The blanket quilt is made from repurposed, felted wool sweaters; the binding is made from a repurposed, felted wool suit jacket. The blanket has a narrow seam allowance and no backing, the seams provide sensory and tactile stimulation for baby's inquisitive mind and hands.

Wool is water resistant, wicks away moisture, is breathable, extremely warm, and also regulates temperature.

This blanket quilt was especially made for my niece, who is expecting her baby girl in February❤️. The blanket quilt contains lots of reds and pinks. The tan sweater belonged to her Grandmother - who is now deceased; I wanted the cozy blanket to not only keep the baby warm and protected, but also serve as a remembrance of her Grandmother's love, being, interests, and traits. You will see on the reverse of the finished blanket quilt that I sewed the label from the sweater. The label is that of the Lion Knitting Mills, Cleveland, Ohio; which produced knit goods for 78 years and closed in 1990. The sweater is at least 29 years old - and more than likely, older than that!

Step 1: What You Will Need

Thread

Wool Material

Wool Sweaters

Tools:

Iron and Ironing Board

Pins

Ruler

Scissors

Seam Ripper

Sewing Machine

Tape Measure

Washer and Dryer

Optional Tools:

Rotary Cutter

Mat

Step 2: Gather Wool Sweaters/Material and Felt Them

To felt a wool sweater/material, ideally - the sweater/material should be 65 - 100 percent wool, wash it in the washing machine on a long, hot water cycle and then dry on a long, hot cycle. This process allows the wool to shrink and creates a tightly woven fabric that will not unravel or fray when it is cut.

Step 3: Deconstruct Sweaters and Wool Material

Remove labels, zippers, and buttons - save and consider using in other projects. I also make wool mittens; as can be seen, I cut the cuffs off to use when making mittens. Minimize waste and maximize usable sweater material by carefully cutting along seams. I used a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat to cut a variety of squares. Scissors and a cardboard template would work just as well.

Step 4: Assemble and Sew

Assemble the blanket quilt in a pleasing fashion for you and the recipient. The completed size of the blanket quilt is 44 1/2" x 41 1/2". The blanket quilt can be made any size you want; and, of course depends on the variety of colors desired and available sweaters.

I sewed the pieces together using a 3/8" seam allowance.

Step 5: Almost Finished!

The blanket quilt is almost finished! Next step - binding.

Step 6: Binding - Cutting and Sewing

I cut 2 1/2" wide strips to make the binding from the wool material.

There are many instructional YouTube videos available on the Internet; my personal favorite is "The Ultimate Binding Tutorial" by Missouri Star Quilt Company.

I machine stitched the binding to the front, curved it around to the back, and hand-binded.

Step 7: Finished Blanket Quilt

All finished and ready to for baby Rai Rai!

The blanket quilt is machine washable; wash separately in cold water on "Gentle" cycle; dry briefly in the dryer on "Delicate" cycle - drape over ironing board, etc., until completely dry.

p.s. She arrived early - January 25th!