Sounds so cute! I'd like to do that.

What are the dimensions of each one? 36 x ?

Do you attach the two pieces in any way except to sew around?

How do you punch the holes to crochet?

I love the crocheted edges. My mother in law did that for my boys. They were36 inch squares which were really great. Never wanted a store bought one after that, skimpy little things.

Hi, did you get the material at Joann's or Walmart or both? I was under the impression that Wal-mart no longer sells material. When the Wal-mart closed the old store down in our area and built the new, better and larger one they no longer carried material. Only craft stuff. :(( We don't have a Joann's and I don't care much for Hancock's so I have found several places on line I like to order my material. Is there anyway you can picture the blankets after you finish them? I understand what you are saying about curving the corners. I have also done some that way. I would like to see yours.:)) (if you don't mind)

I bought flannel at both stores. The WalMart was under $3 a yard and not quite as nice as the JoAnn's which was on sale from $5 or $6 to about $3 or so a yard.

I don't have a digital camera, so let me see if DD has taken a picture of the one I made for her 2 1/2 years ago. If so, I will try to figure out how to post it later.

As I said, I wash and dry the flannel first so it will shrink if it is going to shrink and get it over with, and then I steam iron it smooth. Next, I cut off the selvedge edge and any funny writing or colors along that edge.(Even if the selvedge edges become the seams, the stiffer selvedge edges will cause problems with crocheting later, so cut them off.)

Then I pin the two pieces together, right sides facing each other. Smooth them out perfectly before pinning them together. I use a yard stick and a pencil to measure the square and to draw a cutting line. Sometimes one of the pieces of fabric has shrunk, so you have to cut both pieces to the same size.

I cut the largest square I can get from them, but I do prefer a square shape to rectangle shape to help with swaddling. I also use a small plate like a saucer to draw 4 matching but gradually curving corners. Usually the flannels come in about 44 inch wide lengths, but WalMart's may be a bit narrower. I trim off a good inch in selvedge, and then another inch becomes the seams, so maybe they are about 40 to 42 inches when finished if I have bought 1 1/4 yards of each fabric to begin with.

[Sometimes I have a substantial scrap or two left over. I make baby wash cloths or burp cloths out of them. I cut two pieces, press them, pin them together face to face and proceed like the blanket. A wash cloth of double sided flannel is great for babies and needs only two 4 to 6 inch flannel squares.]

Now sew the two sides together on your sewing machine, using a rather large stitch. Leave about 6 inches open so you can turn it right side out. Before you turn it right side out, snip the curved seam edge at each corner so it will lay nice and flat. Turn right side out, lightly steam press again being sure to steam the edge flat and that the seam line becomes the fold.

Now blind stitch the opening shut. (Sometimes I forget to do this step and it seems just fine.) You are ready to do the crochet edging. I prefer to use size 3 or Knit Cro Sheen cotton crochet thread. I can get it at our local craft store, Michael's, or WalMart. I also use a steel crochet hook or two and a very sharp yarn needle.

There are two ways to create that first row of stitches along the blanket edge. The simplest way is to make small blanket stitches along the edge, and then use the top bar of the blanket stitch for the first base row of crocheting.

I prefer to actually pierce the flannel with the sharp yarn needle and then poke a thin steel crochet hook through that hole to make a single crochet stitch, then I chain 1, then I go through the next hole. This method is slow but gives you a very sturdy edge. Use the sharp yarn needle with the largest eye to create pilot holes. I get these sharp yarn needles at WalMart. Poke the needle into the flannel, then come through from the other side to the front and repeat to load your needle no more than about half way with several stitch holes. Then pull each stitch hole off the eye end of the needle one at a time, single crochet into the hole and chain one, and then release the next hole, and repeat around. It is important to pull the stitch over the eye of the needle, because the eye will widen the hole. If you pull out several holes at a time, they will close up before you can stitch into them. Be sure that you are not stretching your stitches too far apart and pulling the edge of the blanket or making them so close together that you will ruffle the edge. Sc, ch1 all around the blanket.

The hard, slow part is over. For the second row, I usually change to a slightly larger steel hook, but you don't have to. I either do --

1) a row of single crochets into each sc and chain.
2) Sometimes I do a row of hdc, ch 1, sk the next stitch, and repeat around. I might even do this row after a row of sc.

Then for the top row, I might do ==
A) 10 sc, make a picot stitch all around.
B) Or I like to make shells--sc in first stitch, skip 1 stitch, 5 dc in next st, skip one st, sc in next st all the way around. I fudge the last few inches if necessary to make the shells come out looking even.
C) If the flannel is very delicately feminine, I might do 6 to 10 rows of scallops. Chain about 5 stitches, skip two sc, sc in next stitch all the way around. All following rows ch 5, sc in next loop. This is a gorgeous edge and it does take up a lot of thread. I have used bedspread (size 10) crochet cotton for the scallop edge, and it is beautiful. Even prettier is to make a small picot in the last row of loops.

The edge will look softer and neater once you launder it. I suggest you might want to wash and iron the blanket again before giving it to the new mom. She won't have to iron it, of course, but you will have it looking its best and the edging will lay perfectly if you wash and steam iron it before giving it away.

If you have questions, just ask.

I also make them that way,minus the crocheting,as i don't know how to crochet.When the babies get to be toddlers i make them a blanket from a cute cotton print with a poly satin for the back.The kids love these,especially the satin.I just made my GGS one 2 weeks ago as he kept taking his sisters.Here's a picture of one i made for my GGD,i havn't posted her brothers into photobucket yet.
Kathi

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That is really a cute blanket. The receiving blankets sound really nice too. One of these days I will try to get back to sewing! I just heard that Joann's in Kokomo is going out of business. I am about 20 something miles from them. No Hancock's either, they went out some years back up there.

Sue

Sheila, great directions. I printed them out and hope to make one of these this summer.

If you want me to post your picture for you, just email me and I'll send you my email so you can forward it to me to post.

Susan

That sounds really nice, SheilaJoyce and I'm sure the moms that receive them are thrilled with them. That's a lot of work and I admire your technique. I don't crochet but I sure respect those of you who do.

I'm still lovin' my little socks!

Thanks, socks. Flamey, I put mine on our Christmas tree!

Hobby Lobby also has some material. Since I don't sew, I really admire someone elses. Watch your craft shows and garage sales. Sometimes people do put out material and I have seen the older flannel, new never used. Much better quality.

Here's the one I made. I had to do the blanket stitch. I was using up some cotton yarn I had, and it was very difficult to crochet through the fabric with it because it was a bit thick. I was glad to have a chance to use up that yarn. Are the silver crochet hooks more pointy?

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Yes, socks, the silver crochet hooks are thinner and thus more pointy to use for thread crochet. They are sized by numbers, not letters. I used a thin a hook as I could and still be able to grab the thread well.

I think I used a flannel print very like your duck flannel for DD if I remember rightly. I have made so many over the years that I am not sure, but I did do a duck one for somebody.

By the way, WalMart carries the really sharp yarn needles. I imagine JoAnn's does too.

CUTE Cute Cute blanket Socks!
I could picture what you were saying Sheila, but that picture brings your words to life!
I am saving the instructions too....I have no one to make baby blankets for....:( but I could still do one and then when I need it just whip it out! LOL

Wish i knew how to crochet!! That looks nice with that edge.
Kathi

I often make gifts ahead of the baby, nodakgal. Socks' example above would do as well for a boy or a girl. I even make pink or blue sweaters and booties and hats and just set them aside for the next baby. My kids and their friends seem to be having lots of babies these days. Babies are going to be popping all over come fall.

We're kind of hoping for a girl in the fall as we just don't have a granddaughter yet. Once I know the sex of the baby in June, the needles will be flying.