Baby Blankets

 I love these baby blankets.  I was given one for my newborn, and 3 years later its still in heavy use.  We keep it in the car for travel.  The blankets are big enough to be useful, but because they don't have batting, they still fold up compactly and tuck into a bag.  I also take them with me on flights.

There are 2 variations, one with straight edges and rounded corners, or one with scallop edges.  I stopped making the scalloped style because it takes twice as long, but I'll still try to explain it here.  If I'm not successful, I adapted my pattern from one found in the book "Bend the Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol--pick up a copy for yourself, or visit her blog The Angry Chicken.

To make without scallops,
1 Yard each of 2 Contrasting Flannel Fabrics
Thread
Salad Plate (To Trace Around)

With flannel, the layers stick together, if you don't use 2 flannel layers, you'll need something to help stick layers together. I lay mine out on the floor since I don't have a table big enough, right sides together. Use a salad plate to trace as a pattern for round corners. Cut the 2 pieces of fabric together all the way around, cutting off the selvage edges so that the 2 pieces are just the same size. I use the rotary cutter for all of the cuts, careful not to cut the floor since the blankets are bigger than the cutting mat. Safety pin the fabric together. I pin the center, corners, and every 6-8 inches around the edges. Put the pins in about 1 inch so that you have room to sew around the edges.

Sew around the perimeter as close to the edge as you are comfortable with. Leave a 6-8" section open so that you can turn it right side out.

Remove the pins, turn it right side out, smooth the corners, and iron around the perimeter. Carefully turn the edges under where you left it open, iron and straight pin in place. Now sew around the right sides with contrasting fabric.

Presto, you are done.

If you get 1.3 yards of fabric, you can make some matching burp cloths, cut to a reasonable size, maybe 8" X 15" and use the same sewing methods as the blankets.

To make with scallops (top picture lower right)
1.3 Yards each of 2 Flannel Fabrics. (The Scallops Make the Blanket a Little Smaller.)
30” length of Freezer or Butcher Paper
Salad Plate for Tracing

First trace the plate ¾ of the way around to make the corner, line up the plate tangent to the paper edge. Then move the plate down a bit, line the tangent up with the paper edge and trace 1/3 of the plate, so that the tip of your 1/3 touches the tracing you made at the corner. It should touch the line, but I didn't check the math, so you probably won't be at the edge of the corner plate tracing line. Move the plate down again and trace 1/3. Continue until you're out of paper. You can probably also trace it on the short edge to help line up the pattern on the other edge. Cut around your pattern.

The first blanket I made, I traced ½ of the plate for the scallop. It was still cute, but the scallops were pretty floppy.  It's in the top picture, lower left.

Lay out your fabric as I described above, right sides together. Use a water soluble disappearing ink marker to trace the pattern onto the fabric. When you iron with steam, the marks will disappear. Start at one corner and trace the pattern down the side edge, you want to be far enough in that the selvage edge will be cut off. Flip your pattern over to make the next corner and trace pattern toward your initial marks. It probably won't line up perfectly, but that's OK. Just trace it. Then go back and adjust the scallops so that they gradually meet up. No one will notice this.  Repeat this process around the other 3 sides. Cut the fabric around your traced lines, and safety pin together.

Sew around the edges close to the edges. Leave a scallop open for turning. After sewing, you can clip the rounded corners so that it turns smoothly. At a minimum, clip the corners where the scallops meet or it will pucker.

Take out the pins and turn the fabric right side out. Push your finger around the inside of each scallop to make sure its fully turned and smooth. Iron around the perimeter. Carefully turn the edges of the open scallop, iron and straight pin. Sew around the perimeter with a contrasting thread color. That's it, you're done.

Skill Level:  Easy to Moderate (with scallops)
Time:  1 hour for straight edges, 2 hours for scalloped + 1/2 hour to make the pattern
Cost:  $5-$18 depending on fabric source and sales

Washington or Lincoln?

 

Check out these stenciled T-shirts from my favorite periodical.  They also have instructions for turning any picture into a stencil.  If I have the energy to try that out, I'll blog all about it.

President's Day T-shirts from CRAFT zine.

Turn your photo into a stencil

Removing Spray Adhesive

If you forget to isolate your project when you spray adhesive...or your toddler uses a full can to tar and feather his room (as happened to me), don't despair.  Pour some rubbing alcohol on an old rag and wipe the adhesive away.  I had success with this on the wall, radiator, and wool rug.  No marring, no trip to the store, and little worry about harsh chemicals.

Easy Wall Art

To make Easy Wall Art
The big plans I had for the leftover fabric from Quilted Wall Panels comes to fruition.  I had fabric for six 5 inch square pieces.

You need:
1 panel printed fabric (COGSMO BY COSMO CRICKET)
6 5" X 5" stretched canvas

Other Items:
Cutting mat & rotary cutters (or scissors)
Straight Edge 12" with cutting guides every 1/2"

Repositionable Adhesive Spray
Staple gun with staples

Cutting:
Cut fabric panels.  My canvas was 5" X 5" with a 5/8" edge.  I cut the panels 7 3/4".  If your fabric/canvas is a different size, make sure you have enough to cover the edges plus an extra 3/4" or so each side to staple to the back.

Mount Fabric on Canvas:
Spray the front of the canvas with repositionable adhesive, do this inside of a box so that you don't get overspray and end up with a sticky table.  Let dry 30 seconds.  Lay the canvas on the fabric, making sure it looks even.  Hold the fabric against the back of the canvas on one side, and flip over.  Lightly pull the fabric around the edges to see if its straight and centered.  If not, peel fabric off and try again.

Gently wrap 1 edge of the fabric around the edge of the canvas, making sure it is smooth and taught (don't stretch fabric).  Staple in place in center.  Repeat with remaining 3 sides.  (The picture shows me doing 1 edge, then working around the corners.  On subsequent canvases, I found it easier to staple the centers of each side in place first, then work the corners)

Pull the corner fabric over, making sure you have it centered well.  Hold the corner in place, and fold 1 edge neatly near the corner.  Staple in place.  Fold the other edge against the corner and staple.  Repeat with remaining 3 corners.  The corners will pucker slightly, but try to make them as smooth as possible.

My staple gun doesn't staple tight against the surface, so I tapped the staples in with the hammer.

Repeat with the remaining canvases.

Hang.  To make hanging simpler, I measured and marked the wall first, centering the first dot on the wall at height.  I used the laser level to make sure I was level, and put the next dots 5 3/16" to the right or left of the first dot.  Then measured down 5 3/16" from the center dot, leveled and make the left and right dots.  The extra 3/16" between marks allowed space for the wrapped fabric corners.  I put a wire nail at each dot and hung the 6 canvases as a unit.


Difficulty: very easy
Time: <1 hour total
Cost: $14 stretched canvases

I had the staple gun and adhesive on hand, and used the leftover fabric from the Quilted Wall Panels, so I didn't price them out.