Flannel Blanket – Free Pattern!

Flannel – soft, fluffy and cuddly flannel is used to make this sweet baby blanket.

Two bundles of our Fabric Palette 5-piece flannel fat quarters makes a 30″ x 40″ rag-style quilt.   Read on for the link and tips to make it fun and easy.

The instructions for the “Scribble Animal Flannel Blanket” are right here and also on the Fabric Edition’s website.  If you have never made a ‘raggy’ quilt, this is the one to start with. Not too big, not too small, just right at about 30″ x 38″.  Two matching squares are sewn back to back to make a light-weight four-season blanket.

Tips – Try something new!

Tip #1: Thread. Try variegated thread – you may have a spool but just didn’t want to chance quilting with it. This yellow-blue-green ombre is just the right color combination.

Tip #2: Marking pens. Try a Pilot Frixion erasable ink pen.  It’s one of my newest favorite quilting tools, because you can actually see the line you marked.  Trusting a fabric marking pen is way out of my comfort zone. (Usually the 0.5 mm mechanical pencil is my go to because of the fine line and it always washes out.)   This ‘thermo sensitive’ gel ink irons away. See?  Bye bye lines.              

Tip #3: Rulers. Instead of wrestling with the big 12 1/2″ square to mark the “X”, pick up a half-square triangle marking ruler. It’s lightweight, just 1/2″ x 12″, easy to use and store.

Tip #4: Sew. Use an even feed/walking foot, especially when sewing the four layers of flannel together. The specialty foot makes all the difference between ‘fun’ and ‘frustrating’.

Tip #5: Cutting. Cut or snip through all four seam allowances 1/2″ apart, 1/8″ from the seam. Not into the stitches. This will curl into sweet chenille-like seams when washed and dried. Place the quilt on a big table, not your lap. It’s all to easy to snip whatever it is you’re wearing. Use very sharp scissors, snip the seams a row at a time, then take a break. There are spring-loaded scissors that are great for a bigger quilt. At some point you may want to put them on your Wish List.

Don’t cut tired.  Don’t cut fast.  Enjoy the process.

Tip #6: Wash and dry the quilt to see the chenille seams come to life. Use a shorter cycle, cold water,  with a little detergent. It went into a dryer on ‘regular’ for 25 minutes with a dry bath towel, but did not dry completely, so it finished air drying. There was some cut thread and lint in the trap, so be sure to empty after drying yours. A larger project or different flannel will have more lint accordingly, so a larger size may need to go to the laundry mat. Keep in mind that longer and hotter washing and drying will shrink the flannel even more. So treat it gently.

It’s SO fluffy!!

Check over at our facebook page for a giveaway of two bundles to make your own. The flannel bundles are in Hobby Lobby and AC Moore. stores.  There are different assortments, including some bright flannel plaids that you haven’t seen anywhere else. Super sweet!

         Fabric Palette 5-Piece Fat Quarter Flannel Bundles