Colorful Crafting with Jen: Easy Jersey Baby Blanket

 When we received the Jersey Stripe and Dot from Seven Islands along with the Flora Knit from Cosmo, I was head over heels for their softness and how cute they both are.  I really wanted to make something with one of them, but I was a bit intimidated because I have heard that jersey can be hard to work with. When we received the beautiful range of solid colored flannel from Robert Kaufman, Mari and I agreed that putting the flannel with the jersey would make a super soft, adorable blanket.  Earlier this fall I found out my friends Heather and Paul are having a boy in December (I made them a Basketweave Blanket in greens already, but I am so excited for them that I wanted to give them more than that as a gift!) so I recently re-read Molly's Swaddling Blanket Project Journal to get myself started.  I think I am now officially over my jersey-phobia! This project was super easy and only took about two hours from start to finish.  Heather and Paul loved the blanket and can't wait to carry Liam home from the hospital in it!

Materials

1 1/4 yards of each fabric:

• Dot & Stripe Knit from Seven Islands (I used Green Stripe), you might also want to check out the adorable Flora Knit from Cosmo.
• Flannel from Robert Kaufman in coordinating color (I used Ocean)

One packet of Steam a Seam temporary fusible interfacing
Fine patchwork pins
Cotton thread to coordinate with fabrics

Finished Measurements

Approximately 43-inches x 43-inches depending on how much you have to trim off the edges to square up the jersey.

The Pattern

Wash, dry and press all fabrics.  This is especially important for this project because the jersey and the flannel will shrink differently on their first wash.  

Fold the jersey selvage to selvage and trim the ends so that the pattern is even with the cut edge (trim as little as possible). 

Leave selvages as they will be hidden under the seam.

Cut the flannel to match the measurements of the cut jersey fabric. 

Smooth flannel on a flat surface. Lay the Steam-a- Seam around all four edges as pictured above (the Steam-a-Seam will stabilize the jersey which makes it much easier to sew!). 

Smooth the jersey fabric on top of the flannel and Steam-a Seam, right side down, matching up the edges as pictured above. 

Pin these three items together, the more pins the better!  

With a hot iron, press around the edges, fusing the two fabrics together with the Steam-a-Seam.

Beginning along one side, sew fabrics together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance (the same width as the Steam-a-Seam), leaving a 3-inch opening.  

Turn your blanket right side out and poke the corners out.  

Sew all around with a top stitch (I used a Zig Zag stitch).

That's it! --Jen