Quilt in a Day Forums

I'm new to the forum and need some advice. I am going to begin a denim rag quilt after Thanksgiving. The quilt will be a Christmas present for my college student son. It will be an oversized double made with 7" blocks. The front and back will be denim with a fleece block as batting. I've cut the denim into 8 1/2" squares and plan to use a 3/4" seam. I was told that I should double stitch the seams due to the weight, but don't have a machine that accommodates twin needles. Is there a stitch that I could use to avoid having to double stitch the quilt? And how many stitches per inch should I set my machine at? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hi KarenM! Welcome!
I've made many rag quilts with denium and I've never double sewed except around the edge when it's all finished, instead of doing a binding. I think I did one row of straigt stitch to anchor it then a decorative stitch to stop fraying and make it look nice. If you want you can use a zigzag stitch when sewing the blocks together.

Thank you Leetec! When you use a straight stitch, how many per inch? I'm sorry to sound so helpless, but with this being such a big (and expensive) project, I want to get it right the first time! Again, thank you for your response!

I don't know about how many stitches per inch. I'm just going to see how my machine handles it and adjust as needed.

I started cutting up the jeans a couple days ago. I have lots of projects going so I hope to get time for this before Christmas.

Hi LynnS and all
I just saw this thread. Yep, I know WAKE UP!

I too am working on making a Demin quilt. I am going to make log cabin squares and do mine that way. I will probably back it in flannel. I have been picking up jeans at yard sales and flea markets.
This thread has been interesting knowing how others worked on their quilts. I see the one LynnS is doing and that is NOT for me. I like simple and the logs are the easiest. I'm just using lt and dk demin as I find it. I'll start cutting after Thanksgiving as my sewing is all put away for now.
Welcome KarenM. The quilt you are making for your son sounds so nice. I think a 9 stitch to an inch would be best. I use 8 or 9 on heavy fabric. You can test it and see which you think would work best. You can always PM someone to get a quick answer. Try GeorgiaPeach. There are so many experienced quilters. Even could ask QIAD-Linda and maybe if she has time she could ask someone at the shop. Be sure to post a picture when you are finished.
Happy Sewing and Quilting,
Kathy

I just used the normal stitch length and it seemed to work fine. I have a Bernina which has a jeans foot. I found that most helpful when sewing the rows together, I didn't break needles using that foot.

Thank you Leetec and LynnS. Just got back from my trip to MI, and am ready to sit down to sew. I will definitely post a pic when its finished. My machine broke just before I left, so I decided to buy a new one (first new machine in 20 years). Now I'll be learning that as well. I don't think it has a jeans foot - but it does have a built in even feed. Thank you for your comments, and I will post a pic later.

I have changed my mind yet again. I started thinking that the jeans I have won't allow me to do a circle large enough to make the sewing easy on the cathedral windows pattern.

So I'm going to cut 3 inch strips, and sew three together to cut to make a brick pattern. I'll alternate horizontal and vertical blocks, each block having three bricks. After using a 1/2 inch seam allowance the bricks will be about 2 inches by 6 inches. I'm going without a pattern now so if the quilt ends up a funky size I can add borders as needed!

Here's a picture of what I want to do:

Here is an old written quilt pattern my grandmother had:
Blue jean quilt recipe:

Cut old jeans into fairly large patches-smallest about 5-6 inches square. Lay the pieces next to each other, overlapping one edge about 1". Sew through the middle of the overlap about 1/2" from the edge of each piece. One raw edge will now be on the back, one on the front, with stitching 1/2" from the edge. Keep adding pieces until it is big enough, trim the edges and sew 1/2" from the edge all the way around. You're done. When washed the edges will fray, this quilt will take a lot of abuse.

I may be a bit late to chime in but I started quilting with denim quilts.

I've used a mix of cotton and denim in my quilt tops. Worked like a charm. The cotton allows you some freedom in colour choice and/or design. The denim can be recycled to save you pennies and keep jeans out of landfills.

I back them all in fleece and that has worked quite well for me. Just remember to use a needle that can handle denim.

Will now attempt to post a picture here of my first ever quilt that was denim, cotton and backed in fleeced. I tied this quilt at every corner.

Another thing for anyone thinking about a denim quilt is to consider leaving pockets and seams every now and again. Adds a nice layer of texture to the quilt.





Dawne