Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt Ebook

Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt

Attention Quilters!
Give Me 10 Minutes and I'll Show You Exactly How to Transform Squares of Cotton Fabric into Something to Rally Around

Once Again, You Can Unlock the Secrets of Making an Incredibly Beautiful or Just Plain Fun and Funky Rag Quilt Using this Proven and Simple, Step-By-Step System

Dear Friend,

Have you ever wondered what makes a flag special?

They are all mostly the same relative size and shape. Rectangular. Some are long, skinny rectangles, while others are short and a little more square.

Then, there is a center of interest. Horizontal stripes. Vertical stripes. An emblem in the center. A cross through the center. A star. A corner full of stars.

And colors. Some flags have only two colors. Some flags have a bunch of colors. Some flags have three colors.

It seems that many kinds of entities have a flag. Countries, states, and cities have flags. Some companies have flags, colleges and sports teams have flags or banners, and even Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland has a flag.

Flags have held a special place in my heart for many years.

Gary Campbell, the kid next door, and I built a flagpole in our back yard when we were about 9. We took some 1" by 1" sticks and nailed them together to make one tall (at least I thought it was tall) flagpole. We used a whole roll of duct tape to wrap the joints to keep the sticks from collapsing. Frankly, I think it was a losing battle, but when you are 9, you've got lots of time on your hands.

On the other hand, we must have thought it was pretty lame, since we planted it behind the garage, next to the incinerator, instead of smack dab in the middle of either front yard. Or maybe some mom advised us of the ideal location.

Each time we raised a flag, one of us would hold the pole while the other would raise a tiny flag (since that is all it would hold). As I recall, we used kite string which tangled often, and a flag that was probably no larger than 3 inches by 5 inches. But early in it's life, we discovered that the pole would not support any kind of rope or decent size. Of course, it wasn't really about the flag or the flagpole, it was about the act of raising and lower in the flag.
A year or two after that, I graduated to a real flagpole - the one at my elementary school - and the wobbly pole was carefully placed in the incinerator, without the tiny flag, and went floating up in the sky as ashes.

For two years, every school day Janet Englebrecht and I arrived at school 20 minutes early, met in the office to get the flags, climbed up onto the platform where the flagpole was planted, and then ceremoniously unfolded, hooked and then raised both the American flag and the California flag.

After school, we met again, carefully lowered the flags, unhooked them, folded them and returned them to the school office for the following day. Those flags never touched the ground on our watch.

The best part of that responsibility was that when it rained, Janet and I got to leave class to take down the flags. In the rain. I guess when you're 10, that's pretty cool.

As my kids were growing up, I always made a big deal of flags.

In both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, my kids learned the rules about flags, and participated in several Color Guard flag presentations at meetings.

Many years ago, when Bubba was a Cub Scout, he and his Scout buddies would dress in their full Cub Scout uniforms and spend hours planting flags on the graves of soldiers at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma.

Flags represent a type of unity - a common cause or purpose that folks can rally around. Whether it is the patriotism toward a country, loyalty to a sports team, or the fun represented by Disneyland, a flag can speak volumes to a group without saying a word.

In many ways, quilts do the same thing.

Take the Underground Railroad quilts. Stories abound of maps being sewn into quilts to guide the slaves out of the South to the safety and freedom of the Northern States.

The AIDS quilt project travels around the country raising awareness of that disease.

Prayer quilts made by members of churches are delivered to folks with life-threatening diseases to remind them of the people who are praying for their recovery.

And, have you ever made a quilt for a kid who is leaving home - for college, to get married, or just to move into a new apartment?

All of these quilts deliver the same kind of unspoken message that a flag does - unity of purpose, hope, comfort and a bright future.

This seems to be the time of year that is full of transitions and holidays, and what better time to make a quick quilt that expresses the theme of the events of the day?
With Memorial Day in May, Flag Day on June 14, and Independence Day the 4th of July, these three months are filled patriotic holidays centered around American flags.

The end of each school year celebrates completion of a school year or maybe even graduation from a school. It sets kids sights on new high schools, colleges, and other new adventures.

And between vacations and sports events, this is the time of year to be making a quilt that is easy, fun, and doesn't take much time to complete.

After all, who wants to have a quilt project apread out all around the house when you've got the cousins traveling across the country to spend two weeks enjoying the family reunion in your neck of the woods?

The latest in the series of Rag Quilt in a Weekend! is hot off the press and ready for you to jump in and whip one up in less than a weekend.

This step-by-step Guide is all about flags. It could be the red, white and blue of Old Glory, or the green, black and white of Helix High School where my kids went; or even the black and orange of Princeton.

Maybe it represents the red, yellow and navy of the 2006 World Series winning St. Louis Cardinals.

Or how about the blue and white of the the Indianapolis Colts, winners of Super Bowl XLI.

Possibly, a child in your life is involved with a local sports team - Pop Warner, Little League or Soccer - that you would like to memorialize with a fast and fun quilt.

Or maybe the coach needs a quick quilt as a thank you gift at the end of the season.

Whatever the excuse, this is the quilt!

Each resource in the Rag Quilt in a Weekend! series contains all of the step-by-step, from start-to-finish instructions for a Fast, Fun and Funky Quilt that you can easily make in a short weekend, and this latest resource is exactly the same.

You could be a beginner quilter or have made several quilts. You could be 7 years old or 70 years old, this flag quilt resource is perfect.

It jam-packed with instructions as well as ideas. Each of the 48 instructive pages contains full color photographs, illustrating each step in making this quilt.

From fabric cutting to seam cutting, you get everything you need in Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt

• Did you know that your rag quilt can be made from flannel, denim, cotton or cotton blends? Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt divulges why polyester might not be the best choice for a rag quilt, and what type of fabric might be better. With complete knowledge, you decide what kind of fabric to use, based on who your quilt is for and how it will be used. No guessing or playing "follow the leader." You choose based on what you want. And your trip to the quilt shop will be relaxing and completely fun, because you will know exactly how much fabric to buy.
• Sew your blocks together with the speed and efficiency of a professional tailor. This book is jam-packed with tips and tricks to save you time sewing your blocks together. Did you know that one of the most frustrating parts of making a quilt is keeping the blocks in the right sewing order? Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt lets you in on the secrets of keeping your blocks in the correct sewing order, and shows you how to speed piece - saving you precious time and energy.
• New at sewing half square triangles and quarter square triangles? They have complicated names, but are really easy to sew, when you have the secret to sewing them together revealed in this resource.
  Worried about sewing triangles onto weird-shaped pieces and ending up with the desired perfect square? Worry not. Using the quilters' secret shown between the covers of Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt, you will always end up with a square block to match up with another square block.
• Seams open or sewn to one side? That really is the question in making this quilt. For patchwork quilts, quilters generally agree it is best to fold seam allowances to one side. Is that true for rag quilts, too? Sometime "yes," and sometimes "no." You'll find out when to open 'em up, when to fold 'em over, and why in your copy of Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt
• Binding or no binding? The simple answer is that this rag quilt requires no binding. You will discover the easy method for finishing the edges of this rag quilt to secure the inside layer and ensure that your quilt doesn't "fringe away."
• Fringing and finishing - what makes it fringe, and how do you created the fringe without ruining your quilt? All of the techniques to create the fringe and finishing touches are right at your fingertips. Your finished quilt will age with grace as it is loved and used, and will be just as together 50 years from now as it is today.

And what, exactly does it mean to be able to make a Rag Quilt in a Weekend?

It doesn't mean you need to get up at the crack of dawn, drink 57 cups of coffee to keep you going, eat as you quilt, ignore the family, dog and cat, allow the dishes to stack up in the kitchen, stay up until the wee hours of the morning, rest for an hour or two, then get up and start again, hoping that by the end of the second day, you still have a few clean dishes in the cupboard, your family hasn't left you, the cat and dog are still your friends, and your rag quilt is complete.

Finished in a weekend doesn't mean any of that. Finished in a weekend means that you can easily complete this quilt - from cutting fabric to cutting seams (fringing your rag quilt), working only 4-5 hours each day; maybe even less.

You get speed and efficiency because you have all of the rag quilt instructions and guidance you need to zip right through making this quilt. Including full color photographs of each step, so you can see and read exactly what to do next.

If You Can Sew a Straight Stitch, You can Make this Quilt!

A true beginner - even a non-quilter - can make this rag quilt. All of the sewing is simple, straight seams, and can be done on the machine. Even if you never thought about making a quilt, planned to make a quilt, or imagined that you could make a quilt, you can make this one!

Intermediate and advanced quilters may choose to simply refer to the pictures and zip right through making the quilt, checking in for the tips, tricks and shortcuts sprinkled throughout the book.

Regardless of your skill level, your finished quilt will look like it was made by an experienced quilter. Your family and friends will be amazed at your creativity and skill.

And, if you want, you can save the fringing for the cousins - they need something to do while you are off cleaning up the mess they made.

You'll Get Everything you Need

Just imagine reading a set of step-by-step instructions for making a rag quilt. As you read these perfectly clear directions, you feel confident in making your rag quilt. In Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt, you will find:

• Over 49 full color photographs so you can see exactly what your quilt should look like - no guessing along the way.
• Each step is explained in clear, friendly easy-to-understand terms so that ANYONE, even a child, can follow the instructions and be successful in making a rag quilt.
• Design your own quilt! This pattern is fun, kind of funky and easy to make. You pick the colors. Choose the red, white and blue of Old Glory, use your favorite colors, or match the colors of your favorite team. Follow the design as it is laid out, or change the position of the blocks in the stripes to make a V pattern.
• A shopping list of required materials - right at your fingertips. You will feel like an expert quilter when you go to the fabric store to get your supplies.
• Time and money-saving techniques for cutting your fabric with speed and accuracy.

Your copy of this book is just a mouse click away. Rag Quilt in a Weekend! Fast and Easy Flag Rag Quilt is an electronic download. Once your credit card information is accepted, your book is ready to download, and you are ready to start making your rag quilt.

By now you are probably wondering what your investment in this quilting treasure will be.

Forget how much other quilting books would cost!

The information contained in this quilting resource is 10 times more valuable. Most quilting books have only three to four pages devoted to a pattern like this - not 48 pages!

One page has the picture of the quilt. That takes up about half of the page. Then there are the dabs of colors and list of what shapes to cut the fabric into. That takes up the rest of the first page and most of the second page as well.

Then there are the step-by-step instructions. Well, they call them step-by-step instructions. But their definition of instructions looks like: "Cut 30 triangles from 5 strips of fabric." "Sew them together into blocks." "Sew the blocks together into a quilt top."

And you are supposed to figure out exactly how to do all of that, as if you were an advanced quilter.

Not these instructions. These instructions tell you everything you need to do, just like I was sitting right there.

Think of this as investing in having a quilting coach at your fingertips - 24 hours a day; or at least for the 17 hours it takes to make this rag quilt.

If you hired me to consult with you to cover all of the points, at a rate of $40 per hour, that would set you back about $800 - and that doesn't count travel or telephone expenses. Plus at the end of that time, your head would be spinning, your notes would be flying, and you still wouldn't know exactly where to begin.

Or you could spend $40-$50 for some beginning quilting books, plus $20-$30 each for some books with quilting tips and then try to figure it all out yourself.

Remember, though, it's taken me 25 years of making all different kinds of quilts, plus an investment of hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars to sort through all of the clutter of information and give you only the best. And I know you want to get to the heart of making this fun quilt and bypass all of that torture and unnecessary expense.

You could copy the picture of the quilt, draft it yourself using your ruler, pencil and eraser. Oh, and remember to add seam allowances when you make your templates. And figure out how wide to make the seam allowances so your fringe looks good.

Then take your calculator and figure out how much of each fabric you need, go out and buy the fabric, come home and figure out for yourself each and every step along the way - scouring the books to see what might come next, reading through the five different ways to do the same thing, picking one, making a mistake, and then either re-doing it or giving up!

By then you may have spent hours trying to figure this all out yourself and you still don't have a finished quilt.

Maybe you have already made a bunch of quilts and think you have seen it all already. Maybe, but if you are anything like I am, every time I pick up a quilting book or magazine, I learn something new from just one little article or picture. Just imagine what you could learn from 48 pages of step-by-step quilting instruction.

Every quilter has unique shortcuts and techniques that she has developed over time. The big difference is that I am happy to share mine! (Not all quilters are.)

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