Alastair taking his nap
Two things I dislike about my granddaughter–when she won’t take her afternoon nap, and when she won’t let me take mine. ~Gene Perret
In a few hours, our grandson Alastair will arrive with his parents for a short visit. We haven’t seen him for more than a month, so we are really looking forward to seeing the changes that come so quickly in a 2 year old.
The photo above reminded me how sweet an infant he was and how much I enjoyed making pretty things for the newest member of the family.
This Swiss flannel blanket is one of my daughter Rebecca’s favorites for her baby boy. It is embroidered with designs from Hatched in Africa. The floral â€Câ€Â is from their Daisy Monogram and the butterflies are from Daisy Heirlooms.
The blanket is edged with a fabulous English lace that is sturdy enough to hold up to serious laundering and yet delicate enough to look good with flowers and butterflies.  The embroideries are interspersed with feather stitching.
The lace header is very wide, but I just trim it down to half its size. The lace was placed on the blanket, with the right side of the blanket to wrong side of the lace, matching the raw edge of the blanket to the decorative edge of the lace. A straight stitch was sewn in the narrow header.
The raw edged fabric under the lace is pressed toward the blanket center and away from the lace. Then the lace is pin stitched over the fold, usually with a width of 2.5 and length of 2.5. Finally, I cut away that 1/2″ raw edged excess fabric and give a final press.  This makes for a very secure lace attachment. This lace is available at the JaniceFergusonSews store (see “A STORE” at the top of the menu on the right).
When I made this blanket, I thought it would be for a little granddaughter. But ultrasound pictures made it clear that a baby boy was on the way. That didn’t concern my daughter, God love her. She adores the blanket and thinks, as do I, that it is just fine for her beautiful little guy. Wisely, Rebecca did not feel the same about the pink, lace trimmed daygown that awaits her someday daughter. There is still more fun in years to come!
Swiss flannel is a marvelous fabric for babies. The weight is perfect year-round here in Florida. The dainty nap is just enough to give a snuggle factor to the heirloom blanket. It looks best when ironed, but neither of my girls (Rebecca and Shelly, Laurel and Robert’s mama) iron them every time and still they look neat and sweet.
Butterfly Blanket
Baby blankets are just a joy to make–no fitting, no buttonholes, no plackets, just all the lace and embroidery you want. I’m eager to make another, but I keep eyeing the flannel receiving blankets with the crocheted edge on Jeannie B.’s blog. Maybe it’s time for this crochet novice to try something new.
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