So yesterday, you saw the pillow for Dad for Christmas… that’s just a “bonus” present. Today is the “real” one.

My Dad is notoriously hard to give presents to. He’s a very practical man (would prefer something he needs over something silly/gag gift), but he also needs very little. I always make him socks for Father’s Day and his birthday, so socks for Christmas would be a bit much.

Over the years, I’ve knit him a couple of sweaters, a few hats, gloves. He doesn’t wear scarves (at least that I’ve seen, but I hate making them anyway.) Normally, I get him a manly gift card (for a hardware or outdoor store). But as Dave and I hope to be house hunting this spring, I’m trying to squirrel away every extra penny.

My first thought was to make him a quilt – something similar to the one I made my brother (but NOT flannel). But, Mom’s already got a quilt in progress for him (it’s very lovely too!) So what’s a girl to do?

As I was cutting up the leftovers from my brother’s quilt, I realized I still had a fair bit of woodsy flannel leftover…. what about a flannel Rag Quilt? It’s different enough from the quilt Mom is making him.

I ran it by her, just to make sure it wouldn’t step on her toes. She thought it was a great idea, and even sent me home with a bag of flannel plaids she’d been collecting for just that purpose!

Sewing a rag quilt is much easier than piecing the bear paws I did for my brother. Though it did get bulky at times. Each of those squares is three layers of flannel.

With all those exposed seams, it’s not the most attractive quilt when you first get it together…. but then the magic happens….

You take the scissors, and carefully snip into all those seams (about a half inch apart – that’s A LOT of snipping!!!). Mom did it ALL for me (under the watchful eye of Mr. Tibbs), while I quilted another project. Then I came home and threw it into the washing machine** and then the dryer, and it transformed!

• 

• 

All those raw seams become fluffy, chenille-like goodness!

How neat is that? And won’t it go just perfectly with his pillow? I couldn’t have planned that better if I’d tried!

And that’s the LAST Christmas present I have to SEW! I still have things to knit of course, but now my sewing time can focus on the shop.

** I washed it in my own personal washing machine, because we were getting a new one the next day. However, I, and most tutorials recommend doing the first washing at a laundromat. All the little bits that come off can clog up your machine pretty good. I almost had a flood as they clogged the utility sink where the washer drains – but I caught it in time!