Baby Bear Decorative Stitch Blanket

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing machine (we recommend the Janome Magnolia 7318)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• 1 yard of 45" wide fabric for front of blanket: we used Patty Young's Andalucia in Kiwi Flora
• 1 yard of 45" wide fabric for back of blanket: we used an ordinary dark pink flannel
• All purpose thread in color to match fabric
• Decorative thread in contrasting color to fabric
• See-through ruler
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Iron and ironing board
• Fabric pencil
• Straight pins

Getting Started

1. Cut the fabrics for the front and back of the blanket into 36" x 36" squares.

At Your Sewing Machine

1. Pin the 36" x 36" squares, right sides together, leaving a 12" - 24" opening along one edge.
   
2. Sew together, using a ½" seam allowance. Leave the 12" x 24" opening unsewn for turning.
   
3. Turn blanket right sides out.
4. Fold in the unsewn opening of the blanket ½" and press in place. Pin opening to secure.
   
5. Edgestitch around all four sides. Remember to pivot at each corner. Press.
6. Select a decorative stitch on your machine, and thread the machine with contrasting thread.
   
7. Stitch around all edges of the blanket with a decorative stitch. Take special care to make sure the layers don't shift as you sew – you may choose to pin the layers in place along the edge to avoid this. For more about decorative stitching, read our tutorial: Decorative Stitches: Sewing Outside The Lines.
   

Mama Bear Ric Rac Blanket

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (We recommend the Janome AQS2009)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• 1 yard of 45" wide fabric for front of blanket: we used Patty Young's Andalucia in Paprika Mod Dot
• 1 yard of 45" wide fabric for back of blanket: we used White Minky Dot
• 4 yards ric rac in complementary or contrasting color to blanket fabrics: we used a jumbo dark pink ric rac
• All purpose polyester thread in color to match fabric
• Stretch sewing needle, size 90/14
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pencil
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Straight pins

For this project, we are specifying Minky Dot fabric. Minky has a unique nap that makes it incredibly soft. Because of this, it helps to follow a few special instructions when using it. First, we've recommended polyester thread as well as a stretch needle to deal with the special characteristics of this fabric (it can be a bit slippery and stretchy). Also, be very careful when pressing. You don't want to press the Minky much, if at all; it will flatten the nap as well as the raised dots in the fabric.

One of our favorite online sources for all kinds of Minky is Minky Delight.

Getting Started

1. Cut the fabrics for the front and back of blanket into 36" x 36" squares.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

1. Starting in the middle of one side, begin pinning the ric rac to the right side of the fabric for the front of the blanket. Position the ric rac so the upper curves extend above the edge of the fabric, and the center of the ric rac is positioned about ½" inside the edge of the fabric.
2. At the corners of the fabric, pin the ric rac so a curve is positioned across the corner of the fabric. You'll need to tuck and pin the ric rac a tiny bit to make a smooth turn.
   
3. When you get back around to your starting point pin the ends of the ric rac in place so the raw edges extend down toward the edge of the fabric. This way they will be hiddin in the seam when you sew the back of the blanket in place.
   
4. Stitch the ric rac in place on the front of the blanket. Your seam should run along the center of the ric rac, ½" from the edge of the fabric.
   
5. Pin the back fabric to your completed front, right sides together, leaving a 12" - 24" opening along one edge.
6. Sew together, using a ½" seam allowance. Leave the 12" x 24" opening unsewn for turning. NOTE: Be especially careful, use extra pins to hold the pieces together, and stitch on the fabric for the front of the blanket, right along the same stitching line you just created when you attached the ric rac. Go slowly and maintain your ½" seam so the ric rac will extend from the blanket evenly.
7. Turn the blanket right side out.
8. Fold in the unsewn opening of the blanket ½" so the ric rac is exposed evenly. Gently press this edge in place, being careful not to iron much on the Minky fabric. Pin in place.
   
9. Starting in the middle of the unsewn side, topstitch around the entire perimeter of the blanket, placing the stitch about ¼" from the edge.
   

Papa Bear Bound Edge Blanket

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (we recommend the Janome 3128)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• 1 yard of 45" wide fabric for front of blanket: we used Patty Young's Andalucia in Earth Mod Blooms
• 1 yard of 45" fabric for back of blanket: we used Kiwi Minky Dot
• ¼ yard of fabric for binding: we used Patty Young's Andalucia in Kiwi Tiny Dots
• All purpose polyester thread
• Stretch needle size 90/14
• See-through ruler
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Iron and ironing board
• Fabric pencil
• Straight pins

As we did above for the Mama Bear Blanket, for this project, we are specifying Minky Dot fabric. Minky has a unique nap that makes it incredibly soft. Because of this, it helps to follow a few special instructions when using it. First, we've recommended polyester thread as well as a stretch needle to deal with the special characteristics of this fabric (it can be a bit slippery and stretchy). Also, be very careful when pressing. You don't want to press the Minky much, if at all; it will flatten the nap as well as the raised dots in the fabric.

One of our favorite online sources for all kinds of Minky is Minky Delight.

Getting Started

1. First, you'll need to make your bias binding strips from the fabric you've chosen for the binding (Kiwi Tiny Dots in our sample ). If you haven't done this before, you'll find all the steps you need for making and applying bias binding in our tutorial, Bias Tape: How to Make it and Attach It. You will need to create 150" of bias binding. You could save time and use pre-packaged bias tape; it will simply limit your fabric accent options. If you choose the pre-packaged route, purchase 4¼ yards of 7/8" double fold bias tape (sometimes called Quilt Binding) or satin blanket binding.
2. Cut the fabrics for the front and back of the blanket into 36" x 36" squares.

At Your Sewing Machine

1. With WRONG sides together and right sides facing out, line up the 36" x 36" squares of your front and back fabrics and pin along all sides.
2. Sew front and back together, using a ¼" seam allowance, around all four sides.

Binding with Real Mitered Corners

1. Starting in the middle of one side, attach your binding, mitering all four corners and making a simple folded edge finish where your ends meet. As we mentioned above, if you are new to attaching bias tape and making mitered corners, link to our tutorial, Bias Tape: How to Make it and Attach It.
   

Binding with Faux Mitered Corners

If you don't want to make a true mitered corner with your binding, and I'll admit it is a bit challenging, you can use a simpler folding technique. My only caution is to pin and press liberally and be VERY careful with your stitching. This is because, unlike the real mitering technique, you do not stitch down the binding in two steps; you simply slip the binding over your raw edge and stitch both the sides in one step. People do it all the time, and you can do it too, just go slowly and carefully.

1. Starting in the middle of one side of the blanket, unfold your bias tape and slip it over the the raw, edgestitched seam. Work from the side you consider to be the front of your blanket. Be very careful that your middle fold is right on the blanket's edge and your binding is even on both sides. Pin from starting point to first corner.
   
2. Bring your blanket to your machine and starting in the middle (where you started pinning), stitch binding to blanket, staying as close to the edge of the binding as you can.
   
3. Sew to the corner and stop. Back-tack to lock your seam.
4. Remove your blanket from under the needle and clip your threads, but do not cut your binding.
   
5. Fold a pleat in the corner to make a 45˚ angle. Pin. Encase the new side's raw edge with the binding to the next corner. Pin and press.
   
6. Return to your machine, and matching your first line of stitching, edgestitch around the corner and down the side to the next corner. Stop at the corner and back-tack. Note: By 'around the corner' I mean you should drop your needle in at the end of your original line of stitching, stitch into the corner, pivot, and then stitch down the new edge. This way, your line of stitching around each corner will appear uninterrupted.
   
7. Repeat these same steps at each corner.
8. When you return to your starting point, tuck under the raw edge of the binding, match bottom edges and match our stitching line to finish.
   
9. Press, being careful to avoid the minky fabric when ironing the bias strip.
10. If you want super flat and secure corners and end, you can hand stitch, using a slip stitch, the corner folds and the fold where the binding ends.

Other machines suitable for this project include the Elna 3230 or the Pfaff Select 4.0.