Fall is one of my favorite times of year! Even though it’s been very warm here lately, the calendar shows that Fall is right around the corner! I like the crisp cool air, bundling up in sweaters and boots, and enjoying a hot drink under a warm blanket.
One year for Christmas I gave my husband a handmade blanket that is soft and cuddly. It was one of those heavier types that is just so comfortable to drape over yourself. However, it was a bit more manly than my taste so I decided to make my own blanket.
I had a beautiful chenille blanket with fringe that I had purchased secondhand. Sadly, one day some of the fringe got caught in the vacuum cleaner... you can imagine what happened! Even though I thought the blanket was beautiful it seemed a little fragile to me, so I decided to cut it down, attach it to another blanket, and make it into a throw that is easy to pull up over you as you read a book or chat with a friend.
This is a great project for salvaging those old beautiful blankets that you love, but feel are not very practical for every day use. Do you have a blanket like that? Here is a peak into how I made mine...
Start by cutting a section of your blanket out that measures your preferred size (mine measured approximately 76”x51”. I used my husbands blanket as a guide.)
Next, lay out your new blanket and smooth flat, arrange your old blanket piece on top and pin down. (I added strips of white material to the edges of mine. I like how it gave it a small border, and a little bit of a quilt feel without much work. This step is optional.)
Using embroidery floss or yarn and a curved needle, tack the two blankets together. Space each tack roughly 6 to 8 inches apart.
Cut any excess off the edges so that the two blankets are the same size.
Bind the edges using 1 1/2 to 2 inch wide strips of material.
Fold and sew the corners. (I used 4 separate strips of material for the binding, one for each side. I then folded the corners neatly and sewed them down.)
After the blanket was complete I put it in the wash. It washed beautifully!
So bring on the cool weather and hot chocolate!