How to Make a Felted Sweater Baby Blanket
Wool fibers can be unforgiving if you mistakenly wash or dry them with too much heat. The result of washing mishaps -- felting -- occurs as the wool fibers shrink together and become matted. Although wool felting usually means that a garment ends up in a discard pile, don't throw it away just because of the felting. Repurpose the felted sweater by making a warm and cozy baby blanket.
Things You'll Need
- Felted sweaters (7 to 8 adult-sized sweaters or 9 to 10 child-sized)
- Cutting mat
- Quilting ruler
- Rotary cutter
- Sewing machine
- Matching thread
- 1 yard polar fleece (for backing)
- Pins
Instructions
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1
Cut the felted sweaters along the seams so you have flat felted areas of fabric for cutting into squares.
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2
Place the flat felted wool on the cutting mat so you can cut it into squares. Use the quilting ruler and the rotary cutter to measure and cut 36 6-inch squares.
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3
Arrange the squares on a flat surface, placing colors where you want them.
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4
Sew the squares together in rows of six, stitching with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Sew rows together using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. When you finish you will have six rows of six squares.
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5
Place the polar fleece backing onto a flat work surface with the wrong side of the fleece facing up. Place the felted blanket top over the fleece with the right side facing up, centering the felt on the fleece. The fleece backing should extend out from the felt slightly.
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6
Trim the fleece so it extends out from the blanket 1 inch on all sides.
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7
Pin the felt blanket to the fleece to stabilize it. Place the pins every 4 to 5 inches over the entire blanket.
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8
Fold the 1 inch of fleece fabric up 1/2 inch and pin this fold to hold it. Fold the fleece another 1/2 inch and fold it onto the top of the blanket to bind it. Fold the corners neatly by folding one side of the corner in and then folding the other side over the first side. Pin these folds to hold them.
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9
Stitch around the folded edge of the fleece to secure the binding. Remove the pins.
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10
Quilt along the seam lines of the felt squares, through the felt and fleece layers. This will hold the blanket securely. Remove the pins.
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1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
