Hooked on Needles

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

No Sew Fleece Blankets

Today in the United States, we celebrate Veteran's Day, taking time to thank all those who have served in our military through the years for the sacrifices they have made for us.

I thought I would share with you a little project that our local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are working on with the Blue Star Mothers. They are making no-sew fleece blankets which will be sent over to Germany to the soldiers who are on their way home because of injury or illness.

Here are a few in the works...


No Sew Fleece BlanketsEach blanket will be worked on by two or three scouts, then they will sign a card to go with that blanket so the person receiving it will know who made it for them.

These fleece blankets are so quick and easy, and they don't require any sewing at all, so they are the perfect project for young people, or anyone, to make for someone special. Besides that, they are super warm and cozy too!

Here's how to make a no-sew fleece blanket:

Cut two pieces of fleece the size you want your blanket to be plus about 8 to 10 inches extra in the width and the length. Lay the pieces flat on your work table, one on top of the other with their wrong sides together. Using safety pins, pin these two layers together about 8 inches away from the edges in about two or three spots for each edge. This will keep the layers together while cutting and tying the fringe.

Cut a 4 or 5 inch square from each corner of the double layered fleece. Using your straight edge and rotary cutter and cutting through both layers at the same time, cut the fringe along the outside edges 1 inch wide and about 4 or 5 inches long. Tie the corresponding fringe pieces from each layer to each other, one piece from the top layer and one piece from the bottom layer, until all fringe pieces are tied and the two pieces of fleece are connected all the way around.

Here are two different ways to tie the fringe:

No Sew Fleece BlanketsHold both fringe pieces together and tie one knot. When using this tie method, it is better to have longer fringe so you might want to cut your corners 5 inches square and cut the fringe 5 inches long. That will make it easier to tie this type of knot. This method of tying results in the fringe pieces staying together, giving the edge a more finished look.


No Sew Fleece BlanketsOr you can tie the fringe pieces the same way you start to tie your shoes, then do it again to make the knot. This can be done with a shorter fringe so you can cut your corners 4 inches square and cut your fringe 4 inches long. This method of tying results in the fringe pieces being apart from each other, giving the edge a more scrappy look.


No Sew Fleece BlanketsAnother way to connect the two pieces of fleece is to cut slits and run a ribbon in and out of the slits along each edge. For this blanket, I cut a scalloped edge in both pieces of fleece at the same time, then I cut the slits evenly spaced along each edge. I weaved a length of grosgrain ribbon through the slits, leaving extra at each corner. When all the weaving was done, I tied the extra at each corner into a knot for security and then into a bow for decoration.

So if you're looking for a quick and easy gift to make someone for Christmas or any occasion, and you don't have time for something too involved, two pieces of fleece and your scissors or rotary cutter are all you need...and a little bit of time!

Happy Veteran's Day and a big thank you to all who have served in our military!

Happy Stitching!


Click here to return to HookedOnNeedles.com


Labels: ,

6 Comments:

  • Hey Mary Grace,
    I've made these before...takes a little time, but so much fun! What a great project for the kids!
    Merry :)

    By Anonymous Merry Thornsburg, At November 11, 2009 at 5:57 PM  

  • You inspire me to do these new things that I've never tried before, Mary.. Your blankets look so warm and comfy..

    By Blogger Trisha, At November 12, 2009 at 6:23 PM  

  • I've made those kind of quicky blankets! Their great! 8-)

    By Blogger Myra, At November 13, 2009 at 4:57 PM  

  • My religious school class is going to make a blanket for a classmate about to have reconstructive surgery. I did not know there were 3 different ways to connect the fringe! Thank you for explaining the differences so well!
    Sue

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At November 17, 2009 at 8:17 PM  

  • Hey all,

    We made blankets for our group, and the people at this website gave us a super deal cause of our non-profit status!

    http://www.yourfleece.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At November 25, 2010 at 5:29 AM  

  • Thank you for demonstrating different ways to finish the edges... I'm making a blanket for a guy friend and I didn't want the edges to look too frilly. I've decided to use the first method of knotting on John Deere patterned fleece.

    By Blogger Unknown, At May 9, 2011 at 11:52 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]



<< Home


 

 

Newer Posts Home Older Posts
Copyright ©2010 HookedOnNeedles.com. All rights reserved.