Sewing Patchwork Blanket - Free DIY Tutorial

• material selection
• amount of material
• patterns
• For stability
• Lay patterns
• It is sewn
• Quilting (quilting)
• The mount
• variations

Sewing a colorful patchwork blanket is a challenge. In addition to the many working hours that you have to plan for, you also need a lot of patience and some sewing experience - beginners should start with a smaller project, such as a mobile phone pocket. But still it is worthwhile to deal with this blanket. The colorful piece of sewing is a real eye-catcher - the right instructions for a patchwork blanket can be found here, so grab your scraps and get started!

Quick and easy to self-sewn patchwork blanket

For many weeks, I have been thinking of sewing a patchwork blanket. I've been shy of it for a long time, because such a blanket is a bigger project and, above all, needs a lot of space. But now I have finally decided to tackle this task, because my scraps of cloth are getting more and more and are too bad to throw away! I say it straight out: My blanket is very colorful! All those who like it quieter should stick to 4-6 different fabrics! ????

Difficulty 3.5 / 5
(suitable for advanced)

Material costs 3.5 / 5
(depending on the fabric selection between € 0, - from the remainder utilization and € 130, -)

Time required 3.5 / 5
(including pattern about 10-15 hours)

I've already turned my cotton scraps into bread baskets and other smaller utensils. Now it is my jerseys go to the collar! I'm looking forward to the composition of my scraps!

material selection

In this case, a non-stretchy fabric such as cotton is best suited. You can also buy a package of patchwork fabrics directly. These are particularly suitable due to their high quality and the coordinated designs. These are sold in specialist shops as "Fat Quaters" in a pre-cut in various dimensions (usually about half a meter by half a meter). Nevertheless, I decided to go for jersey anyway, which I reinforce with a non-woven fabric to reduce stretchability.

Then you still need volume fleece in the strength of your choice and a bottom for the ceiling. The underside should be made of a slightly more robust fabric, or perhaps even a water-repellent material, if you would like to use it as a picnic blanket or as a deckchairs for the lake. For my blanket, I have used a non-woven fleece, in which a beautiful, bright, red fabric is already quilted on one side (looks like anorak fabric).

amount of material

I would like to accommodate as many of my scraps as possible with my new blanket, which is why it will be especially big in my case. But do not worry, of course I show exactly how much fabric you need for a blanket using my sample calculation:

My blanket should be about 1.5 mx 1.5 m . If each square is about 15 cm x 15 cm, I need 10 x 10 = 100 squares with seam allowance. Of course you can also make smaller squares. Usual are dimensions such as 10 cm x 10 cm, 15 cm x 15 cm or 10 cm x 15 cm (if the ceiling should not be square).

Finally, you need a little more cotton fabric for the border, in my case 4 x 1.5 m = 6 meters plus seam allowance (plus safety reserve about 30 cm).

patterns

The pattern is very simple: draw a square or rectangle in the desired size, including seam allowance (I would like to take about 0.7 cm) on a thicker piece of cardboard and cut it out. This step is very important! According to my calculation example above, I would otherwise have to measure 100 (!) Squares on the fabrics and draw!

Tip: If you have an object with the appropriate dimensions in the household, you can of course like to use as a template. For example, I have a wooden trivet with dimensions of 16 cm x 16 cm - which is perfect!

With this template, you can now easily transfer the pattern to the desired fabric using a tailor's chalk, Wondermarker or other favorite fabric-writing-thing and then cut exactly on this line. The best way to do this is with a cutting scooter (because it also saves the drawing). Otherwise, it's also classically with scissors.

Tip: For rectangles, make sure that the motifs are placed correctly and do not "lie"!

For stability

For cotton, poplin and quilting fabric that is not necessary, as I said, but in my case all fabric parts now have to be reinforced with non-woven fabric, so that they do not stretch during sewing and then the corners and edges match each other precisely.

Tip: The bladder fleece for optimum stability should also be applied to the seam allowance!

On the other hand, I save with jersey fleece, the serging of the edges. If you use cotton fabrics, please close the edges!

Lay patterns

Phew, that's a lot of stuff! That was quite a lot of work, so it's worth trying the different laying options before sewing. To do this, I place all the pieces on the floor or on my bed (depending on the size of the project) in front of me so that I can imagine what the final result will look like. You can still arrange here and there. There are some common laying variants. A small selection of them can be found below under the title "Variations".

I did not choose any of them because I have four pieces of fabric, many pieces and only two of two fabrics. The only fixed point for me is a fabric design that I have ten times, this forms the diagonal.

As soon as the pattern is cut, place the rows one at a time. Always start from the left so that nothing gets mixed up. The individual row stacks can now be pinned together with an embroidery or safety pin and given their order (ie 1, 2, 3, ... or A, B, C, ...) or simply stacked on top of each other. The main thing you know when sewing then, where is up and down.

It is sewn

And then it's time to start sewing the squares / rectangles of the top row one by one. To do this, put the first and the second square / rectangle together with the right (beautiful) fabric sides and sew them together. I take (according to my planned seam allowance) always a foot width distance to the fabric edge. Then unfold the two fabrics and place the third square / rectangle with the second one on the right and sew again at the same distance. So it goes on until the whole series is finished. If you have done this with all the rows, the result looks like this:

Before further sewing, it is ironed once. Even if you do not like doing that, it really pays off here and makes the further work much easier. To do this, simply iron all seam allowances of the first row to the left, those of the second row to the right, and so on. For jersey with fleece, ironing is not necessary.

Now pin together row upon row of pins so that the individual seams meet.

Now you can see whether you have worked cleanly and accurately. If one seam or another is not one hundred percent accurate, that's not drama either. The larger the overall work, the less obvious are minor inaccuracies. Of course you will notice them yourself.

Tip: Start and end should always be sewn with a few stitches, so that the individual fabric parts in the course of processing can not be partially separated from each other!

So now sew all the rows together, then the top of the blanket is almost finished.

Tip: Remember again that the motive is correct and then not "upside down"! It is best to put two rows on top of each other, as they should be sewn later and folds them on the edge of each other, is sewn on.

When all the rows are stitched together and twisted, you can turn the top over and see exactly how you worked.

Quilting (quilting)

Now comes another exciting part: quilting. Quilting means that at least two or more layers of fabric (usually three) are joined together by sewing. You can let off steam creatively, because every imaginable pattern is possible. However, I only use the classic version of my blanket - along the seams.

To save yourself a lot of trouble, it is important to prepare and fix everything as well as possible, so that nothing gets lost during sewing. Place the bottom with the right side of the fabric down on the floor (this and the fleece should be roughly cut, but not too tight), then the volume fleece and then the top (top) with the right side up.

Now start from the middle to stick all three layers of fabric together. To do this, always stroke the fabric over the fabric to avoid wrinkling. For smaller projects, pins are quite sufficient, but I prefer to use extra long pins with a large head as they hold better. For larger projects and even those with many ornamental quilt stitches, it is worth using safety pins.

Tip: By the way, there are also special quilting pins with a completely flat head.

When sewing, too, I always start from the middle in all directions, so that the individual fabric layers can not slip. This is quite expensive, but it really pays off if you want to avoid wrinkles!

Tip: sew again at the end so that nothing dissolves!

If everything is well sewn, you can cut the bottom part, as well as the volume fleece in the appropriate size.

The mount

No fear! An edging is actually quite fast and easy sewn and you will not believe how fast it is appropriate and the beautiful patchwork blanket is finally finished!

To do this, take the width that the frame should have 4 times. In my case it will be 3 cm x 4 = 12 cm . That's the height. The length you have already calculated by the scope - I like to take about 30 cm reserve. In my case, about 6.3 m . This band does not have to go through in one go. Like a bias binding, it may be pieced; However, you can - depending on the motive - simply cut with the threadline or at right angles to it.

It is important that here too a non-stretchy cotton fabric or, if absolutely necessary, a jersey fabric with a sturdy stiffening fleece is used. With jersey, it can be quite difficult, because it is not so easy to be provided with exact creases. I take different cotton fabrics for my jersey blanket to get a rainbow pattern. But you can also put everything together from one and the same substance.

Tip: When piece-taped ribbons pay attention to the seam allowances! The best way to measure again in the end, if it is long enough!

So I cut for my rainbow edge in total (with reserve and seam allowance) 42 rectangles of 12 cm x 17 cm (I have 6 colors, so each color 7 times). These I staple in the desired order - in my case always red-orange-yellow-green-blue-violet - and then I start, just like the patches, sewing the row together, so that a long band is created.

I put the first two pieces together on the right side and sew them together. In this case, I work with my overlock sewing machine, saving myself from doing the stuffing. If you do not have overlock, you should definitely do it! Then I unfold the two pieces of fabric, put on the right part again right to right the next patch and sew again with my overlock and so on, until all fabric rights are related and a long fabric is created. Then all seam allowances are ironed in the same direction. From the front it looks like this:

This tape is then folded and ironed longitudinally, creating a slight crease. Then open the fabric again and fold both sides towards the middle so that the edges touch the crease. Then the band is folded again and ironed well. The fabric is now four layers.

Now you can start somewhere on the edge, but preferably not on one edge. You fold up one side twice and place this edge on edge on the right side of the lower fabric. To secure a pin can be inserted into each of the four corner pieces, so that nothing slips.

1 of 4

Depending on how thick the blanket is, you now sew a little to the right of the first crease with a simple straight stitch. Sew until the sewing machine foot is at the front at a height with the edge of the ceiling (so the needle is 1-1.5 cm in front of the edge).

Tip: The thicker the blanket is, the farther to the right should be sewn.

Take the blanket and turn it 90 degrees that the corner is on the top right. Then take the hem band and fold it up 90 degrees and fold it back down at the top edge of the blanket.

Now, the fabric of the hem band is held on top right and you pull out of the left excess material carefully. It's a bit hard to explain, but in the pictures you can see it well. If you are unsure, fix the corner with a pin.

Begin with the seam of the next side length so that the presser foot rests flat in front of the "fabric bead" (about 2 - 3 cm after the edge) and sew all the lengths and corners so on.

When you get back to the beginning of the hem band, beat it in 1-2 cm, put the open end over it and just continue sewing until the seams overlap.

Now fold the hem band once, turn the blanket, hit it and sew again at the same distance on the other side. Make sure the middle crease stays straight. The corners are now also very light, there is no need to worry:

A few inches before you come to a corner, the machine is stopped (presser foot and needle are lowered). Now take out pins and pull the edge down. The corner of the finger is pressed in with your finger, then you still aim the fabric and push it into the just-created bag so that the "fold" is at a 45-degree angle.

1 of 6

Then sew until just before this fold (needle in fabric, presser foot up), lift up the corner and inspect the bottom (if necessary still read). The blanket is turned 45 degrees and sewn to the corner. Turn it over just before the end (needle in fabric, presser foot high, 180 degrees) and sew back to the starting point. Then turn the blanket until the outer edge is on the right and continue sewing the next length.

Finally, it is sewn on the starting point of the hem band and sewed everything clean.

And done!

variations

Apart from the fabric selection, which has already been mentioned above, the classic laying method can also be used. For the sake of completeness, I have once again recorded a few simple patterns for you. The individual colors are numbered so you can see how many different fabrics are needed for each design:

1 out of 5

Quick Guide:

1. Create stencil and cut (use with jersey fleece!)
2. Lay patterns and stack patches in order
3. Sew patches to sew
4. Sew rows together
5. Always get stuck from the center outwards, then sew
6. Cut edges
7. Create hem band and hem - done!

The twisted pirate