Last summer I bought this paisley cotton twill and three colors of coordinating flannel solids at my local Hancock Fabrics with the intention of making the Heirloom Cut Chenille Baby Blanket from Aesthetic Nest. The stack of fabric sat around my sewing room for a while as I worked on other projects. Then I found out that a friend and fellow quilter was expecting her first baby, and when Baby was revealed to be a girl, I decided to finally make the blanket and give it as a baby gift.
The lesson I learned with this particular type of blanket is that the flannel on the top of the stack is the one that you will see the most of after it frays and crinkles up in the wash. I used red, yellow, and orange in that order from bottom to top, so the finished look is very orange. I probably would have changed that and put the yellow on top for a softer look, and it's a lesson learned for next time.
The tutorial uses satin blanket binding and mentions double fold bias tape as another option. I bought premade bias tape but found that the fabric was too sheer and the paisley print showed through. So instead I pulled this Joel Dewberry stripe from my stash and made my own bias binding instead. The process of creating bias binding is definitely not my favorite, but the results are worth it, and I'm glad I went this route.
This blanket was a big hit. My friend seemed to really like it, and other gals at the baby shower were asking how I'd done it and wanting to see it up close. The chenille gives it a nice weight and cushion, so it's suitable for use as a warm blanket or for playtime on the floor. My friend welcomed her baby just a couple of days ago, and I look forward to seeing her on this bright, colorful blanket.
Here's the cotton twill and flannels I'll be using on my next go-around:
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