Blanket Tutorial - Crochet edge blanket

Remember when I shared this blanket I received? 

Isn't it pretty?   Here take a closer look.

Ok.  Where to start.  I love the colors.  I love the fabric.  I love the edges.  The edges...want to know how?  Here's Abbie to show you!

Several years ago my mother taught me how to crochet around the edges of flannel. When she came to visit me from Utah she brought along several burp cloths that had holes already punched near the edges that made it quick and easy to crochet. I live in Wisconsin and have not found any local way to acquire similar flannel blankets or burp cloths or anyone who has the machine and is able to do it for me. So I decided to try to come up with my own way of doing it. I also decided to try on calico fabric instead of flannel because for some things I like the look and feel of calico better. After some trial and error I found a way to put holes into the fabric that works well enough. One advantage to this method is that you don't see the holes in the final product, although the crocheting does go slightly slower. Here are the steps to make a blanket similar to this one:

1. Cut two pieces of fabric the size you would like the blanket to be, plus ½-inch extra.

2. With right sides together, sew around all four edges of your fabric with a ¼-inch seam allowance, leaving enough space to turn right-side out.

3. Turn right side out, hand stitch the opening closed and press the edges flat.

4. Using a wing needle and no thread in your machine, sew around all four edges with the longest stitch setting on your machine and slightly further than ¼-inch from the edge. A wing needle has metal flanges extending to the right and left of the needle. When the needle goes through the fabric, the wings push the yarns of the fabric to the sides, creating holes.

5. For the first round of crocheting, use a small crochet hook (about a size 8) to be able to get in and out of the little holes. Starting anywhere ch 1, sc in the same hole, and in each hole around. When you have finished all four edges, join the last sc with a slip st to the first sc.

6. Use a larger crochet hook, about a size 5, for the rest of your desired crocheting pattern. I used a copyrighted pattern called Vera's Shell Stitch so am not able to share it.

 

Thank you so much Abbie not only for the blanket for teaching me how to make one myself!!

Blanket Tutorial

So this week I wanted to do a blanket! I made it about a week ago.  And I went to upload my pictures and <duh>.  I had to erase them when I put my memory card in....

<cue cheesy game show music>

my BRAND..... NEW.....CAMERA. {Crowd cheers.  Or at least I do.}

Yup.  Happy Valentine's Day!  Andy got me a Nikon D3100.  And I love it.

So it's a good thing it's as basic as basic gets.  Maybe just something you wouldn't have thought of to do.

Is that a table cloth?  Why yes it is.

And all you do is take a table cloth (I got this one at Target for about $4 on clearance.  The thicker ones work best!)

Lay it out right side up.  Take a piece of fabric (I used 1 yard of fleece...I stocked up when Joann's had it for $3 a yard!!) pin it together.  Sew leaving a small opening.  Trim your corners.  Flip and sew it up.

Sound boring?  No way!  This is perfect for storing in your car.  Put the tablecloth side down when you take the kids to the park.  Your blanket won't get all muddy.

Do your kids play sports?  Well, it always seems to drizzle when it's game day.  Put the fleece side down to keep you warm and when the rain hits the tablecloth side it keeps you dry!

Kids having a sleepover and want to eat in the living room in front of the TV?  Put this down tablecloth side up!  No juice spilling on your carpet.  Wipes right off. 

MACHINE WASHABLE (make sure you check your tablecloth package to double check!)

I love these blankets!

Remember to check out My Vinyl Designer for all the latest in Vinyl! :)

Guest Post : Dressing Heidi Sage

I can't believe we are starting month 2 of blanket tutorials!! WOW! The gals from Dressing Heidi Sage are just adorable.  It's a whole family event - - which I love.  And wait til you see their little blanket.  I love the pocket.  Well...can I even call it a pocket?  It's the cutest pocket ever.  Read on!  You'll see!  Thanks gals for sharing!! :)

Hey, this is Courtney from Dressing Heidi Sage.  We're a blog of all things cute for kids.  With my kids as inspiration, Deborah (my mom), Chelsea (my sister) and I, find ourselves busy crafting for and with kids...while all being hundreds of miles apart.  This particular tutorial is for a blanket Deborah made for Heidi Sage.  Not only is it adorable and cozy, it's also a blanket any skill level can make!  We hope you find the tutorial easy to follow and we would love to see you make one for Gabe's Gift.  As you read through the tutorial, remember this could very easily be changed into a blanket for a boy or even gender neutral.  It's all in the details.  So without further ado, I'll hand it over to Deborah...


Heidi Sage has already started to pre-school, and her school requires a blanket for nap time. I received a phone call from her mother this summer with an order for one blanket with Heidi Sage's name, dimensions of the blanket needed to be 3 foot by 4 foot, and it should be double sided for warmth....oh, and she wanted it red to match her school bag and bedroom. (Her mother is only slightly particular!)


So, I started thinking of different ways to make Heidi Sage's blanket. I decided it would need some flowers to make sure it was girly and later in the project I decided to add a purse and high heel to make sure it was REALLY girly. The purse was also to serve a purpose, but I'll get to that in a bit.


I used fleece for the blanket and also for the appliques. Little ones tend to love how soft and cozy fleece is. I first made some simple paper flower patterns and cut my flowers from different colors of fleece.

All the appliques were sewed on by hand. I used embroidery thread to sew on my appliques. I used the six strand thread and divided it into three strands. I used a blanket stitch for attaching each of the appliques. I sewed on the flower centers first before attaching the flowers to the blanket.  Click here for a quick video on how to do a blanket stitch!

I monogrammed Heidi Sage's name in one corner and added some flowers around her name. If you don't have a monogramming machine and you want it personalized, you can always just leave space and then take it to a local sewing store, boutique, or other shop that has a machine. Make sure to shop around. You can find people who will do it out of their house for as cheap as $5/piece...and others who are really proud of their ability to push buttons and center things!

On the opposite corner I decided to add THE purse. Our Heidi Sage doesn't go more than five minutes without a pacie in her mouth, and she sure never takes a nap without one. So, in order to make sure she always had one for nap time, the blanket was made to hold extra pacies. And I added a shoe just for fun. A girl can never have to many shoes in our family! I found a simple purse pattern online and attached the flap onto the purse so it could open and close.

After all the appliques were finished I added the back piece of fabric and used the sewing machine to sew the two pieces together.

Courtney has reported the blanket gets softer and cozier with every washing!

NOTE: This could also easily be for a boy just by finding some simple dinosaur or truck patterns. The possibilities are many....the cuteness is endless!


Stay warm!

--
The Girls at Dressing Heidi Sage
dressingheidisage.blogspot.com

Told you -- they rock. :) Hey, did you miss the 1st round of Blogger of the Month?  No worries!  Get your crafting on in February!  Glue, cut, sew, podge, staple gun...whatever!  A new round will start at the end of the month!  And My Vinyl Designer will be giving out another great prize! :) Check them out!

Guest Post: Tea Rose Home and her Swaddle Blanket

I just love Tea Rose Home.  Sachiko is seriously talented!  And I was so excited she agreed to post today! :) You have to check out her blog.  Everything she makes turns out amazing!!

Hi everyone! I am Sachiko from Tea Rose Home. On my blog I share sewing, quilting, repurposing ideas (and don't miss the free tutorials!) and sometimes yummy recipes too. I host link parties every Wednesday. If you love to see what people are working on and want to be inspired, come visit me and join the fun!

Amanda asked me to be a guest blogger for her blog, and I am totally honored to be here. Thank you for inviting me Amanda!

Today, I am sharing a tutorial for a self binding method to make swaddle blankets. I hope you will enjoy it!

I have made so many blankets in the past. I think this is one of the most easiest ways to make baby blankets. It might be a little confusing at first, folding the corner, but once you get used to it, you can finish a blanket in no time!

I have made so many blankets in the past. I think this is one of the most easiest ways to make baby blankets. It might be a little confusing at first, folding the corner, but once you get used to it, you can finish a blanket in no time!

{You will need}

1- 43" X 43" flannel (It was 44" wide flannel, I cut off the sides to get rid of the writings and thickness. This fabric will be the outer border.)

1- 36" X 36" flannel

Matching thread

{How to}

1. Mark the middle for all sides for both fabrics. Lay them together with right sides together. First, pin the middle of the four sides. Then pin the edges starting in the middle make your way outwards to the corners.


2. Start sewing using 1/4" seam allowance. Remember to leave a 5" opening for you to turn the fabric inside out later.



3. Fold the corner. Draw a line to help you to know where to sew. Use the picture as a guide.



4. Cut the excess off. Repeat the process for the other corners.



5. Press the seam towards the outside with an iron.



6. Turn the fabric inside out. Iron. Pin the opening and top stitch all around the blanket.



7. Ta-da. That's it!


Wasn't that fun? I have been going through my stash and made some in the past few weeks. They always come in handy for baby showers and such. I hope you enjoyed the tutorial!

Blanket Tutorial: Kojo Designs!

I love Kojo Designs blog!  They are two amazingly creative ladies!  And they have a pretty incredible Etsy shop too!

I know the perfect guy who would love this!

And they have Kojo Baby with the cutest little outfits.

But Kristin and Jordan really don't need an introduction - they're sewing superstars!  And I'm so excited that they agreed to share their famous Anthro Blanket tutorial!!  Thank you girls! 

Before we get started piecing a PILE of knotted squares together, do you want the backstory on this little Anthro-inspired gem?

First, you should know that I'm a bedding junkie. I LOVE wandering through Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie (at Park Meadows  in Denver, those stores are all conveniently located near each other as well) to see their bedroom displays. My ever-changing bedding crushes are a constant around here.

So a few years ago, I found this Thai Silk Bedding at Restoration Hardware and fell in love. I have a bad habit of loving expensive things, and this was no exception. We were still in the dual-income-no-kids category at that time and so Adam surprised me with the dream-bedding. *Note, I tried to find a picture for you, but turns out five year old bedding isn't very popular in google images. ;)

Fast forward to this fall when my oh-so-beautiful Thai Silk Bedding RIPPED. Yep, you read right... it was destroyed, not functional and, worse, not fixable! Since the era of able-to-splurge-on-bedding-we-love is long gone, just replacing the duvet cover is not exactly an option anymore.

But then, of course, I went and fell in love with the rosette bedding at Anthropologie. It shares all sorts of things with my Thai Silk Bedding... it's beautiful, and lovely, and totally out of our price range. Isn't that how things go?

When I saw the rosette bedding at Anthro, I had this idea in the back of my mind that perhaps I could try to make my own vision of knots and loveliness... but shelved it to pursue more immediately important matters (like tending to a new born baby, and creating things for sytyc, and getting ready for the parties I was throwing, and trying to stay somewhat on top of normal life). And then we made it to the Wild Card finale for So You Think You're Crafty. What better chance to try out my crazy bedding-making idea?

And thus the Anthro-Inspired Knotted Bedding was born. Thank you, So You Think You're Crafty, for giving me a chance to attempt something I might not have otherwise. My husband thanks you too. Because instead of spending $400+ on the quilt at Anthropologie (or, more likely, settling for something we didn't love nearly as much), I made this little getup for around $30. Glory, sheer glory.

Ok, now onto the tutorial. :)

To put your 'quilt' together, you'll need:
-56 knotted squares from part 1 (for a king sized quilt)
-a king sized duvet (I got the thinnest one I could find at Ikea... it was $29... fabulous!)
-sewing machine and supplies
-TONS of pins

1. Start by piecing one row of squares together at a time. Your finished product will have eight rows of seven squares. Here's the thing- in order to achieve that wonderful, gathered look, you have to create the gathers as you go. I did this by pinning little pleats in place before sewing squares together. To be more specific, I pinned five pleats along the length of each square (one tip- if you pleat both squares and pin, this will go more quickly). So, pleat, pin (right sides together) and sew.

2. Repeat and repeat and repeat until you have eight rows of seven knotted squares.

3. Now, you're going to sew the rows together to make a big square-ish mass of knotted squares. It was easiest for me to pin first where the edges between squares met up and then pin more pleats in place. Remember, every time you sew two squares together, you have to 'create' little gathers. As you're sewing the rows together, this means that you have a lot of pinning to do before you sew. Also, be sure to pin the sides right sides together. When you're finished you'll have the top part of your 'quilt.'

4. Lay out your duvet. Place your quilt with the right side (the side with all of the knots) facing down on top of the duvet. Be sure to match so that the longer side of the duvet is lined up with the row of eight squares and the shorter side of the duvet is lined up with seven squares.

Pin all the way around the edges, again, pinning pleats in place. Lucky for me, my duvet was divided into seven sections that matched up with my squares, so that was a good guideline on the short edge to make sure I was pinning evenly. On the long edges, I folded my duvet in half and marked where the middle would fall then folded it in half again and marked the quarters (on both long edges). This became my guide for even pinning on those edges.

Sew around the entire perimeter, leaving one square open. Pull the duvet through the one open square, turning the whole thing right side in. Sew your one square opening shut.

*Note- I can't say this enough, go over the ENTIRE quilt and make sure you got all of your pins out. Once you sew this baby shut, you don't want little pins pricking you. And they like to hide in the pleats, so check thoroughly!

5. Fluff your almost quilt. It almost looks right, doesn't it? Almost done! Now you're going to pin your rows in place and 'stitch in the ditch' (I followed this tutorial on youtube- haha!) so that your squares stay put and don't shift all over the place. I sewed down every other row, but feel free to do as many as you please.

 6. Can you believe it? You're done! Put this vision of loveliness on your bed and admire!

I am working on shams... I'll put a tutorial together when I get those done! Also, if you're looking for part 1, it's here.

January's Blogger of the month will be sponsored by

so make sure you come back at the end of the month to link up your favorite project of the month for a chance to win!

Blanket Tutorial From I am Momma Hear me Roar!

I'm sure you all have been over to I am Momma Hear Me Roar!  Cheri is so sweet and I'm so glad she let me share this tutorial with you!  Just about everything she makes comes out fabulous ... and this is no exception!

Here it is! I am Momma Hear me Roar's Baby Play Mat!
A few weeks ago I made this baby play mat for SYTYC.  Do you ever envision something great in your head?  You think it will be the most brilliant thing you've ever made?  Then you start it and realize it's going to be a lot more work than you'd ever imagined?  Yup.  That's what this beast was like for me.  I was happy with how it turned out, but I won't be making another one anytime soon.

When I started brainstorming about the theme "baby gifts" I wanted to think of something I would truly want to receive for a baby.  My babies have always hated tummy time and we have lots of hardwood flooring in our home.  So?  I made a giant baby play mat.  (Nevermind that it's in the grass, it's meant for inside play.  I just needed a bright place to photograph it.)

This mat is guranteed to keep a baby happy and entertained.  It's loaded with not only color, but lots of texture......fringe, satin edging, tangible animals secured by ribbon, textured stitching, beads protected from reach under clear vinyl.  It's also super comfortable, with a couple layers of batting and thick fleece on top and bottom.  What?  You're afraid it will slip around?  I sewed grippers on to the bottom so the mat will remain in place at all times.

Want to add your own toys?  Just link them into the grass loops by the rocks.  This way you can interchange some of the toys to keep your baby interested.

But, the best part is....it's machine washable.  (Hang to dry.)  Let's face it.  Babies are cute, but oh so messy.

Want a brief run down of how it was made?  Here's a quick and genereal step by step.

1) I cut both the green and blue fleece to be 4' by 4'.  Then I cut both layers in a big wavy line, like a rolling hill.  I sewed them together overlapping them by an inch and a half.  Then I cut that extra flap to look like grass - fringing it.

2) I sewed on all the goods....flowers, rocks, the sun, a branch.  I tried to use a variety of colors and textures.  I also purchased a mobile from Ikea and used the animals/bugs on it.  They were sewn onto a ribbon, which I sewed onto the flowers and branches.  The center of one of the flowers was made by sewing clear vinyl over several beads.  I also sewed circular grippers to the back of the mat.  I got them at the dollar store.  They're made for opening jars.  (You can't really sew around them because they are to grippy, but you can sew back and forth in a few spots to attach them.)

3) I used two layers of batting and "quilted" it in a few different ways.  Getting this beast under my machine was pretty much a wrestling match.  I have a new respect for quilters.  Whew!  Anyhow, in the grass I sewed grass lines.  In the clouds I sewed zigzags.  I sewed the edges of thee flower stems.  I wanted to make sure the layers would stay together.  Then I added a little more decorative details by outlining the clouds and flowers with embroidery floss.

4) I trimmed the edges to be even and sewed on the satin baby blanket edging.  Then I went to bed chanting never again.

That's basically the run-down.  I'm not sure how I made that look like it was only four steps, but this puppy took me quite a while.  However, I'm really excited to have somthing like this when I have another baby.  It's huge and comfortable.  The store bought ones are usually kind of lame and super pricey. 

I told you!  I love it all...and the grips at the bottom...GENIUS! So go say hi! :) Thanks Cheri!!!

Oh, and P.S. If anyone is making blankets make sure to download a tag!

 {Click to enlarge!}
These are from Agape Love Designs!