I always make baby blankets large so they can be used for toddlers at naptime. Usually about 50 X 60 inches. People also make small quilts for use in car seats/strollers, etc.-like a baby lap quilt.

I am amazed that all three of my children and six grandchildren survived being covered with blankets and quilts while they slept in their beds. They must be special cases. I assume it's SIDS that advises against using the blankets in the beds. I know babies are "swaddled" now, and that's in a blanket. How are the little guys supposed to keep warm while they sleep?

I don't know about patterns starting from fabric off the bolt, but these are the two "upcycling" tutorials I referenced for making mine (one has sleeves and one doesn't):

http://www.montanasolarcreations.com...tshirt-to.html

http://treehugginmomma.blogspot.com/...-tutorial.html

Honestly my baby seems to sleep fine in either style, but she is also always wearing footy pjs with sleeves underneath the sack. It's nice to have a couple in different fabrics, too, just depending on how cold it is and how heavy her pjs are.

I agree with G'ma Kay! I know the SIDS reason for no blankets in the crib, but how do these babies keep warm? You know not ALL houses are as comfortably warm as others are! You just gotta do what your common sense tells you to do. And, I have checked out the tutorial for the blanket made by Jenny Doan. Love it and will have to try this.

I'm planning on making the self binding blanket like Jenny Doan does http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqwdNqMZ8Ro seems like a winner to me.

I always make baby quilts oversized because most of my friends use them on the floor when the baby is playing or resting there. They love the larger size, especially when the baby starts crawling.

For the flannel receiving blankets, I use 2 pieces of flannel that about 1 1/4 yards each.I use the width of the fabric for size and try to make them square. I find this is a good size so the baby has some growing room. My daughter-in-law asked to have a receiving blanket that was about 1 1/2 yard long so her toddlers could cuddle in them while napping. I notice they still have those blankets and use them while reading or resting and they are now 9 and 11.

I make all of mine 45 x 45 so they will be able to use them at 2, 3 and 4 years of age. My older grandkids, 10 yrs, get the 50 x 50 and my throws are about 60 by 60.
Syl

My kids were swaddled into their receiving blankets, too. The oldest is 42, and I learned to do it from my mother. When they started rolling over, the swaddling didn't stay swaddled too long.

My kids slept in blanket sleepers, but we used a blanket as well. Miraculously, all survived their infancy and childhood. The teenage years were touch and go...they would touch my last nerve and I would have to go!