Blankets are cozy and warm, and are great for the winter months, especially if they are made out of fleece. In this article, we are going to tell you how to sew a double-sided blanket. They are fun to have as you can use a different fabric for each side to match up with different rooms. 

Supplies

  • 4 yards of fleece, 2 yards with one pattern or color, and 2 yards with another. If you are making a blanket for a child, use 3 yards, 1½ yards for each side.
  • ½ yard of cotton flannel.
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread
  • Serger
  • ¼ inch foot
  • Stitch-in-the-ditch foot
  • Scissors or rotary cutter
  • Pins

Pinning and Sewing

You will have two pieces of fleece and they need to be pinned together. Lay them together with the wrong sides facing each other. Smooth down the material to avoid having lumps in the blanket. You may want to use microfiber fleece as the two pieces of fabric will stick to each other. 

If you are using ordinary fleece you will need to pin the fabric with a gap of six inches between each pin. Make sure that you pin through both fabrics. Use a seam allowance of 1 inch. It is important to pin the fabrics as they are large and could slip when you are sewing them together. You will also need to keep checking that you are putting in the pins at the same distance from the edge of the fabric. You will also have to trim any raw edges for which a rotary cutter is better than scissors. Rotary cutters are precise and quick to use. 

If the two pieces of fabric are still different sizes, put the longer piece on the bottom.

If you have a serger, which is a sewing machine that can sew over two pieces of fabric, now is the time to use it. Sew all four sides together with this appliance. If you don’t have a serger, you can stitch a straight line the whole way around, about ⅛ inch from the edge. An advantage of a serger is that it will clean finish your edges.

When you reach a corner on the blanket, serge a little beyond the edge. The serging won’t be seen so you don’t have to worry about excess stitches because you will trim them off later.

After you have done all four sides, it will be time to make the binding, that is the material that goes around the edges of your blanket. They will make your blanket look finished. If you use a contrasting color of binding the blanket will stand out.

Make the Binding

The binding is made out of the additional cotton flannel. You need to first press your flannel and trim off any raw edges with a rotary cutter or scissors. You should be left with a straight line. Use your ruler to make sure that it is a straight line.

Cut your flannel into 2 ½ inch wide strips. You should be left with eight strips, two for each side of the blanket. Take two strips and sew them right sides together.  You can sew them in a continuous chain leaving enough space to clip. When you have finished, trim the edges to ¼ inch from your stitch line. Use the rotary cutter if you can as it is quick and accurate. 

Sew the Binding to the Blanket

Press the seams open and attach the binding to the blanket with the raw edges outwards. Pin just one side to start off with and stop ¼  inch from the end of that side. Backstitch a few stitches when you start and when you finish so that the thread is kept secure. When you come to the corner, lift your presser foot and fold the binding to make a 45-degree angle at the corner. Now it is time to sew the second side. Make sure that the edge of the binding has the same seam allowance as the first side. Backstitch again as you did with the first side and then continue sewing until you get to ¼ inch away from the next corner. Keep doing this until you have gone all the way around the blanket. You will need to go slowly so that the edges stay aligned. 

Stop sewing approximately 10 inches from where you started. On the first side of the blanket, fold the two pieces of binding leaving a small gap. Pin the binding together, right sides facing each other. Before you start sewing this seam, trim it to a ¼ inch with your rotary cutter or scissors. Give the corners a clip, making sure that you don’t cut into any of the stitches already there. Then press the binding so that it turns right-side up. Be careful with this as if you get the iron on the fleece, it could get burnt.

When it comes to attaching the binding to the blanket, sew one side at a time. You can use your sewing machine, but usually, hand stitching gives the best result. If you do want to stitch on a sewing machine, it is a good idea to change the foot to a stitch-in-the-ditch foot. To sew with this foot, line up the metal ridge against the binding. The needle will then be positioned close to the stitching already there. This means that the stitches won’t show. 

When you reach a corner, fold the material over the front to the back. This gives you an angled seam. One side needs to be folded in the opposite direction to the other.

Conclusion

It is fun having home-made double-sided blankets as you can mix and match colors and prints. It isn’t too time-consuming making a blanket. You will probably find that the most difficult bit of making your own blanket is the binding, but with a little practice, you should get up to speed and should easily be able to make warm and cozy blankets for the long winter months.