How to Sew a Baby Blanket

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Making blankets is a great beginner sewing project. They usually only take about an hour to sew, and the lines are all straight. My kids LOVE soft snugly blankets, and I'm a sucker for a cute bright print. Giving blankets as baby gifts to new mothers, or maybe to a friend who is ill, is one of my favorite homemade presents to work on. The whole time I'm sewing them, I am thinking of the recipient, and it makes me happy. It's also a great excuse to turn on "Pride and Prejudice". I love having it on in the background while I work.

For baby blankets, I use one yard of two different types of fabric. For my big kids, I use two yards, and for my tall husband, I use 3 yards for each fabric. Other than the fabric, you just need a sewing machine, fabric scissors, pins, and thread.(And possibly a seam ripper, if you're prone to mistakes, like me.) 

It's best to iron your fabric first so everything lays flat. Some people like to also wash their fabric first, but I don't usually take that extra step.

When I start sewing, I don't start on a corner. I start in a little ways, so it's easier to fold in and sew over the open gap in the next step.

My kids all love putting the pins in the pin cushion for me, and love to use the back stitch lever. 

I like to do the shaggy fabric face up. Sometimes it gets caught in my sewing machine if I am going  too fast.

I push my fingers in the corners to make sure their edges are crisp. Sometimes I use a pen, or end of my scissors to push them out, if the fabric is too tight.

If your gap is large, you may want to pin this. 

You're almost done!

If you don't want to go around again, you can sew a little X in the middle of the blanket, and that will keep the fabric from shifting in the wash as well.

Now go snuggle someone in your new cozy blanket!!