Growing Snowflowers

BLANKETS FOR BABIES

A couple of years ago I made a bunch of baby blankets to raise money for our adoption, I think I ended up spending more than I made and I discovered that I take too long to sew anything! I have decided to donate my last four blankets to CCAI's 'blankets for babies' project. I would also love to put a word in everyones ear to think about donating a baby blanket for an orphan in China. CCAI has sent hundreds of blankets to children in need, and we are going to start an outreach to our friends and family to join in.

The blankets can be purchased from a store (no need to wash) or made by you..there are a few requirements which I will list directly from CCAI's website. Please take the time to send just one blanket to CCAI's blankets for babies coordinators.

Sassy Scrubs
1 Keuka Business Park
Penn Yan NY 14527
Blanket and Quilt Guidelines:

Fabric:

The most important decision to consider when preparing to make a blanket will be the fabric type and quality. The fabric should be soft, warm, and durable, while also being hypo-allergenic, safe, and clean. Suggested fabrics are: fleece, waffle-knit, heavier weight flannel, heavy weight jersey, but others can certainly be considered. You can even purchase a regular bed-sized blanket and cut it into baby- or kid-sized blankets. Please do not purchase the $1.00/yard, Wal-Mart sale-bin, fabrics for use in blankets. This fabric is not durable and won’t last long as a blanket. It only takes a single yard of fabric for a baby blanket and better quality flannel runs from $1.89 to $6.99 a yard, so even buying the “good stuff” is not expensive. A good rule of thumb would be – if you’d like this fabric to make a blanket for your OWN baby, then it is the right fabric to use. The blanket you make is likely to be the only blanket this baby will own so we want it warm, soft, and nice.

Quilts:

If you prefer to make a quilt, please make sure it is securely sewn and most importantly, that it contains no substances which may cause allergies (no down, feathers, wool, etc.) and that it contains no buttons, bows or other decorations which may be a choking hazard to children if they are pulled off the quilt, or chewed on. Appliqués are welcome, as long as they are sewn on securely. Do not rely upon fabric glues to secure your appliqué – they are a great start, but please finish the appliqué by sewing it securely to the quilt. Simple, colorful, soft and warm is all we need!

Pre-Washing:

Consider pre-washing your fabric if it is dark in color (red, black, brown and dark blue tend to bleed), has a fabric odor, or is “shop-worn”. If you do pre-wash the fabric, please use scent-free detergent and NO fabric softener, in case of allergies. Again, think about what you would want for your own baby – is this fabric suitable?

Method of Construction:

Blankets may have the edges serged, or if you do not have a serger, fold the edges of the blanket over about ½ inch all the way around, fold again to encase the raw edges, and then topstitch. Or use blanket binding, reverse stitching the last ½ inch so the threads holding on the binding do not unravel.

Fleece blankets can certainly be constructed with the edges cut and tied into fringe. Please make sure that there are no loops in the knots, or in the fringe, which may catch and wrap around small feet or toes.

Quilts can be completed by sewing the right sides together, leaving an opening of approximately 6 inches, then turning the quilt inside out and finally stitching the opening closed. You also may use blanket binding around the edges, or even serge the edges together. Another idea is to simply fold in all of the edges of the quilt tops by ½ inch, and then topstitch the two tops (wrong sides together, with batting in between) along the edges. You can stitch the body of the quilt by machine or by hand, or tie it, making sure the ties are tight and will not unravel or come untied. Remember – no buttons, bows, or other decorations which may cause choking hazards.

Size:
Size is less important than quality of construction. Several inches larger or smaller will not be a problem. Fit the size of the blanket to the size of the fabric you are using to get the most out of it.

Generally, our blankets are approximately 34” by 34”. They do not need to be square, however. If your fabric is 45” wide, you can use a yard of it, without trimming, to result in a blanket approximately 43” x 34”. This is a great size for an older baby. We like to round the corners, which makes it especially fast and easy if you are serging the blanket. If you are folding the edges and topstitching, leaving the corners squared will be easier for you.

If you like super-easy, and super-soft, consider fleece panels. They come in many printed designs, are very easy to finish by serging or by zig-zagging the edges. One fleece panel makes a nice blanket for an older child, or can be tucked into the seat of a wheelchair or around the legs of a child. Plain fleece (without a printed design) is often found on sale and makes a wonderful blanket too, either for a larger child, or cut into smaller blankets. Again, you can also finish the fleece with tied fringe, making sure there are no loops in the knots or fringe to catch and wrap around small feet or toes.

For quilts, you can purchase quilt tops with juvenile themes and they will generally be approximately 43” by 34” when completed. You can also make your quilt tops from patchwork squares, strips, or any other design you wish, to use up your scrap fabrics. Just make sure the fabric you use is clean, strong, and soft. We recommend you purchase quilt batting for “stuffing” inside your quilt, but as long as the material is clean and in excellent condition, you can use mattress pads, beach towels, or older blankets as stuffing inside the quilt. Again, make sure the material you use is hypo-allergenic – do not use an old wool blanket, for instance, as stuffing inside your quilt.

Remember, the most important guidelines to consider for your blankets and quilts are safety, hypo-allergenic nature, cleanliness, and that the fabric be good quality, soft and warm. If you’d like it for your own baby, it’s the right fabric to use for OUR babies.

THANKS