Ever since we got in the glorious Echino Spring collection I have been wanting to make a baby blanket out of it. I love the bright colors and playful motifs of this light weight double cotton gauze. Combining it with the ultra soft Shot Cotton resulted in a blanket that was a great summer weight and a good size for swaddling.

To add a simple personal touch I created a sweet running stitch border around the edges of these little blankets. This set takes no time at all to make and I think it would make a unique baby shower gift that any mom-to-be would appreciate and cherish.

Materials

To make a set of three 42-inch square blankets:

• Three 1.25-yard cuts of Echino Spring in whatever patterns you like best. I used Aqua Forest, Purple Forest, and Purple Bird Stripe.
• Three 1.25-yard cuts of Shot Cotton in a color that matches all three of the prints. I used Rosy.
• A ball of embroidery thread to match the Shot Cotton. I used Rich Pink.

Cutting

Cut a print piece and a shot cotton piece into a 43-inch squares. I found the easiest thing to do was to cut them together at the same time. That way both pieces are exactly the same size.

Pin the cut pieces right sides together around all four sides.

Sewing and Turning it Out

Sew around the edge of the pinned pieces with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Leave a 3-inch gap in the middle of one of the sides, and make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.

Snip off the corners and turn the piece right side out.

Finishing

Iron the piece right side out, making sure the corners are nice and pointy. Also make sure to iron the gap closed, with the 1/2-inch raw seams tucked in.

Using your embroidery thread sew a small running stitch 1/4-inch from the edge, all around the piece. By doing this you will close the 3-inch gap.

Repeat for the other 2 blankets and enjoy! --Molly