Softest Blanket Ever!

Who doesn’t love snuggling a super-soft blanket?  My one-year-old niece loves anything and everything soft.  She got a coat for Christmas made of micro-fleece.  When she opened it, she rubbed the soft coat on her cheek.  She was so excited that she took it to every person in the room to rub on our cheeks, so we could all share in the softness of the coat.  I just knew I needed to make her a soft blanket of her own, and this one can’t be beat when it comes to soft and quick to make. 

I used the “Soft N Comfy” and “Ultra Cuddle” fabrics from Joann Fabrics.  You can make this blanket with machine embroidery (like I did), with hand embroidery, with appliqué, or without any extra embellishment.

Materials/Supplies

• 1 & 1/8 yard Ultra Cuddle (both fabrics are wide enough to make two blankets)
• 1 & 1/8 yard Soft N Comfy
• Thread
• Light-weight, tear-away Stabilizer – if you are going to embroider
• Cut-away Stabilizer – if you are going to embroider
• Sewing/Embroidery Machine
• Pins
• Measuring Board
• Scissors

Directions

1. Fabric should be 60 inches wide.  Cut each fabric in half, so you have two pieces of each fabric that are 30 inches by 40 inches.  (If you are not going to embroider, skip to step 6)
2. Embroidery on fluffy fabric can be difficult, but I have a few helpful tricks.  I embroidered on the Ultra Cuddle fabric.  Hoop the fabric with the cut-away stabilizer on the back and the tear-away stabilizer on the front.  The fabric will be completely encased in stabilizer.

3. Embroider like normal.  The stabilizer on the front will help the fabric lie flat underneath the embroidery (the fluff shouldn’t stick through between the stitches).

4. Clip thread and tear the stabilizer of the front of the fabric.

5. Cut the cut-away stabilizer around your embroidery.
6. We sew this blanket using an envelope method.  Pin the two fabrics together with right sides in.  The stretchiness of the fabrics make it a little difficult to sew, so the more pins, the easier it will be for you.

7. Using a 2.5 stitch length and a 3/4 inch seam allowance, sew around the outside of the blanket—leave about a 4-5 inch opening on one side.

8. Clip off the corners of the blanket (this lessens the bulk when you turn it right side out).

9. Pull the blanket through the opening, so the right sides are out.
10. You can pin at this point, but I usually just hold the sides together as I go.  Using a zig-zag stitch and a 1/2 inch seam allowance, sew around the entire outside of the blanket.  Be sure to get the ends sewn under where you left the opening for turning.  You can stitch an extra line close to the edge if you do not get the opening closed.

11. Trim the ends of your thread, and you are finished!  Wasn’t that quick and easy?  I love the envelope method for many sewing projects.