A Cozy, Cuddly Blanket

If two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? - Ecclesiastes 4:11

We're all about keeping warm these days, which is why this week we are focusing on blankets... warm, wonderful blankets! I've been wanting to make a no-sew fleece blanket for ages and this is the season to do it. Most of the fabric stores are having sales on their fleece, so you should be able to pick up the material for a reasonable price. I got this high-quality polar fleece for around $6/yard.

What you'll need:

• 2 coordinating pieces of fleece
• choose 2 colors or 1 color & 1 pattern
• you'll need 1 1/2 yards for a child and up to 2 yards for an adult
• good scissors or rotary cutter & mat
• ruler/tape-measurer

1. Layer the fleece, wrong sides together.

2. Trim the salvage. It's best if you can trim in a straight line, but it's not vital. One of my sides was horribly uneven, but you can't tell now, so don't get too OCD over it.

3. Cut 4 inch squares from each of the corners. Please ignore the strips in the picture... I did much of this project during a ladies craft night at my church and forgot to bring a camera.

4. Go around your blanket and cut strips 4 inches deep every inch or so. A craft mat really helps with this part.

5. Now all you have to do is tie the strips together, completing your blanket! I (and a friend I conscripted at the craft night) tied three of the sides, saving the fourth for E. Even princesses need to learn to tie a knot eventually...

100 or so knots later, she was a pro and the girls had a completed fleece blanket they can sleep  cuddle be their crazy selves in!

The Quiltmaker's Gift
by Jeff Brumbeau


This is a wonderful story you will love introducing to your child. In her house in the mountains an old quiltmaker sews the most beautiful quilts and gives them only to the poor and needy. A sad and greedy king covets her quilts more than anything, but she refuses to give him one until he himself has given away every one of his treasures. Will he learn to be generous and in doing so find true joy?

This sweet fable teaches children generosity in well-crafted story full of rich language and wonderful imagery. The illustrations are gorgeous, colorful tapestries bursting with detail and whimsy. The story is long for little ones, but early and pre-readers will enjoy flipping through the pages to watch the story unfold in the descriptive frames on each page. So grab the nearest cozy blanket and cuddle up to read this lengthy, but fantastic fable!

Project Linus

My MIL - an amazing seamstress and quilter - shared with me this organization that you might be interested in. Project Linus provides "love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer 'blanketeers.'” If you enjoy quilting, you might want to check them out. It would be a great project to reinforce the message of The Quiltmakers Gift.

I'm linking up to:
A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day
Homeschool Creations' Preschool Corner