Easy Blankets

(*I had started this post back in April, when I started making the blankets.  It has taken me this long to edit and add pictures - - sorry for the delay!)

I was trolling the web looking for an easy baby quilt to do with some fabric I had picked up from the remnant bin at JoAnn's a while back and found this Super Fast Nine Patch pattern (note: this opens as a .pdf).  It was really easy to complete and worked up in no time.  I added cute little bunny cut outs (pattern from an Easter project that I have been working on).  To finish off, I found a piece of flannel for the backing and simply stitched the top and bottom (right sides together), left a hole for turning, flipped the quilt and then sewed around the larger middle block.  I did not add batting to this quilt, so it is more like blanket weight, rather than quilted.  (Lucky me - - I was able to make blankets from the remnant fabric!! )

Also, when I gave birth to Daniel almost 3 years ago (YIKES! Has it been that long), Dave's company sent a welcome gift box - - which included a Bumkins bib - love these! - and a larger sized flannel blanket made by Nanny and Webster.  I could never afford to buy one of these blankets, but the large size is great for swaddling, covering and playing on the floor.  They are actually fairly simple blankets and I found these directions at The Crafty Patch for sewing a large flannel blanket.  The good news:  the week that I was making these, JoAnn's has cuddleup flannel prints for $2.99/yard, making these not only warm and snuggly, but not terribly expensive to make.  Rather than make my first blanket square, I left it pretty much the size of the fabric - - almost 36 X 45.  Also, you don't have to, but I serged three sides and then sewed the bottom, leaving  a hole for turning.  The blanket ended up being a similar size as  the Nine Patch Quilt.  I have fabric to make two more - - gotta love these large blankets.  They are big enough to cover when I am nursing and make great blankets for laying on the floor for tummy time!