Skip to main content

Chenille Baby Blanket


I fell in love months ago with this baby blanket at Aesthetic Nest.  When I found out my sister-in-law was expecting I couldn't wait to make one as a gift.  Because I didn't know the sex of the baby I thought that a navy, white and pale yellow combo would be perfect.

I ordered up my supplies from Fabric.com.  One and one-half yards each of Premier Prints ZigZag Twill Blue, Solid Flannel Navy, Solid Flannel White and Solid Flannel Yellow. (See also "Cotton chenille" post.)

Anneliese's tutorial is great, I followed it exactly...except for the part where I had it quilted by a friend with a long-arm machine after I realized that sewing zigzags across 45" square of thick twill layered with flannel wasn't going to work on my machine. (Thanks Gail!).

I layered the white, yellow and blue flannel over the wrong side of the chevron twill fabric and trimmed the whole thing to about 48" square.  Once the quilting was done, it was a snap to snip the flannel while watching TV over a few evenings.

I loved the rounded corners in the original blanket so I replicated them and then quickly bound the blanket in white twill tape from Jo-Ann Fabric.  I was a bit concerned about the washing step because I hadn't pre-washed any of my fabrics so I tossed the whole thing in the wash with a few homemade "color catchers" from a tutorial here.  Sadly the navy flannel ran like crazy.  On the plus side, the fraying looked great!  I washed the blanket twice more with about a half-dozen Shout-brand color catchers and called it quits. The yellow flannel lost most of its color and the overall result was a faded-denim effect.

Even though it didn't turn out exactly as expected, I just love this blanket. It is sturdy and cozy and makes a great play mat.  My 7-month-old nephew tried it out and I think he liked it!  I hope his sister will like it too!  I had finished the quilt a day or so before we found out the new baby's sex and I gave it to my S-I-L on the same day.

Now I think I'll make myself one for babysitting duty.  I'm thinking straight cut chenille from this fabric with self-binding and perhaps an all lilac flannel back.


Thanks to Anneliese at Aesthetic Nest for a beautiful project!

Alisa


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Notes on Purl Soho Cross-back Apron pattern

Purl Soho Cross-back Apron, regular sized,  front view Purl Soho Cross-back Apron, regular sized,   back view by Linda Theil This is the Purl Soho Cross-back Apron featured on their website at  https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2015/11/20/cross-back-apron . Their page includes complete directions for making this one-size-fits-most apron with large, side-pockets and cross-back straps. This retro apron is so nicely made and looks so much like the apron my grandma wore in the Nineteen-fifties that I had to make one for my friend who appreciates the nostalgia and the beauty of this design. Although this apron pattern, as published, can adjust to several sizes from 2-10; I also made a larger option, adjusting the width of the pattern pieces to accommodate up to size 16 and up. Size adjustment may also be made by varying the length of the straps. These notes are a record of my experience with the pattern, and should only be viewed as commentary; y

Holiday weekender

  by Linda Theil Alisa's always cleaning house and often asking me if I want some item I'd given her before she sent it to a new home. I couldn't refuse the holiday-print, round table cloth I had bordered in red pom-poms forty years ago, even though she had slit the cloth to the center so that she could use it as a tree skirt. I decided I would make a holiday-getaway bag from the salvageable remnant. The olive-drab faux waxed canvas I ordered on sale looked really great with the old print. I used Diane Spencer-Ogg's outstanding "Escape Pod Travel Collection" patterns. Pictured below: The holiday themed “Weekend Bag” and "Travel Clutch" in olive-drab faux waxed-duck canvas from Sally Tomato , vintage holiday print exterior and interior, and accents of Mora bordeaux faux leather from Emmaline Bags . Pattern and video tutorial "Escape Pod Travel Collection: Weekend Bag and Travel Clutch" by Diane Spencer-Ogg. Weekend Bag front Weekend Bag bac

Sujata Shah's no-template piecing

16-inch, four-patch "pinwheel" block designed by Sujata Shah, pieced by Linda Theil 2016 Fabrics:  Sturbridge line by Kathy Schmitz for Moda and Daily Zen line by Michael D'Amore for Benartex. I attended quilt artist Sujata Shah's "Pinwheel" class sponsored by the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild  at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor  on July 17, 2016. Shah is inspired by the work of Gee's Bend quilters and has developed a no-template method of piecing to emulate their unstructured designs. Shah's book, Cultural Fusion Quilts , is available at Amazon.com.  Shah's uses four 11-inch squares to make each block, but she said a quilter could use any size base they choose. Since I had a package of precut 10-inch squares in the "Sturbridge" design by Kathy Schmitz for Moda, I based my block on that size. We were instructed to bring a variety of backgrounds in one color and brights in another color. Since I signed up late for