Hi, my name is Sherri Sylvester and I'm visiting from Thread Riding Hood, a (proudly) Canada-based sewing blog. There is rarely a day that I don’t use something handmade in our home – bags, clothing, home decor, quilts and lots of things for my kids. My favorite part is when those things end up on the blog and I get to talk about them with you!
I am so happy to have been invited by Sew Sisters Quilt Shop to provide this tutorial with one of my new favorite fabrics, Double Gauze. It's breathable, light and so comfortable to use and wear! Best of all it's easy to sew, and this project is simple enough to finish in a few weekend hours. When I had my babies, I remember loving their hooded blankets - perfect for keeping tiny heads extra warm. If I had known about double gauze then I would have made so many of these!
Using only one metre of fabric and simple sewing supplies, this project is easy enough for beginners! Here we go...
Materials:
- 1 metre of Embrace Double Gauze by Shannon Fabrics (I used Fun Dot Blue)
- ruler or measuring tape
- matching thread
- sewing machine
- scissors, pins & your usual sewing notions
Finding the Straight Grain:
If you have not worked with it before, Double Gauze seems like it should be thin, stretchy, and hard to sew. But it's not! The only tricky part is finding the straight grain, because it tends not to lie straight on it's own. Thankfully it will always be parallel to the threads that hold the two layers of gauze together, hence the term "double" gauze. These threads are usually more visible from the fabric's wrong side and run every 1/2 to 1" or so parallel to the the fabric selvages.
To make your sewing life even easier though, all the
Embrace Double Gauze fabrics by Shannon Fabrics from Sew Sisters have a lovely crossed line pattern woven right into the fabric. Just follow the lines to cut exactly on the straight grain! Even though they may not lay straight, they are. Trust the fabric, not your eye on this one!
Cutting your fabric:
Be sure to cut both necessary pieces for this project along the straight grain, or at right angles to it. Both squares below fit side by side along the width of this double gauze. Be sure to plan how best to fit them in before cutting!
- Pre-wash and press your fabric.
- Cut one 12" square, this will be the hood.
- Cut one square for the blanket that is between 33-36". This dimension depends largely on how much fabric you have available on the straight grain. Be sure to check that you have enough width in both directions before cutting! (P.S. You might have lots left over, there's a bonus project you can make with your scraps, see the end of this post for details.)
Instructions:
- Sewing the Hood: Fold two opposite corners of the small square together to make a triangle. This will be the hood. Match all edges and press the folded edge well.
- Pin and stitch the folded edge with a 3/8" seam. Take care not to stretch the bias seam! It is easier if you increase your stitch length a bit. If it does stretch, have no fear, press it flat along the seam with a bit of steam and it should flatten right out.
- Lay the blanket square flat in one corner with the wrong side up. Place the hood triangle in this corner and match the corner edges. Pin and baste them with a 1/2" seam. (Do not sew the folded edge of the hood, just the two edges that match up with the blanket!)
- Hemming the blanket: Press the raw edges of the blanket 1/2" to the wrong side.
- Clip the corner of the blanket (on the hood corner only) between the pressed folds and trim the seam allowance on the hood to 1/4" to remove bulk when hemming.
- Press all blanket edges in another 1/2" and pin to make sure it stays in place.
- Stitch with a 3/8" seam. Pivoting at the corners.
- Press your hem again to set the stitches. You are finished!
Congratulations, you've finished your blanket. It's ready to be swaddled or snuggled in!
Wondering what to do with your scraps of double gauze?
Make a matching swaddle blanket in doll size! Perfect to include with baby's full size blanket as a gift for the older sister or brother. Now they can be just like mom! I've included
the dimensions for the doll size on Thread Riding Hood. Once you are there, click around - you might find some other tutorials you like as well. Thanks so much for visiting!
This Giveaway is Closed
Giveaway!
We're giving away one metre of the fabric used in this tutorial to one lucky winner!
Winner will be chosen Monday, September 21.
Good Luck!
