My first sewing project: Baby blanket for baby #2!

We are having baby number 2! It's a girl. I've always wanted to learn to sew. So I finally decided to bite the bullet and learn how to use our sewing machine. The husband got us the sewing machine and has used it more often than me before this project. I never found a motivating enough project until now!

My son got a simple flannel blanket from a friend when he was born that boils down to a pillowcase that is sewn shut. I found instructions online and went for it. The baby will get a crochet blanket as well, but I'll write a separate post for it.

The blanket in my best attempt at looking like a stylized photo.

Main Info

• Size: 40.5"x 51"
• Time: Didn't time myself since it was my first project
• Cloth:
• Joann's nursery flannel gray stars
• Joann's nursery flannel dinosaurs (couldn't find it online)
• Purple thread
• Pattern: Pin on Pinterest or Blog post

Thoughts on the process

All things considered, the project went really well! I learned how to sew way back in middle school (huzzah for mid-west middle school education!). Back then, I made a pair of sweat pants and a pillow shaped like a whale. I only vaguely remembered how to use a sewing machine from back then. So I read my sewing machine instructions very carefully.

Dinosaur blanket with a corner folded back to see the grey stars.

I wanted a blanket that was calm on one side, but fun on the other. So I chose the simple grey stars cloth for the calm side and the fun bright dinosaur pattern for the other. It was the decorative purple leaf pattern along the edge. My son's blanket doesn't have the decorative stitch. But when I learned of the idea from the blog post tutorial I found, I loved it! And of all the decorative stitches on my sewing machine, the leaf pattern example in the blog post seemed the most appropriate as well.

Closeup of the decorative leaf stitch.

My mistakes included:

• Not putting enough thread in the bobbin. I ran out while doing the decorative stitch. I don't have a seam ripper, so I had to use my fabric scissors to cut out some of the threads. Then I reloaded the bobbin, started a little above where I ran out of thread and tried again.
• I bought too much fabric, and since I didn't have plans for what I'd do with it otherwise, I used it all, leading to a much larger blanket than I planned.
• The gap I left to turn the blanket right side out started at a corner, which I think was not the wisest of choices. Sewing it shut was harder because I had to sew the corner closed. In the future, I will not start my straight stitch at a corner but in the middle.

None of these mistakes are horrible. And only the first one is actually noticeable as a mistake. I keep the perfectionist in my happy by reminding myself that this was my first project, and you'd see it only if you were looking for it.

Steps I took in excruciating detail because I feel like most blogs skip over some steps (understandably) because they aren't complete newbs like me:

1. Wash the fabric per the directions. For me, that meant throwing it in with some sheets.
2. Iron the fabric because washing and drying wrinkles it.
3. Put the correct facing sides together and line up the edges as best as I can.
4. Carefully flatten, measure, and cut into a rectangle or preferred size and shape. For me, that meant without the "real" tools the first time around. I used dull (by fabric standards) kitchen scissors. It convinced me to buy fabric scissors the next time I was near a craft store.
5. Pin the pieces together, preferably right after I've cut them.
6. Sew a straight stitch around all 4 sides, leaving about 8 inches unfinished to pull the blanket right side out.
7. Cut corners off above the corner of the stitching, so there is less fabric in the corners when I turn the blanket right side out.
8. Turn the blanket right side out, using a pen to get the corners as sharp as possible.
9. Ladder stitch the gap closed, so it's an invisible seam. I learned this from a sewing book I got at the library.
10. Iron the edge to make it crisp and easier to sew the decorative stitch.
11. Sew decorative stitch around all 4 sides. The decorative stitch is not necessary, but according to the sewing book, it will make the seam more sturdy.