Fab no-sew blankets to make.

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Lizzie

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Tremor asked about making blankets. I wasn't sure everyone would see this neat idea, so I started a new thread.

I'd been trying to dig this out for our members. Finally found it. Might be a very quick last-minute gift. You can see a small example in the url below.

I know many of you will be snowed in this winter. How about making a gorgeous cooler to use at the Shows etc. next summer?

This idea started out as a quick craft, "no-sew" idea to make a gift blanket for humans which somebody kindly sent me.

However, I was thinking that larger ones could obviously be made for horses by making two large ones, leaving one side on each untied (no knots) and sewing those two halfs together. I know you smart ladies might get some ideas from this and could change the pattern/material etc. to suit yourself. A smaller one could be used as a saddle cover or with enough padding you could even make your own saddle pad. Smaller of these blankets will fit Minis. Remember, these directions were originally for human blankets.

Supplies Needed:

A pair of good scissors (If your scissors are dull, it will take a lot longer to complete!) OR rotary cutter and mat

Ruler or tape measure

Two coordinating pieces of any fleece . . .

• for a baby or toddler, purchase 1 to 1 1/2 yards (in each of

• two fabrics)

• for a child, purchase 1-3/4 yards (in each of two fabrics)

• for a teen or adult, purchase 2 yards (in each of two fabrics)

• Note: If you have a taller or bigger person that will be the

• recipient, buy more fleece! Large blankets are always

• appreciated!

Remember:

• Fabric is usually 54 inches wide or greater.

• You need two separate pieces of fabric for the blanket; one will

• be the front, one will be the back. You can choose two

• coordinating fabrics or the same fabric. The choice is yours!

• Double-check the widths of the two fleeces to make sure they

• are the same.

• Fleece panels look very nice, but be sure there is enough

• material at the edge to cut the fringe without cutting into the

• pattern.

• Watch for sales at your fabric store, as you can save a lot of

• money that way, often more than 50%.

Directions:

Cut off rough selvage edge on both sides. (This is the side that is machine finished, not cut.) Trim only as much as necessary, usually not more than 2 inches on each side. At this point, make sure that your cut sides are relatively straight. (They don't have to be perfect!) Do this on each piece of fabric.

Lay your fleece wrong sides together, with edges matching up. (Often times with fleece, it's hard to tell which side is the wrong side and it often doesn't matter which side you use as the front or back.)

**Some people choose at this point to pin the layers together; this is a personal preference. I've found it quicker not to pin, and I've never had a problem with slippage or keeping the sides aligned.

Cut a 4x4" square (or 5x5" square for a longer fringe) out of each corner (through both layers of fleece) and discard. If you want your fringe longer (not recommended for a baby or toddler), make your square bigger. It really does help to cut out your square from each corner before proceeding.

Cut all 4" (or 5") into fleece at 1" intervals around all four sides. Tie overhand knot close to blanket edge by using one strip from the front and one strip from the back to create finished fringe edge. Repeat around all four sides.

Several notes here:

To help make your strips approximately wide (again, it doesn't have to be perfect), you can use a tape measure across the top of your four inch section so that you not only make your cuts about 1" apart but also only four inches deep.

To make the tying look more even, I tie every other one, all the way around the blanket, then flip the blanket over to the back and tie the rest. That way neither side is really the front or the back!

Experiment with the way you tie the knots for different looks. You can make the knot show in either fabric as well as the fringe in either fabric.

The nature of fleece makes two of the sides stretchy. Don't fear! Just be gentle when tying those sides (the selvage sides) so that your fringe isn't stretched out of shape! The knots do not have to be tight to remain tied and keep the blanket together.

Here's some pretty ones, made by Miche at..

http://www.exploringwomanhood.com/homelife/ideas/pom-jan03brag.htm

Obviously not for horses - but you get the idea from this, how nice they can look.

I know at least one of our members on the Gypsy Horse forum, made some last year for her horses and as gifts..

I think they'd look fab on Minis.
 
I've made several of these - never thought of using them on the horses, but bet they would work! I buy the 50 X 60 fleece thorws at Wal-Mart, or on line (they are really cheap on ebay - lots of people make them) and they are perfect for mini coolers. I just use small clamps to hold them closed and they are perfect coolers for very little $. Each of my horses has 2 in their "personal" color, when I bathe, I can put one on, let it soak up a bunch of the water, then swap out to the dry one. Usually, it only costs me about $20 for 2 "coolers" for each horse! I just keep a bunch of the little clamps around. . . they are actually the most expensive part of the deal, but I know people who use clothespins too, which would be REALLY inexpensive.
 
Great idea I have made them for people never thought to do them for the horses.
 
I do what Flying Mini does - buy the fleece throws dirt cheap and then make two "robes" out of each one. Except when I cut the hole for the head & neck I leave a long enough strip (about 3 inches wide) on each side that I tie in the front. I call them robes, because again, Like Flying Minis, I use them after a bath. First I scrape off the excess water with a sweat scraper, towel the mini dry, cover with the robe, and then a regular sheet. Once they are totally dry, I remove the robe and leave the sheet on to keep them clean.

Here is Rusty (who had never worn a blanket before) modeling just the robe, tied in front where it doesn't interfere with anything. This one is 6 years old and has been used a lot.

P1040057.jpg


I have used these on minis up to 33.5".
 
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