Do you want to make a stylish and cozy blanket? Learn how to make one with this step-by-step tutorial
What comes to mind when you think of chilling out on the sofa under a blanket, watching a film? If your answer is “sounds like a great plan!”, this post is for you. Today, learn how to sew a trendy Granny square style blanket. Thanks to the step-by-step instructions created by Esther from @looksanddiy you’ll see that sewing your blanket is easy and simple. To start, you’ll need your sewing machine, 2 m of Granny fabric and 190 cm of a soft and warm sheepskin fabric in a makeup color. Also, make sure you have your scissors, tape measure, and pins ready and spend a wonderful afternoon sewing.
The step-by-step instructions are by Esther @looksanddipatterns, the designer behind the pattern brand Looks and DIY. Also, all her patterns are in English and Spanish. Find different patterns ready to print and sew in her store.
Let me introduce myself, I’m Esther Martínez, a sewing and pattern design teacher. I won the Extraordinary Award by the autonomous community of Aragón (Spain) and I’ve taken part in Feria Creativa as a speaker and I’ve been featured in Elle magazine.
For me, sewing is a lifeboat, an unbeatable moment to disconnect and be at peace. I started sewing thanks to watching my mother and grandmother and I haven’t stopped playing with fabrics since then. Finally, I studied Business Administration and then decided to turn my career around and studied Fashion and pattern design. I create fashionable sewing patterns with clear and detailed instructions for women who want to sew their own clothes, but don’t want to waste time designing patterns or don’t know where to start.
Where can you find my patterns?
You can find my pattern line at my online Academy. If you’re looking for a place to rest and disconnect from your busy day through sewing, you want to create garments that fit you like a glove with your own two hands and learn new techniques, I can help you. I will help you create a unique, personal and sustainable wardrobe that you’re 100% proud of. I’d love to connect with you!
Learn how to sew a soft, cute, and warm blanket
Materials
The measurements we’re going to use to sew this blanket are:
- Granny fabric: 2 meters long by 1.50 meters wide
- Sheepskin fabric: 1.9 meters long by 1.40 meters wide.
- Thread
- As well as the usual sewing notions: scissors, tape measure, pins, sewing machine, etc.
Recommendations
If you’re looking for the parameters Esther has used on her sewing machine and tips to sew furry fabric, she has prepared a reel on her Instagram with all her useful and practical advice.
To sew these fabrics with greater ease, you should use a roller presser foot and baste your fabrics together so that they don’t move while sewing. This is important because the granny fabric has a very open weave and the furry fabric is elastic, that is, it breaks easily if the fabric is not treated with care.
Apply both these tips and you’ll have no problem sewing them.
Assembly – how to sew a blanket:
- To start, look for the center of each side of both fabrics (you can fold them in half to find the middle). Mark it with a pin.
- Starting with one of the long edges, place right sides facing each other, matching up the pin at the center. Pin into place.
- Make sure to leave 1 cm open at the beginning and end of this straight seam. Sew using a straight stitch and backstitch at the beginning and the end.
- Repeat these steps on all the sides. On one side, leave 20 cm open so that you can turn the blanket right side out through this hole.
This is what the corners will look like with right sides facing:
- Next, shape the corners. With a draftsman’s square, make a line following the diagonal created by folding the fabric from the corner. Mark with an erasable pen. The result is a line at 90º. Mark and sew all 4 corners in this manner.
- Cut the excess fabric and make a cut toward the tip of the corner so that the seam settles nicely.
- After this, turn the blanket inside out through the 20-cm hole you left. This is what the corners look like after turning the blanket inside out.
- Seam the opening closed with an invisible seam.
- Finally, understitch to create a border around the entire blanket. First, pin it into place and baste it.
And your blanket is ready!
We hope you like it and encourage you to make your own Granny blanket.
