Blend sent a bundle of Good Company by Cori Dantini. Isn't it cute?
As I was flipping through the pages of Mollie Makes Crochet
I instantly zeroed in on the Baby Blankets on page 24.
Pin all the way around the blanket, leaving an opening for turning:
{the puppies love their new blanket!}
{taking corners like a sports car!}
{granny square blanket}
{Brightly colored chevron throw-next on my wish list!}
{Nesting Matroyshka dolls, so cute!}
{Flowers! Imagine a bridal bouquet of crocheted flowers!}
{http://www.interweavestore.com/mollie-makes-crochet}
I don't crochet, I never could quite get the hang of it. But, my sister does (and she is mind-blowingly talented at it!) and she doesn't sew but she's learning. I figured I could do the same with her craft of choice. So, I made a blanket (easy peasy).
**You will need seven different fabrics, at least 5" wide by the width of the fold and one yard of flannel for the back. For the crocheted bit, grab a skein of not-too-thick yarn, a tapestry needle and a crochet hook. (Check the label on the yarn for size recommendation.)**
First, I cut 5"x31" strips of five fabrics and cut around the design of two others for a total of seven fabrics. (Your fabric may not need to be "fussy cut".)
I arranged the strips;
then sewed them down the 31" length, right sides together:
Keep sewing the strips together, pressing seams to the side as you go.
When you have the last seam sewn and pressed, lay it right side up on the floor, or your table. Lay the flannel right side down on top of it, having raw edges matched; trim edges as necessary.
I pin with balls in, not balls out like Angela, here. See? I'm making her turn them all around. The reason is because a lot of sewing machines have screw holes in the throat plate, and if you sew over pins like I do (Sh! Don't tell on me!) then you don't want the balls to get stuck in the holes. It's frustrating and makes for wonky seams.
Sew all the way around the blanket using a 1/2" seam allowance. Be sure to back stitch on each side of the opening!
Trim the corners using pinking shears, or clip v notches if you don't have any.
Turn the blanket right side out, press and then top stitch all the way around with a 1/4" seam allowance.
Next, using your yarn and tapestry needle, blanket stitch all the way around the blanket, using the 1/4" top stitch as a guide.
This is where the book comes in handy. The directions are clearly illustrated and easy to follow. Trust me on this one, before I made this blanket I could t crochet to save my life!
Once you have completed the blanket stitch, you can choose a decorative edge to add to it. In this book, there are three options: shell edging, lattice edging and picot edging. I chose the lattice edging because it looked the easiest. My friend Angela showed me how-even though I yelled at her for pinning balls out-and off I went!
This book features 20+ projects, I'm confident that even if you've never picked up a crochet hook in all your life you could make something from it.
Here's a peek inside, some of my favorite things in the book:
I think Mollie Makes always does such a beautiful job of inspiring the creative soul. I've always admired and loved the look of crochet but never thought it could be done by me. I've looked at several tutorials and have tried reading patterns. This book was the first thing I've looked at that really clicked and everything made sense. Even if you're a seasoned pro, this is a must-have book for your library. Every single thing in it is so cute. Total eye candy!
What's even better is that it is on sale at the publisher's website. Totally worth the $19.95 price tag, but s completely unbelievable deal at $9.98! Ten bucks?? Yes!
Happy crafting!
-Kristi
I can't crochet either but think I would love this book. The crochet round the panel quilt works really well.
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