Baby Blanket

Today was a great crafting Sunday. I had bought fabric to make blankets for a set of twins 2 months ago, washed it and put it aside. Now that I had their address I just had to make them up and get them in the mail. A deadline makes the craft vibe in us all come to life. They each took about an hour and 1/2 to make from start to finish and came out great.

All you need is
1 yard of fuzzy fabric for front (silky fleece)
1 yard flannel for back
1/2 yard flannel for binding

Thread
quilt basting spray

Lay out your flannel for the back wrong side up.
Spray flannel with basting spray.
Lay fuzzy fabric on top right side up. Make sure there are no wrinkles and pin all over.
Trim edges so everything has straight edges.

Cut binding fabric into 4inch strips. Fold in half and press. Then fold each edge to the center and press. Refold the center and you have a binding strip for each edge.

Open up binding strip and line up on edge of blanket sandwich putting right sides together.
Sew binding on using 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch seam. Repeat for opposite side.

Refold your binding strip around the edge of the blanket so the center fold in on the edge of the blanket. Pin in place all around. Trim off the ends even with blanket.

Repeat sewing on binding strips on other two sides but let binding hang over the end about 1/2 inch so you have an edge to turn under. Refold the strips and pin all around the edge tucking in the 1/2 inch overlap so you have a nice finished corner.

Pick a nice easy decorative stitch on your sewing machine. Do a test run on some of the scrap fabric you cut off to insure it looks nice. Make sure you have a pretty full bobbin and get started sewing. Center your pressure foot in the middle of the binding and sew the decorative stitch all around the entire blanket. Because you used such a wide binding, if you stay in the center you shouldn't have any trouble not catching in any of the binding. It also makes a nice finishing touch and one that is long lasting on the blanket.

I've made a lot of these to give as baby gifts and I always hear back from the moms that it is the child's favorite. Look for the fuzzy fabric with the fleeces in your fabric store. It comes in plain (my favorite) or with embossed bumps. It is an acrylic/rayon blend? that is a woven with only one good side. I like to get a bright color that's really soft and then match it up with a some wild flannels.

Go ahead and make a new baby or child happy.

I went ahead and knit sock number 3 and and on the gusset of sock number 4. With luck it will get done tonight and be wrapped and packed and in the mail tomorrow. They look so cute and small. All set to keep some tootsie toes warm.