Beginner's Baby Blanket #3

So we've shared with you the Simple Snuggly Baby Blanket Tutorial, which is a great very first blanket to try. Then we told you how to make a Silky Baby Blanket using satin and creating mitered corners with satin binding. We even showed you how to make a Swaddle Blanket. BUT Scarlet has asked me for a new blanket, so here's another style to try.

Isn't the impression your kid's head leaves on the pillow the cutest thing ever? This blanket is silky on one side (because she demands to have silkiness on her belly at every nap). The other side is lovely Cloud9 Organic Flannel Forest Friends G'Nite Owls in Shell that she picked out herself.

So this blanket is really like a quilt without the piecing or the quilting, because it uses a layer of batting. I thought that would be nice for the winter months ahead. It's very simple. Get the full Beginner's Baby Blanket Tutorial after the jump...


Beginner's Baby Blanket #3

1. Start by cutting your fabric. You can use two flannels, two cottons, poly satin, minkee, whatever you like. You can mix it up as you see fit. Cut a rectangle of each to 32" X 42" which is a standard crib size blanket. Also cut a rectangle of batting the same size. You can make a bigger one of course, just cut the pieces to the size you desire. You will also need 1/2" thick double fold bias tape, you can buy a few packages or make your own using our How to Make Bias Tape Tutorial. I made mine using Lecien Caramel Town Charlotte Fawn in Pink:


2. Now go ahead and lay your first fabric right side down, then your batting on top, then your second fabric right side up and pin all the way around. Baste (sew with a straight stitch with a wide width, like a 5) the three layers together 1/2" from the edge. You will have a batting sandwich:


Trim the edges nice and even (if they aren't) and clip the corners:


Now your blanket looks like this:


3. Open your bias tape and pin it to one side, all the way around the blanket, with edges aligned. At the corners curve it. Sew in place with a straight stitch:


Trim the corners and cut score marks around the curves:


4. Fold the bias tape back up, flip it around to enclose the unfinished blanket edges, and pin it in place:


If you were a good/patient mother you would hand sew the other side to the blanket with a blind stitch so no stitching would show on your final blanket. If you are like me, you will carefully machine sew the bias tape in place, all the way around, being careful to catch both edges:


And you are done! Give to child, watch child give to elephant. Also watch child insist elephant needs a bandaid on his ouchie.


Snuggle time!