Baby Blankets -- Brown velour!

Yes, we've been blessed with a BABY EXPLOSION in our family. And, one of the things I've learned from all the new young mothers is that the baby blankets available in the retail world really are pitiful.

BECAUSE WE SEW -- my sisters and I all MAKE blankets -- and it's been interesting to realize how different our "blankets" are. It got me to thinking -- isn't that the beauty of sewing? You could give the SAME assignment to 300 different sew-ers -- "make a baby blanket" -- and no two blankets would be alike. Apparently, sew-ers are like snow-flakes...!

My sister Deborah, of course, EMBROIDERS the baby's name or a theme.

My sister Deena loves to incorporate a "theme" with the fabric she chooses. Deena loves to make those hand-tied polar fleece blankets. If I can manage it, I'll post her unique method of doing the fringed edge...without the pesky knots that draw everything up too much. With Kelcy, it was all about the Safari fabrics, and with Brenda, she went bandana-crazy, remember?

My sister Ronda loves to flannel-fabric-shop (she has THOUSANDS OF YARDS ON HAND) -- so, using six different fabrics -- she makes those flannel-squares-right-sides-sewn-together -- and then cuts all those fringes.

Me? I am the instant-gift-girl. So my receiving blankets are light weight and VERY easy tomake. Carefully lay two pieces of 36" square fabric, right sides together, pin, and sew around the edges, rounding the corners, leaving a hole to "turn":

Here, you can see the opening I used to turn the blanket right side out..:

Then, I iron/steam around the edges, and topstitch 1/2" around the edge. (which closes the opening -- I am sooo lazy).

Sometimes, if I'm in the mood, I do a little embroidered heart or circle every 15" or so in the body of the blanket....just to keep the two "layers" together.

I'm telling you -- a cute little BOY blanket is quite a challenge. So now you've seen MY KIND OF BABY BLANKET. This 36" square blanket is red bandana flannel on one side and brown velour on the other side!

In future posts -- if I can get the pictures -- I'll show sisters' various VERY DIFFERENT STYLES OF handmade BABY blankets.

Hey -- if I remember to take my camera -- I'll show the baby (Clayton) that goes with the red bandana blanket!