The Loving History Of Quilt Bedding
Once you have learned to crochet, you just have to find a great baby blanket pattern. You can find patterns for free online. You can often print these patterns out so you have them for reference. You can also check your local library for crochet pattern books. There are complete books of crochet patterns for you to check out. You can also get pattern ideas from craft magazines, don't forget to check back issues.
For a crazy quilt, large or small, you should work on a square or rectangle of muslin or plain fabric. Working 12" or smaller is recommended so that the piecing is easier to handle.
Blanket Quilt In the early days of quilting, any suitable material, from an old blanket to cotton wadding, was placed between the patched pieces and an old sheet and then put onto the quilting frame, which kept the quilt's layers stretched tight while the quilter worked away.
Turn and press this rectangle over the seam allowance, again pressing away from the center piece. Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching line.
Yes, there is another factor that I need to mention. When we use an electric blanket, we make sure that it is well insulated. What you say, how do you insulate an electric blanket? That is easy, by hiding it under a quilt.
I then sewed all the squares together, in an alternating pattern. I now had the quilt top. I used soft fleece for the backing and put a piece of quilt batting in between the two. I found that if you spray an adhesive on the quilt batting it helped to keep the pieces from shifting too much. After pinning the quilt, I sewed a dark blue blanket binding around the outside edge. All that was left was to tie it. I used 6 strand embroidery floss, and hand knotted every corner except the corners at the blanket binding.
We have a wonderful family tradition of everyone making at least one homemade gift for Christmas to give another family member. My children have all made at least one blanket to give a family member. The fabrics are fun to choose and put together as we think of the personality of the family members. We have a daughter very much into music so there are always musical motif fabrics in her quilts, a son who loves insects so a quilt with ants or other insects are often made for him. There is the wonderful John Deere fabrics to make beautiful quilts. If you have a hobby or interest there is sure to be a fabric just right to personalize your blanket.
The preferred needle type for woven cotton fabrics is called a "sharp." Sizes 75/11 and 80/12 are good choices for piecing, quiltmaking, and binding most simple quilt patterns. Use a smaller needle (70/10) if you're piecing tightly woven batiks and a larger needle (90/14) for flannels. Dull needles can cause skipping or uneven stitches, so it's a good idea to insert a fresh needle at the start of every project.
