Daylesewblessed |
12-25-2011 03:52 PM |
I have prepped hundreds of fleece blankets for groups to finish for Project Linus at work sessions. Here are some of the tips I have learned:
When making single layer fringe blankets in order to make the fleece supplies go fartherm we fringe only 2 sides. I first remove the selvages, then rotary cut the fringe on the uppler and lower edges using a short ruler while the fleece is lined up straight on the cutting mat. Then I turn the long edges (selvage sides) and zigzag a quick hem in them while sewing on the Linus label in the same step. Because there is no fringe on the stretchy edges, I accomplish 2 goals: ending up with a bigger blanket, and avoiding having the messy look that can occur when children are trying to tie knots in stretchy fringe.
We use the skip-stitch rotary blade (skipstitch.com) for making evenly spaced holes around the edge of fleece for crochet. Before I found that blade I was using a buttonhole scissors to cut the holes -- tedious, but it works. The buttonhole scissors also work fine for getting a hole in the fringe for Lalaland's no-tie method.
My favorite method for fleece blankets is the "braided loop edge". Instructions can be found at http://www.linusidaho.org/finishafleeceblanket.htm. This method makes a nice finished edge. Babies and small children may chew on the edge, but I think it is better than what happens when they chew, pull, and stretch fringe.
Dayle
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