A Light Throw Made with Knit & Woven Fabric

By Sarah

I've been making whole cloth baby quilts and blankets for a long time now and have never actually kept one for myself. This one is all mine but it will be on display at the shop for a few months if any of you would like to take an up and close peek. There is no batting in-between the layers of organic cotton interlock knit and cotton lawn so it is a lightweight blanket suitable for the spring and summer months when the weather gets a tad nippy. The interlock knit provides some nice weight and a soft hand that's sure to comfort. 

I wanted my throw to be long enough to cover all of my feet (not that I have more than the standard two, but you all know how ready made throws are always way too short) and to puddle generously around my neck. I cut 2.5 yards of knit and 2.25 yards of lawn. After I washed both of the fabrics I laid them on top of my bed to where 6" of knit extended beyond all sides of the piece lawn which I positioned face down.  

I then grabbed a handful of straight pins and started pinning away and away and away. My method for mitering these corners was freehand style and worked out pretty darn well, I think. After I got it all pinned I then took it to my sewing machine and stitched away and away and away. The more pins one uses the better because the knit stretches out a bit. So to keep from having to painstakingly work the excess in, pin, pin, and pin some more. Or try using a walking foot and see how that works. I then turned the blanket right side out through a 8" hole I had left at the bottom.    

I laid the blanket back on the bed and smoothed everything out and worked the seam allowance so that it wouldn't show through the lightness of the lawn. Then I blanket stitched away and away and away, using my favorite - Perle Cotton. I chose the time saving method of tying it instead of hand quilting. I had to do this while the blanket was laid out on the bed. I had lots of natural light and some good podcasts to keep me going. I'd say the entire throw took me about 5-6 hours to complete over the course of a weekend. The time is coming where I will undertake a real, pieced quilt that I will quilt generously, by hand, and it may take me many many weekends to finish rather than one but hey, it's all about the process, right? I cannot wait!