Did you know that sewing can be a sweat-producing workout? It most certainly can.
When you make three beach blankets-to-go from Handmade Home in one day between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m., you will burn a marathon's worth of calories. I kid you not. That, plus I didn't realize that the air conditioning vent in my studio was closed until well into the workout. Duh. Impromptu sauna.
The weddings made me do it. Two of them in one week, and a real desire to give handmade gifts.
Plus, how could I not make one for our own little family? When you start sewing large projects like this, I think it best to take a tip from Henry Ford and go at it assembly-line style. It totally works - it's so much easier to do everything at once. These blankets even have handmade double-fold binding ... it's just as easy to make 24 yards as it is to make 8. Bada-bing, bada-boom.
And I LOVE them.
Our blanket's opening day ...
I used a combination of thrifted fabric, vintage sheets, and stash fabric to make the blanket top. The backing consists of some heavy-weight upholstery fabric that I bought for pennies last year when a local fabric store closed its doors. I love how the weight of the backing fabric makes the blanket so much more sturdy (and it has the added benefit of keeping it on the ground in the wind).
Three blankets at no cost, and three oh-so-useful handmade treasures. I can't wait to get ours really dirty. Like Amanda said, I'm sure it will be the backdrop of so many family adventures (and photos!) Where will it visit - the beach? the gardens? national parks? How many family meals will it host? How many sets of little toes will it welcome?
A blanket like this isn't just handmade - it's a maker of memories.
