Easy Baby Blanket

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So I am long overdue in my baby gift for my friend Courtney. Her daughter Sierra is surely smiling and picking her head up by now, so I thought I’d take advantage of my vacation to rectify my giftlessness! Sorry for the delay, ladies. I really do love you!


I have a great starter project for newbie sewists. Sewers. Sew-mamas. You know who you are.

Easy Baby Blanket


Time: 1 hour. Longer if you choose a more intricate pieced topside.
Supplies:
Basic sewing supplies
1 yd top panel – or ultimately a 36” x 45” piece of your own creation
1 yd soft backing – flannel, fleece or minky all work well.
What’s nice about this particular blanket is that there is no binding required. It’s a stitch inside out and turn method, the same as I used when I showed you the Taggie Blanket, which makes for a quick project!


Back when I asked what Sierra’s nursery theme was going to be, Courtney told me it was underwater/ocean. I am hoping that hasn’t changed, LOL! I knew I had a really cute octopus and fish pattern, but what I had forgotten was that I only had ½ a yard of it left. So I used that as a center panel and picked two coordinating colors, and added “stripes” to the sides.

The side stripes were 10” wide x 45” long and the center panel was 18” x 45” when I put this blanket together. I sewed with a ½ inch seam allowance. But by all means, be as creative or as simple as you like with your top panel! I will frequently not piece the top panel of this type of blanket at all – just find a panel or a print I like and use a full yard. But, when you use what you have, you tend to end up with something new every time.

Now, it is important that you prewash your fabric, especially if you’re not using the same thing for both sides. Cottons will shrink, and minky and fleece does not! I realize it doesn’t appear that I did but I actually did, then cut it, then folded it up and put it in my pending projects bin when Courtney was about 30 weeks pregnant. {Bad friend sigh.}

But back to getting that rectified.  Once you are all set with your top panel, lay out your backing right side up. In my case, I used minky, and the soft side is facing up. Line up your top panel face down on top, so that the right sides of each fabric face each other. Trim if necessary.

Then pin. A lot. Especially if you use anything that stretches for your backside – like minky.

Stitch all the way around the outer edge, leaving a hole for turning about 4” wide or so.  I find it works far better to stitch on the cotton side rather than the minky side.  I understand some mamas have had success using a walking foot for their machines, but I figure if you need a step-by-step to stitch up a beginner project, then you probably don’t have a walking foot.  (I also don’t have a walking foot.)

It’s best if you not make your turning hole right on the corner, find a nice straight stretch for it. You have four good ones, take your pick. :) 

Trim your corners. This will make them more square in the end. You may certainly round them, too – just trace a cup or bowl on the corner, and trim the excess. With the stripes, though, I thought square corners would look best.

Reach in through the hole, and pull out the insides of your blanket. Take special care to smooth the corners.

Then, find your hole, and carefully pin it shut.

Stitch it shut along the edge, like so – then continue along the entire edge of the blanket.

You may wish to add some quilting lines to secure it, but I don’t always do that. It’s a small enough blanket at 36 x 45, but it’s up to you!

That’s it, mama!  Made by you and gift-ready!

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