How to Sew a Fleece Blanket With 3 Edge-Finishing Options

Baby, its cold outside and there's nothing like a warm and comfy throw to take the chill off. It's also prime season for making projects out of fleece, which coincidentally, is a perfect choice for a simple yet cozy throw or blanket. Forget those uber-simple, no-sew throw kits — been there, done that! How about sewing your own?



A fleece throw is one of the simplest projects to make, washes beautifully, and if you buy the fleece when its on sale, its less expensive than one of the kits. The best part, it can be made in no time at all making it a great weekend or evening project. Christmas gifts, anyone?

LET'S GET STARTED MAKING OUR COZY FLEECE THROW!
PART ONE: PREPPING THE FABRIC

1. For a standard size throw you will need two yards of fleece.


2. Trim off the selvage edges. A rotary cutter works best for the cleanest cuts and is lightning fast. The corners can remain square if you like, but rounding them off looks better. Simply match up all the four corners. Draw the rounded curve using either a large plate or pan cover as your guide. Then cut through the four layers with a sharp scissors or rotary cutter.

PART TWO: FINISHING THE EDGES

The next and last step - see I told you this was easy -- is to finish the edges. Your options include using your sewing or serger machine or to finish them by hand. Either way here are some ideas to consider:

Option 1: Serger


Using a serger is one of the fastest and easiest ways to finish the edges. Both a 4-thread or 3-thread overlock stitch will do the job well  — the 3-thread looks better. Set the width and length to the largest settings and practice on a scrap of fabric to test tension settings.

Option 2: Decorative sewing machine stitch

When using a sewing machine to finish the edges you are limited only by the number of utility and decorative stitches your machine has to offer.  A simple zigzag will do the job just fine but a decorative stitch, especially on a solid colored fleece, will give the edge a more impressive finish.


Pictured below are two stitches that are especially nice: the feather stitch and the blanket stitch. In both cases, the cut edge is folded over by approximately 1/4" for a smooth and polished edge. Also, embroidery, topstitching or any other heavy thread can be used to better define the stitch.

Option 3: Do it by hand!

Hand stitching gives the throw the best overall finish. Though the process will take much longer to do it's worth it, especially if you are giving the throw as a gift. In spite of the added time many hand stitches are easy to do and look especially nice on fleece.

The blanket stitch is one of the easiest to do and lends a hand crafted look to the throw. Again, fold over the cut edge by about 1/4" for a smooth outer edge. Here are the steps:

When it comes to finishing the edges whether using a regular sewing machine, a serger or hand sewn stitches, the choice of thread is important and will further enhance the overall look of the throw.

Embroidery thread whether used for hand stitching or machine stitching will give the edges a more handcrafted and defined finish.  The thread color is also something to consider. A contrasting or multicolored thread will make the edges pop, but whatever you choose it should complement the color or pattern of the fleece fabric.

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