Its official, it’s Spring! My lemon tree is in full flower, and I am brave enough to leave the house after a long winter. Spring also means picnics, and picnics also mean PICNIC BLANKETS!
I’m sure you already have a ratty old tarten picnic rug that you acquired by default which has years of hummus and corn chips trampled into it. Throw it away, because I am going to teach you how to make your own, brand new, super cute SELF BINDING blanket!
Self Binding Blanket
1 piece of fabric 76cm square (I screen printed some calico)
1 piece of fabric 100cm square (I used some super soft terry toweling)
Fabric Scissors
Sewing Machine
Thread of your choice
This pattern requires a 1cm seam allowance.
Take the small square of fabric, and find the (exact) middle on each side. Mark these with pins. Take the larger square of fabric, and again, find the (exact) middle on each side. Again mark these pins. Take your time with this, as it is important that this is accurate.
Place the two square right sides together and pin the middles together on all four sides.
With the smaller square of fabric on top and starting from the middle, sew down the side of the square leaving 1cm seam allowance. Repete on all sides. On the last side, leave a 10 cm opening which you will use to turn the blanket right side out.
Find the corner on all four sides and make a boxed (mitered) corner. This is tricky to explain, so stay with me…
Take the corner and match up the fabric edges so the stitching on both sides align. Fold the corner over its self creating a crease where you will stich the corner. Stich along the crease and trim off the excess.Repete this step on all corners.
Turn the blanket right side out.
Lay the blanket flat and press with a hot iron. You will see now how the larger square of fabric has folded over and is now the binding. Find the 10cm opening and ensure that the raw edges are folded neatly inside the blanket. Pin if necessary.
With your blanket now neatly pressed, top stich (I used a nice big zig zag stich) along the fabric seams. Be careful when you come to the opening, as you want to ensure all the edges are hidden and sewn away.
Once you have finished sewing the top stitching, trim away all the lose threads, and you’re DONE!
There are some really wonderful video tutorials available on line here and here.
This is super easy, and once you have made one, you will want to make a million. DO IT! Christmas is around the corner, and if someone popped a handmade lap, picnic, car, bed cover, quilt, blanket in my stocking I would be pretty damn impressed!
