Guest Blogger: Mitered Corner Flannel Baby Blanket

Mitered Corner Flannel Baby Blankets

by guest blogger: Tiffany

(a.k.a. our favorite interior designer cousin)

Supplies needed:
1 yd. flannel for front
1 1/4 yd. contrasting flannel (for back and contrasting sides)
Thread
Ruler

Finished size:
38 1/2" square With approx. 2 1/2" wide border

Directions:
Cut the back fabric to 44 inches square (or whatever width your fabric may be, could be 43 or 42 depending on the selvage waste)

Cut the front fabric to 34 inches square (or 10 inches smaller than the back fabric, 33 or 32 inches, etc.)

Find the centers on all sides and use a pin to mark them.

Placing right sides together, pin the edges, matching up the center pins. Your backing fabric will be longer than your front fabric on both sides. This excess will become your contrast fabric on the front of your completed blanket.

Start by pinning two opposite sides at a time, making sure to match the center.


Start stitching 1/4 inch in from the edge of your fabric and stop 1/4 inch from the end. Sew using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.





This 1/4 inch is the corner of your miter. If you do not leave this much of the seam allowance free it will not flip through. See picture below.


Repeat the process for the two opposite remaining sides. Remember to leave an opening on one of those edges, so you can flip the entire blanket right side out.


The following pictures show what the corners look like once all the sides are sewn up.



The next step is to create the miters.


With the front fabric facing up at you, fold the corner to create a large triangle. Make sure the fabric lays flat and the fold is closest to you.



I used a straight edge with a 45º angle marking to make sure I drew a straight line at the very end of my stitching line.

(The 45º angle mark should line up along the sewn edge of the blanket. You will be drawing a line perpendicular --90º-- to the folded edge of your blanket.)

Pin, sew and trim all corners to 1/4 inch.


(Be careful not to sew over your original stitch line otherwise your miter will be puckered when you go to turn it.)

The piece I cut off was at a 90º angle to the folded edge.

Flip your blanket right side out and iron the seams towards the outside edge.

The mitered seam may be ironed any which way it wants to go.

Pin the two fabric together once its ironed so it won't move while you top stitch the two pieces in place.
Use whatever topstitch method or stitch you prefer. On this blanket I used a triple zigzag or multi-stitch zigzag.____________________________
According to Tiffany the first time she made one of these blankets it took her about 2 hours from start to finish. However, after the initial blanket her time was greatly reduced and she says she now can finish in about 1 hour. We love quick projects that look like we "slaved all day".