You guys, I’m kinda frustrated with this whole “growing up” thing. My kids are growing faster than my brain can keep up with….and I’m not a fan. I sometimes wish I could freeze them, especially when they’re so itty bitty and I just want to hold them and savor every moment of their fleeting newborn days. And that little Max of ours, is no exception. He went against everything I whispered in his tiny ears when he was born about staying little…….and turned into a 10 (almost 11) month old!!! That means that this baby boy is almost a year, which is pretty much a toddler, and then before I know it, he’ll be off to college. (I know, I’m rushing it a bit. But wow, these babies grow so fast!)
And do you know what I have never made for this almost one year old?!?! A baby blanket. I have made a variety of blankets for my other babies and I love watching them cozy up to them and drift off to sleep with their favorite homemade blankies…..but I kinda forgot to make one for Max while pregnant with him. So I gathered up some fabric and made him a Self-Binding Minky Blanket…with PLUS-SIGN APPLIQUE’S over the weekend!
Now that Max has gotten bigger, I have noticed that he sleeps much better when he has some sort of blanket in his crib to snuggle with. So I knew it was past time to make this sweet boy something super soft to nuzzle right into…..and this minky fabric does the trick!
I made a similar self-binding minky baby blanket for Oliver before he was born (almost 4 years ago) and that kid LOVES his blanky! (He will NOT sleep without it!. Ha.) So, I decided to do the same for Max, but changed up the style a bit. And these plus-sign appliques turned out so fun!!!
This little guy is such a snuggler (much like my other boys)……so having something that is so incredibly soft near his face and hands, makes bedtime so much more cozy! But let’s be real….the texture of minky fabric is like softest teddy bear known to man, so it’s perfect for a baby blanket!
The fun part about this blanket though, is that it is self-binding. Which means that you don’t have to use a separate strip of fabric to create a fun border. This border is actually part of the back piece of fabric. The secret is how you sew it together (which is actually pretty darn easy)!!
Finally……a soft and snuggly lovey blanket, all for Max!
The disadvantage to taking pictures of a baby blanket when your baby is almost 11 months old??? He can’t keep his hands off of it!!! I can’t tell you how many times I had to fix this blanket, to get the picture up above. But Max thought it was a game…..and laughed Every. Single. Time.
Haha! This boy really is the happiest boy, who loves a good laugh!
I made the plus signs in 3 different colors, just to give it some dimension, but you could keep them all the same color too.
And I wanted a full picture of the blanket, so you could see the placement of each plus-sign……but no matter what I used to secure it in place, the blanket kept slipping off the edge of the crib.
So what did I use to finally secure it in place?
A seven-year-old helper named Chloe! Ha! (She’s very inexpensive, in case you need her help too.)
This may be one of my favorite baby blankets to date. I just really love the simple style of those plus-sign’s! And that self-binding edge is always a winner in my book!
And this boy may be one of my favorite almost 11 month old’s! (I have 4 other favorites too! Ha.)
I hope your dreams will be even sweeter with your new cozy blanky, sweet boy!
Would you like to make one too? They really are pretty quick to make…..and VERY satistfying! Even for the beginner sewist!
Just let me show you how!!!
***Check out my Sewing Terms 101 post, for additional help.
First of all, the main shape of this blanket is made EXACTLY like the Self-Binding Minky Baby Blanket that I made a few years ago. However, I decided to make this one a little bigger….and a slightly different dimension ratio. (But you don’t have to change that if you don’t want to.) But the concept and instructions for the self-binding is EXACTLY the same, even if you make your dimensions bigger like mine.
But I cut my backing fabric (the grey with the bubble dots on it) 42 x 48 inches. And the front navy fabric I cut 34 x 40 inches.
Then, for the plus signs, I cut out the plus sign template linked up above (which is 4 1/2 inches across) and traced it onto the paper side of my fusible adhesive. Then I ironed the shiny side of the adheisive down onto the BACK side of my minky fabric. Then I cut out each of the plus sign shapes. (I cut out 6 grey, 6 white, and 6 teal plus sign shapes.)
And then peeled off the paper backing.
And then placed the adhesive side of the plus signs down onto the FRONT side of the front blanket piece of fabric. Be sure to space your plus signs evenly, leaving a wide enough border for you to sew your backing piece. (You will only be losing a 1/2 inch for the seam allowance…but just keep that in mind.) You can stagger your plus signs, or keep them in even rows….or even make more or less than what I have used. Then iron each of your plus signs in place, making sure to secure them to the blanket.
Then use a zig-zag stitch and sew around each of your plus signs, making sure they stay nice and secured to your blanket front.
After all of your plus signs are sewn in place, your front piece of fabric is ready to be attached to your back piece and to make the self-binding magic happen! :)
Now, click over to the original Self-Binding Minky Baby Blanket tutorial and you can follow those instructions exactly. There was no need to re-photograph, because it’s exactly the same from here on out…..but I did take a few, just to show you it’s the same.
See? Just the same. And wasn’t that cool how the blanket binded itself?! I really love this technique!!!
Now it’s time to make a few more and give them away as gifts! Because that minky fabric really is irresistible!
Enjoy!
-Ashley