Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Sewing: Chevron Chenille Baby Blanket (Tutorial)


I am a bit ecstatic about this blanket! I have been thinking about making it for a few months, wondering if it would work, and it worked! It worked!


This is what I'm calling my Chevron Chenille Blanket. It's created using the technique I used for Tess's Heirloom Cut Chenille Blanket, but with the very fun variation of the stitching following the chevron pattern in the fabric. I think it's a beautiful quilted look. In fact it looks pieced until you look more closely. But more importantly, the zig zag stitching results in:


Ta-da! Chevron-patterned chenille on the reverse side!


Isn't it cute?! Don't you want to roll around in it? I think it is so much fun!

I was crossing my fingers the blanket would fray this way. One has to make this cut chenille by stitching and cutting on the bias so it frays nicely instead of creating a stringy mess. Since the ups and downs of these chevrons are on the bias I gambled that it would work. In typical fashion I wasn't wise enough to try a test swatch so when I pulled it out of the dryer I thought "hooray!"


This chevron fabric is Premier Prints "ZigZag" in Girly Blue. I found it at Fabric.com. It's a 100% cotton home dec fabric categorized as a lightweight twill, which makes it a bit heavier than quilting cotton, but it's still pretty soft. The chevrons are about 3/4" wide, so the stitching is also, and therefore the chenille is a little "floppier" than on the original cut chenille blanket; an equally good, though different effect. A bit more modern looking I think.

Premier Prints has a bunch of really cute variations of this fabric: mustard and white, natural and slate blue...so many fun possibilities. Some are a bit heavier than this fabric I used--medium/heavyweight canvas--which would still work, but be slightly less soft. I think of these blankets more as lap blankets or stroller blankets or coverlets or playmats, than swaddling blankets, anyway. And they don't look bad hanging over the side of the crib as eye candy either! (Look carefully because some are outdoor fabrics, which I wouldn't recommend.)



This blanket is all wrapped up and ready to go to my sister-in-law, along with the polka-dot-embellished swaddling blanket I just made.


If you'd like to make one click below to read the tutorial.





CHEVRON CHENILLE BLANKET TUTORIAL

**Note that this tutorial builds on the original Heirloom Cut Chenille Baby Blanket Tutorial.**
This blanket is created almost identically to the original cut chenille blanket, for instance, with a 45" square of a patterned 100% cotton fabric (mine is this Premier Prints ZigZag) and three layers of 100% cotton flannel. (Next time I make one I want to try it with five layers of flannel--it would be even fluffier.) I layered them with the white against the wrong side of the chevron print, then the cobalt and finally the aqua blue. If you look closely you'll see that this results in the aqua in the middle, then the cobalt and finally the white on the outside of the chenille chevrons. Note that I don't prewash my fabrics for this blanket.

The key difference between this blanket and the original is obviously the pattern of the stitching: in the characteristic chevron motif. This relies totally on having an appropriate chevron printed fabric, because you can simply follow the edge of the zigzag with your presser foot and have perfect chevrons! I suppose one could stitch chevrons using some other method (perhaps drawing the lines first...) but that is a tutorial for another day, and probably another person! I would recommend using a fabric which has chevrons that range between .5" and .75" wide. Mine are .75". Makes the stitching go fairly quickly (though still 4-5 hours). If your chevrons are wider and you still want to attempt this you could do two rows of stitching for each chevron using your presser foot as a guide (split the height of the chevrons and  use your foot to sew every .5" or whatever works).


I used safety pins to hold my layers together (I think I skipped this on the original but thought why not take the extra precaution) and started in the center of the blanket to minimize the shifting that can happen when sewing from one end to the other. To stitch the chevrons simply start sewing down the edge (between the aqua and white bands) until you reach a peak or valley...


...lift up your presser foot, and pivot...


...lower your presser foot and stitch down the other side...


...until you reach the next peak/valley.


Lift up your presser foot, pivot and repeat, repeat, repeat.


I would get to the end of a "row" or zigzag, and flip the blanket around and sew down the other direction. I worked equally on both sides of the first center zigzag line towards the edges of the blanket, so the first dozen rows of stitching looked like this:



And when all the stitching was finished, it looked like this:


I trimmed the exess at the edges before cutting. With the original Heirloom Cut Chenille Blanket I used a special cutting tool to cut between the rows of stitching. In the case of this Chevron Chenille Blanket I used scissors. I wanted to have more control so I could snip to the top of a peak and stop, pivot the scissors and cut down the other 45-degree angle. The goal is to have the cutting centered between and parallel to the stitching lines. I started by snipping one angle and moving down to the next row and so on. Then I switched to cutting all the way down a row or zigzag and then doing the next. Either way works, the idea for me was to keep it from being too repetitive. (Good idea to take some breaks too as the repetitive motion is hard on the cutting hand!)


Here's how the blanket looked after all the cutting.

You will end up with a triangle shape of flannel at the edges inside the last "row" of stitching. Cut a triangle shape out of this so that it will fray at the very edge.


After finishing the cutting I rounded the corners as per the original tutorial. With the original blanket I used a satin binding, but for this one I decided to use the chevron fabric (and a really cool method described in this tutorial!) to make a 2" double-fold bias tape binding. I sewed the binding to the right side of the blanket using a .5" seam allowance. I didn't pin first, I just aligned the edges as I sewed. (Don't forget to turn down the edge at the beginning of this stitching for a nice finish.) Using bias tape makes the binding curve so nicely around the rounded corners.


Sew the binding all the way around the blanket and overlap it at the beginning.


Then turn the binding to the reverse side of the blanket. The middle fold of the double-fold bias tape should be at the edge of the blanket and the tape should then be folded under wrong sides together on the reverse side of the blanket so no raw edges are showing. This creates a .5" binding. I pinned generously here all around the binding.



Now you could slipstitch the binding down on the reverse or cut side so no stitching shows. I opted for a faster method: I stitched all the way around the binding. on the reverse side, as close as possible to the edge of the binding:


I think the top stitching looks nice and I don't mind it on the patterned side either where it fell just inside of the binding. 


This is where it gets good! Throw the blanket in the washer and dryer. I washed on warm/cold and dried on medium and then did it again. I was thinking about my theory of the chevron fray as compared to the pinking technique for stopping fraying. Hmmm. It worried me for a bit. then I thought the length of the zig and zag must be everything. As it turned out there were little sections in the valleys of the flannel where it didn't quite fray. I cut into a few of these on the very edge where it was more noticeable but in general it wasn't noticeable at all.


That's it! I saw that as if this is a quick project but it's obviously not. However, I thought it was fun all along the way and so worth the effort! I hope you'll let me know how it goes if you give it a try. I'd love to see the Chevron Chenille blanket in some other color variations and with other chevron fabrics.


126 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is gorgeous!!! What a fabulous idea. It looks like it took FOREVER to cut it all out!

Melissa said...

Absolutely gorgeous! I made a chenille quilt after seeing your original, now I feel like I need a chevron one, too!

Michelle {Daydream Believers} said...

This is absolutely gorgeous! What a fabulous gift! :) Great job!

French Press Knits said...

I am in love- I may have to put the knitting needles down and dust off the sewing machine.

Liz said...

The blanket looks wonderful. I love the chevron pattern!

Tammy said...

You're crazy. ;-) It's beautiful, and what a thoughtful gift!

Mommafo said...

Gasp. x100.

Jessica F. said...

Amazing. I love it!

Amy @ OurScoop said...

Wow! That is beautiful! You are so talented and creative! I love it!

Sarah said...

What a great new technique, albeit time consuming, and a fantastic result. I had to read your tutorial and return to the original Heirloom version to read that too! I love this idea, I really hope I can find the time to create one as well! Inspiring! :)

Unknown said...

Absolutley gorgeous Anneliese! That's alot of work...but so rewarding and worth it. What a lucky baby (and mama) to recieve such a gift :)

Jenni said...

wow! that blanket is stunning! i have made one very similar, minus the zigzags...can't even imagine how bad your hand must have hurt afterward!

it is beautiful! love the color and really just everything about it!

Pam from Over the Big Moon said...

I love this! Just pinned it and I hope to get to it soon! Thanks!

Pam
www.overthebigmoon.com

CBH said...

Wow.... This is stunning. I totally agree with Susan @ Living with Punks.
When I saw the first few photos I thought, oh this is nice, the rounded corners are great. Then I saw the front and my jaw dropped! It is just beautiful, you must be so pleased with yourself.

thanks for sharing

Katy said...

This is beautiful! I'd love to find the time to do one just like this sometime.

Brook@BeingBrook said...

Amazing!! I really want to try this. Looks so soft and cuddly!

sewhappy said...

Wow! Both blankets are darling!!! Who wouldn't love to receive such amazing gifts?
Bravo! :)

**nicke... said...

holy crap! that is super awesome! i love it!

srldesign said...

wow! I love it, I totally need to make one, or two! haha! Great job!

Khris said...

Fantastic...love it...have shared this on my Freebies for Crafters blog...thanks for sharing..Khris

klee1 said...

OK...so do you have any suggestions for cutting the fabric with scissors and NOT cutting through the top layer? I made one chenille blanket by your previous tutorial and used the chenille cutter. It worked beautifully! Next blanket I decided to try scissors.I cut about 3 lines and then noticed I had cut about a 10 inch split in the front layer of my quilt. What a mess!! So, any suggestions?

Kathy

Amie {Kitty Cats and Airplanes} said...

This is seriously one of the most awesome things I have ever seen in the world of craft blogs. Honestly, I couldn't praise it enough. Thanks for sharing your genius with us!

Meags Keogh said...

Your patience astounds me! This is truly magical. What a beautiful gift.

Emily said...

Amazing!!! Love that you used the same fabric for the binding and I'm impressed with that perfect stitching and cutting. I've made one faux chenille blanket and cut it all with scissors. I had to wait a few days for the blisters to go away. :)

Anneliese said...

Thanks for the warm and fuzzy feedback!

@klee1: A wrong cut can be devasting in a project like this! I'm so sorry. I had the opposite problem with this chevron version of the chenille blanket--I often missed cutting the bottom layer of flannel. I don't know that I have specific technique advice to offer but I think the zigzag cuts force once to slow down, and you cut in smaller sections, which makes it less likely to make a wrong cut. Dana has a similar tutorial on MADE for a chenille blanket and includes a patch solution for a cut into the top layer. See here:http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-faux-chenille-blanket.html

Claire Meldrum said...

I loved your original chenille quilt - this new zig zag variation is adorable. WTG!

FullertonRegan said...

This is so beautiful Annelise! It looks like somthing that would be fun to takle in this cooler weather, when all one wants to do is snuggle with a hand-work project. I do think I'll be trying it!! Thanks for the fabric link too!!

Brett, Juliann, and Mae said...

Beautiful...I found out in a week if I'm having a boy or girl. This is the blanket I will be making for them. You have the three layers of flannel...is there a fabric/batting between the top chevron fabric? I can't wait to make this.

patti west said...

I made a chenille baby blanket this past summer...but never would've thought to use chevron fabric. What a brilliant idea!! Love this! :)

KendasCrafts said...

that's pretty awesome! i made a chenille blanket once, and swore never again because it was so tedious. Those awesome chevron stripes inspire me to do it again!

Unknown said...

What a great idea. I'm going to try this.

The Lady said...

absolutely adorable!

Deborah said...

This is so adorable. I may have to learn to sew just to make it.
Thanks for sharing.

hmdraney@gmail.com said...

The most clever version of a chenille quilt I have ever seen! I can't wait to try it :)

Anneliese said...

@Brett, Juliann and Mae: there is no batting or any other additional layers. Just the sandwich of the top/patterned fabric and 3-5 layers of flannel. Thanks for asking!

Anonymous said...

using spring-loaded scissors with more ergonomic handles make the cutting part that much easier & they're good to use with rag quilts too!

Ashley J @ MommyByDayCrafterByNight said...

THIS IS FABULOUS!!! I absolutely LOVE it! Pinned and maybe if I get brave enough I will make one:)

xoxo, Ashley

Shannon said...

WOW! what a success!!!

aimee said...

Wow!!! I have been wanting to make a chenille quilt since you mad the first one. Now, I'm really torn about whether to do the original or chevron. The gray and white chevron would be so cute for my boy.

bagfashionista said...

this is beautiful! but my hand is having spasms just remembering how much work it was to make the traditional one --- and this one looks like it'll take a lot longer! but it's so beautiful that i will probably make it

Jamie @ the Backless Shirt Blog said...

I am making a snuggie blanket size right now. Hopefully I'll make a 'life-size' version next. I can't wait to see how it turns out!
Thanks for the tutorial!
Jamie

Mer said...

thank you so much for sharing this fab tutorial! (i just found your blog via pinterest and i'm hooked!) i'm going to try to whip one out before my baby boy is due next month...here goes nothin! thanks again.

kim west said...

featured this today on my blog!!! it's fantastic!

www.kimboscrafts.blogspot.com!

Kari @ The Purple Quiltapotamus said...

What an amazing quilt! I made a small sample quilt when you did your first chinelle blanket tutorial but I am IN LOVE with the chevron pattern so I might be making another (larger) chenille blanket in the near future!

Hollienoel said...

Wow. This blanket is AMAZING. I think I'd need a xanax and/or a nanny to accomplish making one myself, but I am totally inspired. Maybe a 14" X 14" chevron chenille lovey, ha ha.

Anonymous said...

This is so incredible. I just have to try it. It's so beautiful I can't stop looking at it. I'm going to blog about it if that's okay with you.

Our Little Beehive said...

Just when I thought a blanket couldn't be more perfect, you go and do it again. Simply stunning!

AnJayla said...

Amazing!! I made two of the regular chenille one and have the stuff to make 2 more. I think I'm going to have to exchange the fabric so I can do the chevron!!! That is absolutely gorgeous.

cjameliamom said...

Lucky sister-in-law! This blanket is beautiful! I've made the original version but may have to try out the chevron. GREAT idea!

Graciela said...

Thanks for sharing !!!i'm follower now!
kisses for you from Argentina ♥♥♥

Anonymous said...

Once again, I'm in love! I've been thinking about a back to a quilt and I might just have to try this!!

Jean @ Flower Hill said...

This blanket is gorgeous! I want one for me!

The Crouch Family said...

This is the most gorgeous blanket! Thank you so much for the tutorial. I made the earlier version and when I saw this version a few months ago, I knew I had to try it again. I finally did this week. I posted the pictures of it on my blog here: http://isabellecrouch.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-case-of-apocalypse.html

Laura G said...

I started a bright green and white Chevron blanket tonight. 4 zig sags down, 20 more to go. :) Thanks for a great tutorial!

Lesley, The Mother said...

Did you order the back from Fabric.com too? It looks like it matches so well! If not, where did you find it to match so perfectly?

Becky said...

HI...I'm scanning all the comments to see if I missed it and scanning through your tutorial and what I am wondering is where you purchased the backing and the flannel? It's a lovely blanket, you could move this a step further and add a shoulder bag to serve as a diaper bag, or a pillow, I noted some lady along the comments made a booboo and cut all the way through in a spot, she could cut the piece down and make a pillow or a shoulder bag. Thanks for the tutorial...it's lovely.

Anneliese said...

@Becky: A pillow or bag would be adorable! I purchased the flannels at a local (non-Joann) quilt shop.

Debbta said...

I'm so impressed with your chenille blankets! Many years ago, when I first discovered the chenille technique, I made several throw pillows. Instead of using flannel, however, the instructions were to use Warm & Natural batting (I believe that is the brand name). I dyed the batting in colors that coordinated with my outer fabric. Since I made pillows, I think I used muslin for the inner-most fabric as it wouldn't be visible. As best I can remember, I layered muslin, batting, some other patterned cotton, batting and the exposed, outside fabric. I stitched my chenille cutting lines in patterns, such as leaves, hearts, etc. I was thrilled with the outcome. Using flannel is a great idea. My first grandchild arrived in December. I made a quilted, applique'd blankie for him. I really hate to quilt. I wish I had found your tutorials before beginning that project. Your blankets are beautiful. Thank you for the inspiration.

Debbta said...

One point I forgot to mention - the designs were stitched either 1/4" or 1/2". The chenille cutter would have been great to have.

kim said...

I just made a small lovie size blankie using this technique. It is so amazing! I now want to make a bigger one like you did. The chenille turns out so beautiful! Thanks for sharing the idea.

Tiffany said...

I am seriously in love with this idea. Faux chenille blankets are a new thing to me, and I adore the chevron technique! Thanks so much for sharing. :)

I added this to a collection of my favorite baby tutorials over on my blog. :)
http://thelittlewaffleflower.blogspot.com/2012/02/baby-on-brain-and-bladder.html

Starlette said...

I attempted this with just a small piece of fabric to see how I liked it. I found after the 1st time I washed it there was strings everywhere. I brushed it softly and cut them off, but it still doesnt really look like yours. Any suggestions.

Anneliese said...

@Starlette: The fraying won't work as it's supposed to if the stitching and cutting aren't done on the bias. So if you are sewing/cutting straight lines be sure they are on the bias. If you are doing the chevron version the angles should be on the bias--maybe double check that the selvedges of the top fabric and the bottom layers of flannel and that your chevron fabric has angles that are parallel to the diagonal between the two corners.

Rhianna said...

I just made a tiny version of this to see if I could do it and it worked, so now I am on to the full size! My question is do you think it would still work and look nice if I added some quilt batting and an extra layer of flannel that I don't cut through to give the remaining areas some thickness? (Like in between where the flannel shrinks up to make the chenille)This will be my first sewing project and I am new to the sewing machine so wish me luck!

Anonymous said...

I found this on pinterest about a month ago. I finally finished and it's on the first wash cycle now. I'm so proud since I've only been sewing a few months. Thanks so much! PS Didn't order enough fabric so the binding is white flannel which looks wonderful also. I wish I could say I did it in a different color, but I'm addicted to blue, so..

nu G said...

Absolutely Brilliant! Love love love it. Thank Goodness for pinterest...I followed a pin of this quilt and found your Awesome site!!

The How-To Gal said...

I FINALLY finished mine today! Thank you for the fabulous tutorial. I love the idea and especially the finished project. http://www.howtogal.com/2012/04/chevron-chenille-blanket-done.html

Rhiannon said...

Gorgeous!!
do you think it would work with fleece? i have a bunch of left over from a clearance sale

Danielle said...

Thank you SO much for this tutorial. Admittedly I got a lil excited and embarked on a journey that would lead me to a different type of blanket ending. But my version I think turned out great(or my mistake for being overly excited and not reading all your directions! Haha!) Let me know what you think.

http://fullbobbin.blogspot.com/2012/04/different-sorta-rag-quilt.html

F. Iacono said...

LOVE this! I'm making a yellow one for my future niece or nephew! I have two concerns: 1) locating the bias... this I think i can fix with a visit to the ladies at my local craft store. 2) Maintenance. The material says that it is not recommended for washing/ drying. Have you had any difficulty with that? Any long term effects?

Any help is much appreciated. Thank you for the wonderful tutorial!

Erika said...

Do you think this would work if not cut...and just put a binding around it?

Anneliese said...

@Erika: Sure! It would work without cutting. It would be a beautiful quilt.

Ashley said...

Thank you so much!! I just finished a blanket for my daughter. I used the coral/white chevron and it is gorgeous!! I ordered green/white for my son also but today while I was cutting the chevrons I wasn't sure I was going to follow through on his. Then the blanket came out of the wash and I am excited to get started on another! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Unknown said...

This was a great tutorial! I had just ordered some chevron fabric bc i loved it but didnt know what to do with it! Well, it took me about 5 days but i was able to make it and well! And it was my first quilt to make, so thanks for the inspiration!

Sarah said...

Can you use a seam ripper or some other easier tool to do the cuts instead of scissors? I don't do a lot of sewing, so I may be out of touch with the reality of cutting through multiple fabrics. Really great tutorial, thank you! sarahvega1@yahoo.com

Anneliese said...

@Sarah: I wouldn't try this with a seam ripper--too small, imprecise and difficult! I'm afraid you'd end up with holes where you didn't want them. I really think scissors would work the best since you can cut right to the point on the zigs and zags though you could try it with an Olfa cutter per my original Heirloom Chenille Blanket post.

Dr. Dolly (@drdolly) said...

which chenille blanket was faster? the chevron or the original?

i definitely want to make a chenille on one side of a 100 wishes quilt for our soon to be adopted daughter. thanks for the idea of how to do the OTHER side of the quilt (the non quilt-block side).

although, i may forgo quilt blocks altogether and make this instead ;-)

where did you find your flannel in such vivid colors?

Anneliese said...

I love hearing about all your finished blankets! Thank you for sharing with me.

@Dr. Dolly: I think the original Heirloom goes a bit faster because you can use the Olfa cutter, but I probably preferred making the Chevron because the zigzags don't get boring! I bought my flannels at a local quilting shop.

Caroline said...

I love this! May I feature it on www.sewcanshe.com? Please drop me a line to let me know caroline@sewcanshe.com.

Thanks so much!

Caroline

Julie said...

I would love to know if you think layering it chevron print, batting, cotton flannel and THEN the three cotton flannels you cut would be a sewing disaster or not? I'm just trying to get back into sewing and this project caught my eye. The only bad news is, nowhere near me sells a thick enough chevron print for my liking to suit our cold weather, and ordering online would cost a fortune with duty.

Anneliese said...

@Julie: I think you could try this with batting--maybe a different cotton print sandwiching it, and then the flannels. It's actually a pretty heavy blanket as is, and you could do up to five layers of flannel, which you cut. It's pretty cozy. But if you have a heavy duty machine it might be fun to try adding the extra warmth.

Barbara said...

Wow. My daughter wants a full size rag quilt for daughter's bed. Don't know which would be harder/easier. This beauty or a rag?

B+J said...

Amazing idea! I am so excited to try this out! Thank you for sharing!

The Pierce's said...

Do you have to use flannel or will layers of cotton work ok?

Anneliese said...

@The Pierce's: layers of cotton will work too!

Wendy M, Sarasota, FL said...

My DIL had already shared the chevron fabrics she wanted in the nursery, I just needed to come up with a quilt design using those fabrics. I was so excited when I found your site, it was exactly what I was looking for! I just finished the blanket in the green and white chevron with three shades of green flannel on the reverse and trimmed in a turquoise print using your wonderful continuous bias tutorial. Thank you, Thank you for helping me complete a fabulous nursery!

Christina said...

This is gorgeous! I have one question, though, since it's been nearly a year since you made this; do you have problems with it shedding now that it's older and been through more washings and use?

Anneliese said...

@Christina,

I actually gave away this particular blanket, but my experience with the one I have is that there is little to now shedding after the first few washes. Still some lint in the dryer however. I hope that helps.

Bridget said...

I made the leap and decided to make this blanket for my first baby (due this November) and I'm glad that I did. Although it took a very long time to make I am extremely please with the outcome. It is a unique piece that completes the baby's room. I have recieved many compliments on the blanket and know it will be a special item for years to come. Thank you for the tutorial and idea!

Bridget said...

I did gray/white chevron fabric for the one side and light yellow, light gray, dark yellow, and dark gray for the flannel. :)

emma said...

this is beatuiful! i made a few of the origonal last year while iwas stuck in hospital for most of the pregnancy (beign made to do absolutely nothing makes something like this even more amazing!) was about to do one with the chevron for a friends baby to-be and was wonering before i ordered fabric if you would allow me to sell a few for charity in a not-yet-setup-etsy/ currently run alongside a hospital gift store? i didn't see any mention of rights but i may have missed them as i'm currently being poked in the eye as my autistic son tried to break my third set of glasses for the year so sorry if it is there and my eyes are just too sore to see. thankyou, for this and the one my daughter wont let go of, truly amazing work!

Anneliese said...

@emma: I don't mind at at if you sell some of these for charity in an Etsy shop. Thanks for your comment.

ButterBug Cakes by Nik-e said...

I just love both of these blankets! Believe it or not I did a "test run" of the original blanket as one of my very first sewing projects...I only used a small piece, about the size of a burp cloth, and it turned out wonderful!!! Now it's my favorite idea for a baby gift! My neice is pregnant with her first child and I plan to make her both a blanket and birth cloth from this technique!!!

Anonymous said...

This blanket is amazing and looks so cozy! I can't wait to give it a shot!

http://www.thesitsgirls.com/get-paid-blogging

Allison Brouwer said...

Do you know if you bought a medium or a small chevron print? I love this idea!

Anneliese said...

@Allison: This is Premier Prints zigzag. I didn't think they had different sizes. It's a home dec fabric and it comes in a couple weights. That said, I bought the medium Riley Blake chevron fabric for a Dirndl Skirt for my little girl and I think it would be a good size for this blanket--it's a bit smaller but it would be beautiful. I hope that helps!

Danielle said...

I love your chenille blankets and was inspired to make two of them myself!

The first was a baby gift for my brother and his wife who had a beautiful girl last month. I just finished a second blanket for our very own baby who is due any day now. Thanks for the wonderful tutorials! Here are photos of the blankets on my blog:

http://bluetuque.blogspot.ca/2012/10/chenille-blanket-for-grace.html

http://bluetuque.blogspot.ca/2012/12/citrus-chenille-blanket.html

S. Reiblin said...

Thank you for this tutorial. I just finished my own version: http://interestingpeoplehaveprojects.blogspot.ca/2013/01/dryer-phase-complete.html

I added some applique and a lining fabric.

Unknown said...

What are the angles of your chevrons? I ask because I tried making this...and my rags did NOT turn out well...I think because they are not on the bias enough. So I was curious what the angles are on the fabric you used?

TIA!

Gail said...

I just made my own chevron version by making a pyramid patterned quilt top and adding a solid cotton liner layer. I quilted, the cut the flannel in line with the pyramids on the front. Turned out awesome! Kindof a larger scale version of yours.

Pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93152927@N07/

Anneliese said...

@Julie: My chevrons are 45-degrees. the fraying didn't work quite as well in the valleys but I think the overall effect is still great. You could try snipping a bit after the first watch to encourage more fraying if you's like.

Carrie said...

Hello! I cannot tell you how much I absolutely ADORE this quilt!! I'm having a baby girl in June and MUST make one. I was wondering though - I found a bunch of chevron fabrics where the pattern is actually vertical to the selvedge... would that mess with the whole "cutting on the bias" thing? Or where it's a chevron, will the fraying still work because even though it's vertical, it's still at the right angle? I am over thinking this and can't figure it out! Here are some examples of the fabric I'm thinking of using (Riley Blake series of chevron):

http://www.fabric.com/SearchResults2.aspx?Source=Header&SearchText=riley+blake+chevron&CategoryID=1d5f47dc-9991-4088-93f3-26a376046a5e

Any help you can give would be great, and thanks SO much for posting this tutorial! You're awesome!!
:) Carrie

Anneliese said...

@Carrie: the thing to check is that the angles on the chevrons are at 45-degree angles from the selvedge. It seems like even if they are running parallel to the selvedge the angle could be right! I tried to rationalize the whole thing in my head and if you can believe it, I made the whole quilt, and then threw it in the wash to see if it would work. But you could try a mini swatch and see before you tackle the whole quilt. With the chevron the fraying isn't perfect in the peaks and valleys but you can help it out with a bit of scissor clipping between washes. good luck!

jenicini said...

Wow, I love this. I'm putting it on my to do list!

Jessica said...

OK....this was biggest project attempt yet. So far, so good. My Blanket is in the washer now so please cross your fingers :)

Nici said...

this is awsome!!! I love it.

Shelly Pickett Photography said...

I have become seriously addicted to chevron prints lately so when I found this tutorial I knew I had to make it! I used the chartreuse chevron from premiere prints (which is more limey green) and navy, white, and lime green for the flannels. It came out awesome!! And the fabric shop sent me the wrong Chevron the first time and replaced it for free so I have another chevron piece ready to make a second one!!! Great tutorial!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for posting this. I'm doing Pink/Grey Chevron in my unborn daughter's nursery! My pink/Grey chevron blanket is in the wash now! I'm so nervous! This just took me allllll weekend! I'm thinking the sore neck and numb hands will be worth it ;-) I'll try to post a pick of it!

Rosanne Ingoglia said...

Thanks for the fine details.
Started this in May 2012 before my 1st grandson was born. Gave up to the busyness of life.
Picked it up again -last week. Hoping to finish for his 1st birthday on Aug 10th. Not sure if I can make it happen - but I'm giving it my best try. It will be a keeper for a long time. Such a beautiful idea

Grace said...

Thank you SO much for the tutorial! I'd like to make this larger than 45x45" as throw blanket for the couch but can only find flannels in the right colors in 43-45" widths. Would piecing together of the flannel backing (or even the front design) affect how the chenille looks or frays in the wash? Thank you for any help you can provide! :)

S. Reiblin said...

I pieced together my layers and it was fine. here are some images: http://interestingpeoplehaveprojects.blogspot.ca/

Anneliese said...

@Grace: As S. Reiblin mentioned, it is fine to piece your layers for fraying. It won't show at all amidst all the fluffiness. To piece the top I would just recommend thinking about how to do it so the seams are pleasing. I can think of doing it "bedspread style" for instance where you might have a wider center panel and a panel on either side that are half the width of the center panel. I hope that helps!

Amy said...

How much fabric did you use?

Anneliese said...

@Amy: Hi, I'm not sure if this answers your question but I used 45" square three layers of flannel and a top fabric. Hope that helps!

QuiltingRage said...

Has anyone tried this with 5 layers of flannel yet???

Ashli said...

I am about to begin this project... I'm super nervous, but excited too. Baby boy #2 is due in 9 weeks, so I guess I'd better get going! I read on the original tutorial that the flannel has to be cut on the bias in order to fray, and I wondered if this would work, but after seeing that you had a couple spots that didn't fray (because of the bias) and seeing how you fixed the problem, I'm not too worried!
Thanks for this gorgeous tutorial! I will share a link to pics once I get mine done! :D

Anonymous said...

I love rag quilts and faux chenille so I was super excited about this project. It was to be a Christmas quilt for my 14-year-old stepson (too old for all the cutesy prints and too young to appreciate intricate quilting!) I did a test swatch with a layer of Chevron cotton (I ***think*** it's the same stuff you used in red) and 4 layers of flannel. What a PITA!!! Even on my test swatch, I only cut a few rows and then washed to see how it was coming out. For me, it was not worth the effort! I wound up using the chevron fabric for the backing but cutting straight lines for the chenille. It looked good enough for a stinky-rotten-14-year-old-boy on the test swatch. Unfortunately, my Christmas sewing was interrupted by a family catastrophe and I haven't been able to bring myself back to it yet. The stripes I've cut (with the chenille cutter!) look amazing. I just hope the overall blanket is useable. Then again, it's "just" a teenage boy. :P

Erin said...

I just finishined binding one yesterday and washed and dried it last night. I took it out this morning and I absolutely love it! Too bad it's not for me! I used a Waverly's Cutting Edge for the chevron side. I used 3 flannels and I don't think I would use more than that. I think it would just be too tough to cut through. The chevron fabric did fade a little when I washed it, but I kind of like it because it makes it look vintage. I did take some pictures, but I don't have a blog to link to. Is there a flickr group or anything that I can post to?

Anneliese said...

@Erin: I would love to see photos! I'm so glad you like how it turned out. You can post in my Flikr group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/1487227@N23/pool/

Anonymous said...

Hi, thanks for this pattern. I have just finished mine for a baby now a year old! but it will be fine in cot! Used the navy and white chevron, and I must admit some colour has come out in first 2 washes. It took a lot lot of work, but it is really lovely, and a lovely technique. thanks. AllisonJ

HillsideMomma said...

I think this idea is SO great. I love flannel rag quilts, they are so squishy and huggable. I've featured this link on my "Feature Friday" post here: http://www.hillsidemomma.com/?p=397

If you'd rather not be featured, please let me know =)

Unknown said...

I'm inspired and have my fabric already but how do I place the flannel on the diagonal? I know I'm gonna feel dumb.

Anneliese said...

@Booboo: You will place your fabric layers together on the square but you stitch on the bias. I hope that helps!

Unknown said...

not really. Do you mean to lay all the layers including the chevron fabric together and to sew on the bias is the back and forth stitching of the chevron pattern?

Anneliese said...

@Booboo: Yes, the chevrons have diagonals on the bias. You can also refer to my original tutorial (I think from this post) to the Heirloom chenille blanket.

Anonymous said...

Hi I just love this quilt! You are very clever!! Any ideas on how I could make it in a queen size?
Thanks Trish

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