Sew Much Fun!

Sew I bit off more than I could chew!  Sew I didn't get all my December projects done and sew here I am in January getting them done!  Sew today was the sewing project. 

This project was a lap blanket for my reading chair in the loft.  The one I usually use has been  hijacked to the bedroom for the chilly nights we've been having.  Kitty Pop likes it, too, when she deigns to sleep with us.  Since snuggling in a warm blanket while reading and drinking tea is de rigueur, I chose to remedy the lack of lap blanket as my first project.

Don't you just love the Internet?  There's a tutorial for just about anything!  This project was a straight borrow from www.fabric.com/blog Sherpa and Lap Blanket Tutorial.   I'll use their directions as a structure.

Pre-wash both your fabrics.

These fabrics were purchased a couple months ago at our local Jo-Ann Fabrics. I pre-washed at the time so they would be ready when the timing was right (e.g., today).  Fabric is pre-washed because it contains sizing that helps it maintain its shape.  It needs to be washed out before use.  Alsew, as you've experienced with purchased clothing, fabric can shrink with washing. That needs to happen before you sew.  Or not.  You might not like the result, though!  

Flannel plaid and Luxe fleece rather than Sherpa Fleece

Lay the fabric out so you can see the edges.  Cut the edges straight by following a line of the plaid.  Trim the selvedge edges the same way. 

Selvedge is the edge woven on fabrics at the factory to keep them from raveling.  They are trimmed off and the fabric is trimmed along the grain to make it more or less straight.  The plaid lines make this easy. 

Selvedge on the plaid.

Selvedge on the fleece.

Trimmed result.

Lay the flannel on top of the fleece, right sides together.  Trim to match.

Because the bolts were of different widths, the fleece was larger than the flannel.  The "right side" of fabric is the one you want to end up showing.  In this case, the flannel had a definite right side, but the fleece just had color variation.  I chose the darker side.   As I didn't have any sort of table area large enough, you can see the floor served the purpose! 

Right sides together before trimming.

 

After trimming.

Pin copiously.  Pin around the edges and in the middle every few inches.  

Pinning keeps the fabric from shifting both while you're working with it and actually sewing it.  

A couple of the pins; difficult to see here and IRL.

  Once pinned, bring the fabric to the sewing machine and sew a 5/8" seam allowance, leaving a 5-10" opening to turn the blanket right-side out.

5/8" seam allowances are standard for sewing.  Don't know why. 

 

I feared this unstitched opening might be too small to turn the blanket right-side out, but it worked just fine.

 

 Trim the corners.

Corners are trimmed to reduce bulk when the blanket is turned right-side out. 

 

Turn your blanket right-side out.

Wait just a minute!  At this point, the blanket is still pinned copiously!  Sure it's obvious, but with directions this specific, I'd had added "remove every single one of those copious pins, not missing a single one!"  As it was, after careful removal and double checking, I still missed 6 of the little buggers!  Discovered either by blocking the right-side out procedure or by a pin-prick! 

Make the corners as sharp as possible.  Flatten and smooth the edges.  

 

This handy device is used to push into the corners to make them sharp.

 

A nice, sharp corner.

 In the same way we sewed the two pieces together, we're going to sew around the edges of the blanket to give it a nice finish.  

Wait just another minute!  There's a HOLE in the edge where the blanket was turned right-side out!  Directions should have included tucking the two edges inside 5/8" to match the seam, and pinning copiously once again BEFORE stitching!  Since I was going to be stitching again, I chose to press the seam and pin the whole thing again, although not as copiously as before. The pressing helps define the seam before pinning.

Yep, some of us still have irons and ironing boards.  And use them, even when not sewing!

 

With a 5/8" seam allowance, stitch around all the sides, removing pins as you go. 

 

This additional seam is decorative and is called top-stitching.

 Uh-oh.  Sewing over pins is commonly done and I'd just sewn over copious numbers of pins without removing them.  Probably because the fabric was so thick and I hit a pin directly.....screeching halt!  

See the pin?  It's bent so completely it's coming out of two different holes!  And the needle broke.  This required some disassembly, fortunately easy enough.  Also, needle breakage isn't uncommon, and needles are basic supplies in the sewing box. 

Two screws hold down the metal plate that covers these insides.

I think they were both losers in this battle! 

Completed top-stitch.

 

 

 The finished result, book and tea at the ready, Kitty Pop Approved!