become an instant hit with the kids? Nah.  Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.  Maybe they’ll be good for playing with dolls at some point. Who knows.  They’re cute, and I’m happy.  Oh, and I have so much cut fabric leftover that I clearly will have to make a bigger quilt for myself… Maybe a more traditional one, but a cozy flannel nonetheless.