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...


Each 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:

Hold 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.


Or 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.


Another 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!

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Whirl Into Winter Giveaway is Finally Here!

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! The winner, cdziuba of Ceeceeblogger, was announced HERE. Congratulations!

The Whirl Into Winter Giveaway has finally arrived! Happy 2009 to all of you and thank you for visiting Hooked On Needles, even if it is just to check out my giveaway prize. Of course I can't let you go quite so quickly now that you are here, so I'm going to ask you to do a little simple sleuthing in order to get your name in my drawing.

But first, would you like to know what you are playing for? Take a look...


In the Winter spirit of this giveaway, I have made a very generously sized (40 by 50 inches not including the fringe), double thickness, fleece blanket using the coziest, thickest fleece I could find in a very winter-looking print -- light blue background with little yellow stars and a solid yellow backing. Just imagine an evening in front of the fireplace, curled up underneath this blanket, with a cup of something hot and a really good book...or craft magazine! COZY!


Of course, along with the blanket will be a few other Winter-themed items for the winner. A box of assorted Winter cards and envelopes, a clear snowflake ornament that would look nice hung in a window, some iron-on sparkly snowflakes for your favorite cozy sweatshirt, some snowflake gift tags, a Mary Engelbreit penguin magnet that says "Let It Snow", a spool of red ribbon with white snowflakes, a snowflake cookie cutter, and two packages of that Something Hot to cuddle with under that fleece blanket while enjoying the fire -- New England Mulling Spices for some hot mulled cider, and a Hot Buttered Rum mix which can be used with or without alcohol. Now if all that doesn't say WINTER, I just don't know what does! Except for maybe a few other things that are not in the picture, but will also be included in the winner's package!

So here's the part I know you are really interested in...what YOU have to do in order to get in the running for this prize. I'll make it as simple as possible.

• Look through my website for 3 items I have made that you might consider COZY. (I'll give you a hint to make it easier to get started...on my sidebar, there is a section called Hooked On Needles Links where you will find links to lists of all my previous posts using certain techniques. Pick one or two techniques that you think would be used to make cozy things and check them out.)


• Write a comment at the end of this giveaway post telling me what 3 COZY items you found and which one of those items you like the best.


• Please include your email address if you comment anonymously, if you don't have a blog, or if your return address is set to no-reply. If you are not sure, just go ahead and include your email address in your comment so I can reply to you. If I cannot send you an email, your entry will not qualify for the drawing.


• International entries are welcome with the understanding that the package will be shipped by the least expensive method.

On January 15th, I will announce the winner of my giveaway here at Hooked On Needles. Make sure to click on that friendly snowflake at the top of this post or on my sidebar to see the list of all the other generous crafters who are also offering fabulous Winter giveaways. But hurry because they all end by January 15th!

Happy Stitching!

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