Late last week one of the nurses I work with posted a cry for help...something she doesn't do often. She is going on a medical mission to do oral surgery on children and money is tight....everything goes to the most necessary supplies...they don't have blankets to swaddle the babies post op and calm them and asked for help.
I took a trip to my local thrift shops but found very little so I thought I would make some.
I bought Polar Fleece fabric to make some quick and easy no-sew blankets.
I chose fleece for several reasons.
Fleece is usually 60 inches wide. Since these blankets are for babies, 30 inches wide by 36 inches long should be big enough for a little ones coming out of the operating room and into their mothers' arms. 2 blankets per yard of fabric.
It doesn't ravel or shred making it perfect for a no-sew finish.
It comes in a wide array of colors...like a rainbow sherbet of the blanket world.
And, finally, it is inexpensive. I didn't buy the top dollar fabric. I bought the under-five-dollars-a-yard fabric. The blankets have a mission...and they are not meant to become heirlooms...and that's OK.
With that in mind I took a trip to my local Walmart (we still have a fabric section) and bought about $20 worth of fabric. Even though I figured on a yard for two blankets I went a little longer.....1 1/2 yards per color.
From each 1 1/2 yard length I cut two blankets.
I used the instructions for no-sew fleece blankets from NebraskaViews blog....click
here for the instructions. It's as easy as she says and it looks good, too.
I used masking tape for my cutting guide, 1 inch wide and 2 inches deep with a 2 inch square from each corner. A small slit near the bottom of each strip allowed for the crochet hook to go through (I used a K hook) and the fabric to pull through.
I drafted my buddy Diane to help me with cutting the fabric. After that, the finish was easy to do.
Mission accomplished. The blankets are on the way to Honduras to take part in a medical mission.
I hope the blankets provide warmth and comfort for the children after their surgery. I can't be there but a little bit of me will be there. Maybe I'll get to make more for the next mission.
Post by Eileen Patterson