DIY Simple Snuggly Baby Blanket

Last week our 100 degree temperatures suddenly disappeared, and now it finally feels like fall.  Time to make Miss S a cozy blanket for snuggling...

To get a custom feel without spending a bunch, use this DIY to make your bean his or her own stylish baby blanket. Use an adorable cotton fabric on one side, and compliment it with a cozy dose of snuggly softness on the other like fleece or minkee.  Here's one I sent off to Miss Quinn (back before we knew she was a Miss!):

Now you try!  Get the Simple Snuggly Baby Blanket DIY after the jump...

How to Sew a Simple Baby Blanket

1. Prewash, iron and cut your fabrics to your desired size, cotton for one side and minkee or something cozy on the other.  I had a yard of Echino Spring in Grey Lion so I started with that.  Lay your fabrics right-sides facing, smooth them nice and flat, then pin all the way around:

Then cut the excess fabric, leaving enough for a 3/4" seam allowance:

2. Next you want to sew around the perimeter with a 3/4" seam allowance, leaving a section open so you can turn your blanket inside out (depending on how thick your backing is you can decide how big your opening needs to be). I left my opening at the corner, but it's easier if you leave it in the middle of one side:

Try not to sew your hair into the blanket, because nothing disgusts Jacinda more on earth then a stray hair:

3. Snip a square out of each corner.  This will allow you to get a nice flat corner when you turn your blanket inside out:

4. Turn your blanket and iron it flat, paying special attention to the edges to ensure your fabrics aren't rolling onto the wrong side.  At the opening, fold the fabrics in, iron and pin in place:

5. Choose treads that coordinates or contrast, whatever your pleasure, and remember you can choose different colors for each side. Put your color for the cotton side in your spool and for the soft side in your bobbin.  With your cotton side on top, with a 5/8" seam allowance sew a nice straight line all the way around your square.  Remember at the corners to leave the needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot, turn your fabric and put the presser foot back down to get a nice corner:

and just sew that opening closed:

I stopped there, but you could do it one or two more times around.  For added cuteness you can switch thread colors or use the same.  This time go another 1/4" in (so 1/2" seam allowance).

6. Snuggle!