Rag Quilt Tutorials with Raewyn Stewart

This one slipped into my memories this morning.
Paua - a design created exclusively for The Caterpillar Club.

Paua are similar to Abalone with beautiful iridescent shells. R

We’ve come a long way in five years.

Back in 2021, my non traditional rag quilts raised quite a few eyebrows. Today, in 2026, techniques like inlays, one colour seams and 1/8” snips are far more recognised, but at the beginning they certainly were not the norm. I spent a lot of time explaining that what I was teaching was not traditional rag quilting, but a completely different approach to construction and finishing.

The “caterpillar seams” my granddaughter named after the fat fluffy seams climbing over each other at the intersections quickly became something people were curious about. Some loved them immediately, others were unsure what to make of them, and there was definitely some criticism along the way. New ideas often make people uncomfortable before they become familiar.

I think some people assumed I was simply repackaging generations old quilting skills into subscriptions, without realising many of the techniques themselves were newly developed through experimenting and testing. From introducing inlays, to refining methods that changed the way seams could look and behave, this non traditional quilting journey has been built on creativity and persistence and along the way, I’ve met some truly incredible people. R x

Prewashing fabric.

I did a deep dive and there is a lot to unpack.
I’ve shared everything over on Patreon, and the best part? It’s free to read, no subscription needed.
Link in comments.