Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Faux Chenille Blanket

Ever since we learned of my injury I have had this strong desire to make a quilt. I decided that this summer was the time to do it and, now that the summer is here and already two weeks underway, I knew that I had to get it done SOON! I was yearning to make it and just could not settle myself completely until it was underway. You can ask Jim- I was antsy with anticipation!

Well, I did not end up making a quilt with batting and the whole nine yards because much earlier this year I saw a tutorial on one of my favorite blogs, MADE, and saved it for a time when I could reteach myself how to use the sewing machine. The tutorial showed how to make a "Faux Chenille Blanket" and I simply fell in love.

Dana Willard, the author of this blog, writes directions that are so explicit that even this sewing novice feels comfortable attempting to gather the resources and set about creating! She has many incredible tutorials and her three children are super cute models. Her blog is also where I found the Chevron baby blanket I made earlier this year.

Anyway, on Sunday I went to Joann Fabrics and chose my fabrics. I'm crazy about batik and so I went with that for the back fabric and then pulled the other three colors out of the pattern.
Then I set up my grandpa's drawing table for the project ahead and I sewed line after line after...uh.... line....
If you look very closely, you can see the twist-tie I rigged to help me sew my lines 1/2 inch apart. That was a project-saver!
 Listening to some good music helped the somewhat tedious steps go by :)
And then I snipped and snipped...
 Leif was a great project buddy. He barely left my side and NEVER got in the way.
 After cutting the corners into rounded edges, I added the satin border.
 This is what it looked like before heading into the washing machine:
And this is what it looked like when it came out of the dryer! They say that the frayed edges just get better and better with each washing.
 Next time I will try to make my lines closer together- you live and learn!
 It's about 45" x 45"- a fairly good size.
 I couldn't walk back inside without snapping a shot of this beautiful lily!
We hadn't planned on putting this blanket on the couch, but we both think it brightens up the room. Little did I know that the pillows I sewed last summer would actually match this blanket. Let's just pretend I had that in the plan all along, shall we? I'd prefer that over the fact that I am stuck in an interior design rut :)
What a fun project this was! It definitely satisfied my desperately yearning crafty side (for now!). Perhaps next time I won't have to teach myself how to thread a bobbin all over again and one day I WILL make a quilt ;)
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I've been on three slow hikes with lots of breaks in the past three days! Woohoo! Life is good.

3 comments:

  1. Glad to read that you're doing well:) love the blanket!

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  2. Nice work. Can't wait to see who it's for. .. ;-)

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  3. Looks so comfy! I might just try to make one of those someday... Wait till you see the blanket I'm making this week. WHAT'S WRONG WITH US? Also, our color schemes are so similar: avocado/grass green and sky/teal blue. Nothing wrong with that :) (says the girl with 4 green throw pillows)

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