Giant Granny Square Crocheted Baby Blanket

September 5, 2020Leave a comment

Over a year ago now, a friend announced that she was expecting a new nephew in April and she wanted to make a gift for him. Foolishly I offered to show her how to make a giant granny square blanket. I mean, everyone can crocket a granny square, right? Well, teaching her was an epic fail as she could only manage to create a chain stitch! Feeling responsible (she had already bought the yarn – from a charity shop, but still) I offered to make the blanket for her.

My friend made the first four chain which formed the centre ring, so she had some creative input into the blanket. I started off well however it quickly transpired that my blanket wasn’t going as planned. It had definitely developed a twist (argh!).

Giant crochet granny square fail

A quick look on Google and I found a couple of solutions. That is the lovely thing about the internet. It is so much easier to find someone who has come across the same problem, and more importantly, found a solution that they are happy to share with the world.

Turns out, the simple solution is to turn your work on each row. Basically this means that you crochet clockwise on one row and then anti-clockwise on the next row. Kerry Jayne Designs has a really clear tutorial on her blog that explains how to do this. Thank you, Kerry Jayne. You are a life saver!

Turning the blanket on each row does change the look of the stitches – but in a good way as there is now no wrong side since both sides look the same.

Giant crochet granny square blanket detail

The blanket was finished in time for the baby’s arrival.

Giant granny square crochet baby blanket

It finished at just over a metre square which is the perfect size for a baby or toddler. The colours are lovely too and make a pleasingly understated palette that is not too babyish.

Giant crochet granny square blanket

Did the new mum like the blanket? I’m happy to say that she loved it which is the best accolade.

There was quite a bit of the brown and cream yarn left over after making this blanket. I’ll share what I made with it in a later post.

Like what you see? Remember you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of my lovely makes.

Blue and white upcycled shirt quilt

July 13, 2019Leave a comment

Blue and white is such a classic combination. It is both fresh and calming with the relaxed feeling of a lazy summer’s day on the beach.

I used blue and white as the starting point for a quilt that would be a gift for my brother. He loves rummaging in charity shops so it seemed appropriate to use pre-loved shirts and create an upcycled quilt for him.

Trawling the local charity shops, I looked for men’s shirts in a variety of patterns. Anything would do – stripes, spots, checks, tone on tone designs – provided the fabric was 100% cotton and the colours were predominately blue and white. I even found a few floral, James May shirt style patterns. Best of all was the little boy’s demin blue shirt covered in dinosaur skeletons! I mean, who doesn’t love a dinosaur?

Stack of blue and white shirts

I wanted to keep the design uncomplicated so as to show off the patterns of the shirt fabrics. A straight forward nine patch block seemed just the ticket. The shirts were cut into 4 1/2 inch squares and sewn randomly together.

Blue and white shirt blocks

Men need encouragement in their lives too, so I embroidered positive affirmations onto some of the plain fabrics and incorporated these into the quilt blocks.

Affirmation blocks

White sashing, 2 inches finished width, was added to separate the blocks and to give it a fresh look.

Blue and white quilt

A swirling design, called Hot Cocoa, was chosen for the long arm quilting. It adds a great texture to the quilt.

Quilt detail showing quilting design

And here is the finished quilt, complete with a dark navy binding to frame the quilt.

Quilt made from upcycled blue and white shirts

At 72 inches square it is a great size to use as a bedspread or to throw over the back of the sofa. I love that it is a classic design with little personal touches that make it unique.

Have you made a quilt from upcycled clothes? I’d love you to share a photo and if not, I’d encourage you to give it a go. So much clothing ends up in landfill and it seems a crime to waste it when it can be re-purposed for a longer life.

Like what you see? Remember you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more of my lovely makes.

cakecardcloth

Category: upcycled gifts

Giant Granny Square Crocheted Baby Blanket

Blue and white upcycled shirt quilt