Alisa made Jake a photo comforter with Minky backing

Jake's photo comforter showing Minky backing

by Linda Theil

In January Alisa ordered a "Collage Fleece Photo Blanket" from Walgreens online at a sale price of $15 plus tax with free shipping. She had the "blanket" printed with photos of Jake, and planned to give it to him as a present for his ninth birthday this month.

Photo collage fleece blanket ordered from Walgreens online

Alisa decided to back the lightweight knit "blanket" with Cuddle Embossed Dimple Minky 60-inch-wide yardage in a dark gray "Ash" color.

Cuddle Embossed Dimple Minky in "Ash" gray

We cut off the hems, measured the result, and cut a piece of Minky to the same size. With right sides together, we basted the photo top to the Minky backing and stitched a 5/8-inch seam around the perimeter, leaving an 8-inch opening on one side to turn the blanket through. We used a long, narrow, zig-zag stitch for the seaming.

In one seam, we inserted a personalized label that Alisa ordered from Border City Quilts on Etsy.

Personalized label ordered from Border City Quilts on Etsy, inserted in edge seam of comforter. Also showing topstitching 5/8-inch from edge seam of comforter.

After turning the comforter right-side-out, we topstitched about 5/8-inch from the seam around the perimeter using the same narrow, long, zig-zag stitch we used for the seaming. Our finished comforter measured 37 x 55-inches. Alisa thinks the blanket she ordered was narrower than the 50 x 60-inch blankets currently on the Walgreens' website.

We had a difficult time fitting the back to the top because the Minky is so stretchy. I would be tempted to try adding some kind of stabilizer to the Minky if I ever tried this again. Or perhaps use a soft woven flannel instead of the super-luxe knitted Minky!

Walgreens 50 x 60-inch "Plush Fleece Photo Blankets" are normally priced at $60 plus shipping on their website. They are running a 75-percent-off special until August 19, 2017. Photo blankets are also available at online photo site Shutterfly. One word of caution: our photo blanket was very lightweight -- not of a weight I would normally expect in a blanket.

Apre-b'day:

Jake likes his birthday comforter.

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