I love buying baby flannel at JoAnns on Black Friday to make baby gifts. I had flannel on hand, but was behind on making and giving them as gifts. I decided to try and make as many a possible to catch up. In preparation for making lots of blankets, I cut up an older cutting mat and taped it to my new mat. (For more information about my cutting table check out this post.)
This made my cutting mat 48 inches by 72 inches instead of just 40 inches. Now I can lay an entire width of fabric on the cutting table and cut all of the way around. So much better.
This was so much easier and faster. I can move my cutting table into the middle of the room and walk around all four sides. I also decided to try my new corner ruler from Creative Grids. I now love the look of rounded corners on the baby blankets.
After all three layers are cut and pinned around the edges I sew them together using the envelope method and top stitch around the edges. I used to tie them like on this blanket.
However, I decided to try something new and machine quilt them instead.
My first try was a bit too puffy and made the edges ripple a little. So I started quilting a larger stipple and that seemed to work better.
I used up the last of my comfort loft polyester batting on these blankets.
Then the I switched to my Hobbs 80/20 scraps which I zig-zagged together.
I love how they turned out with the Hobbs 80/20 batting.
I plan on using it for baby blankets in the future. I think it will be so much better for snuggling a baby. It will also take less room to store finished blankets before I give them away.
I was very happy that even though the edges were finished before they were quilted, I had no tucks on the back of the quilt. There was just ripples around the edges. The 80/20 batting solved a lot of that issue and I will keep making baby gifts like this.
My new cutting method and quilting instead of tying saved me more than a half hour per blanket. (Check out this post for a tutorial on how I used to make baby blankets.) When I make so many gifts all at once that saved time really adds up! Now I need to buy more baby flannel. All but two of these blankets have been given away or are destined for a certain little baby.
What is your favorite go-to gift for new babies?
XX,
Jasmine
P.S. I will be linking up with some of the parties on my sidebar. Check them out for more quilty inspiration.
Those are cute! How big are the pieces you used?
ReplyDeleteI buy a yard and a half. So these finish around 40 by 52 inches.
DeleteI make these double sided baby blankets also but without the batting. I make mine a 45 in square, use the envelope method and sew around the edge. I have been making these blankets for years and they can last all they way through preschool and serve as nap blankets there. The parents love them.
ReplyDeleteI will try one using batting next time I start sewing them. I will be purchasing flannel at JoAnn's this year too.
Love this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou have such a generous heart! I am amazed at the thickness difference between the two batting types, and The simplicity of these is fantastic. I am sure they are wellloved and appreciated gifts.
ReplyDeleteI love these blankets. They finished nice.
ReplyDeleteNo binding is great too.
I don't really have a go-to gift for new babies, but I will keep this one in mind, love the idea and how fast it is to make. I also like the burping cloths that Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation makes with diapers, although I never made them, I'm really fond of her idea. She has a great tutorial!
ReplyDeleteLove the baby finishes and I am going to have to look into that corer ruler! Beautiful!
ReplyDelete