Joel Dewberry: A Project Idea and a Giveaway

Saturday, July 31, 2010

A Project Idea and a Giveaway

Posted by Joel and Laurie Dewberry at 8:28 PM

Before summer began, I had extremely grand ambitions of what work-related projects I would be able to accomplish during these school-free days. I had the crazy notion that having my kids home ALL day, EVERY day would somehow make it easier for me to get stuff done. I know. What was I thinking? Now that we’re already seven weeks into summer and I've only managed to complete one thing on my list, I’ve finally realized that I was a bit delusional. For over two months now I’ve been meaning to sew baby blankets to give as gifts for a couple of new additions to our extended family, but I didn’t get around to actually completing them until this week. I made one for our nephew born in June and one for our niece who will be born early this fall. (At least I’m ahead of the game for one of them.)

Both the bird and butterfly appliqué patterns can be found in Joel’s new book, “Sewn Spaces.” I wasn’t sure the appliqué would work on the minky material, but both patterns worked beautifully, and I was really pleased with the result. If you would like to make one yourself, here are the instructions:

1. Copy and size the patterns as desired.
2. Cut a 38” X 32” piece of both the printed fabric and the minky material.
3. Iron a piece of wonder under interfacing on the back of each fabric scrap you are using for the appliqué pieces; trace and cut out your pieces.
4. Peel the backing off of the wonder under and place your pattern pieces where you want on the minky material. Iron the pieces in place, being careful to not iron out the textured dots in the minky material.
5. Sew around each of the appliqué pieces using either a tight zig-zag stitch (as shown on the bird blanket) or an appliqué stitch (as shown on the butterfly blanket).
*I sewed the appliqué stitch about 1/8” from the edge of the butterflies to allow it to fray a little bit.
6. Thread an embroidery needle with three strands of floss (as shown on the bird blanket) or one strand of crewel wool (as shown on the butterfly blanket). Use a stem stitch to embroider both the butterfly antennae and the name.
*For stitching the name, I printed out the font I liked best and traced it onto the material.
* I found that embroidery floss worked much better than the crewel wool. But, if you're stubborn like me and love the aggravation of having to rethread your needle every 5 minutes, go right ahead.
7. With RIGHT sides together, sew around the edges of both the printed and minky fabrics, leaving about a 6” opening on one side to be able to turn the blanket.
8. Turn the blanket and topstitch around the edge of the blanket about 1/2” from the sides.

So, in celebration of the fact that I actually completed a project (or two) in spite of the fact that our kids interrupted me every 10 minutes while I worked, Joel and I are giving away one copy of his book, “Sewn Spaces.” If you would like to enter for a chance to win, leave a comment telling us your favorite baby gift to give, or receive. We’ll announce the winner on Monday, August 9th.

299 comments:

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Sandy said...: For the past few years I have been giving hand-crocheted baby blankets as gifts. Now that I am taking up sewing again, I just might have to try one of these beautiful appliqued ones!; August 4, 2010 at 9:57 AM
The Riebeek Family said...: I love the really thoughtful handmade gifts like crochet booties or a knitted blanket or a pieced quilt.; August 4, 2010 at 9:57 AM
Ragan said...: My favorite baby thing to give is a crocheted hat. They are so easy to make and are so darn cute!; August 4, 2010 at 10:07 AM
Lee said...: I love making taggie blankets!
colleen
butler83ataoldotcom; August 4, 2010 at 10:09 AM
Michelle Whitlow said...: Holy cow, I think that blanket would be my favorite gift to receive!! We're actually starting IVF next month so if (fingers crossed) it works I'll definitely have to make one of those :); August 4, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Imani said...: I love to give hand-fashioned cloth diapers(burp cloths) along with an item from the parents to be's registry. But I absolutely love to receive anything handmade. These blankets are beautiful. Can't wait to see what other ideas are in the book.; August 4, 2010 at 10:19 AM
Michelle said...: I loved getting handmade blankets.. and I love to give appliqued onesies..; August 4, 2010 at 10:24 AM
Unknown said...: Ooh I definitely like giving Hooter Hiders.; August 4, 2010 at 10:35 AM
Heather @ The Beating Hearth said...: Thanks for the giveaway. Those blankets are beautiful!; August 4, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Kristi said...: I love to get homemade blankets, they are so cute and every time I use them I think of the time and effort it took to make, and the love that went into making it for my babies. :); August 4, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Unknown said...: I made my own nursing cover after my second child and have made several since as gifts for new moms. Having the cover gave me so much more confidence and I want to give this gift to other moms to encourage them in any way that I can.; August 4, 2010 at 11:19 AM
renae said...: It used to be knitted baby blankets - I could whip them in while watching TV during the week and - voila! - they would be ready for the weekend baby shower.

But I started sewing last November and I have to say - Baby Quilts kind of rock...; August 4, 2010 at 11:46 AM
Patti said...: I like to make crocheted blankets for new little ones.; August 4, 2010 at 12:19 PM
BizzyMom said...: Baby blankets are best.. with matching burp diaper :); August 4, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Shae Ko said...: My favorite baby gift are books about babies or parenting that a person highly recommends.

shaeko3@hotmail.com; August 4, 2010 at 1:44 PM
winkels said...: Colic Pills are a must! (the pink and white bottle) I include a bottle of them with every baby gift that I give.; August 4, 2010 at 2:33 PM
Ash-a-bash said...: My favorite gift to get and give is the rag quilt. It is personal and so soft!; August 4, 2010 at 3:21 PM
sntbosch said...: hooded bath towel.
sntbosch@msn.com; August 4, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Mary P said...: I make a lot of baby quilts. So fun and fast to make.; August 4, 2010 at 4:50 PM
Brianne said...: My current favorite baby gift to give is a car seat canopy, made by me of course.; August 4, 2010 at 4:59 PM
Meegin said...: I think the best baby gifts I received were handmade blankets. Either quilted ones, crocheted ones, or knitted, I love them all and have not and could not ever get rid of them! Which is one of the reasons why I make baby blankets for baby showers and birthdays!! Love the tutorial, it could help me spruce up my blanket gifts!; August 4, 2010 at 6:36 PM
Bec Clarke said...: I love to give quilts. Usually the front is pieced and the back is polar fleece.
The best gift I got when my son was born was a temperature gague that can be used in a room or in the bath. It is sooo great.; August 4, 2010 at 7:15 PM
Beeps said...: I'm a relatively new sewer, and I'm enjoying making simple receiving blankets for my friends. I even tried my hand at adding an applique design to one of them, which I loved doing! That's why I saw your tutorial here -- the friend who saw my applique work sent me your link :)

www.beepsnrays.blogspot.com; August 4, 2010 at 8:26 PM
April said...: Its always the hand made items that mean the most like quilts or hooded baby bath towels. They can be really cute too. Theses blankets are fantastic. Thanks for sharing with us.; August 4, 2010 at 8:56 PM
EJ said...: I love making car seat covers. They are so handy and so cute!; August 4, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Jblanton said...: I love to make bibs and shoes that match to give as baby shower gifts.
Your appliqued baby blankets are adorable.; August 5, 2010 at 7:08 AM
Deb said...: I've often given a hand-sewn baby bonnet, but my latest go-to gift is a baby quilt. I've just really gotten into quilting lately.; August 5, 2010 at 7:51 AM
luckymom said...: Although I love crocheting I still think my favorite of all time would have to be a Baby quilt.; August 5, 2010 at 7:52 AM
Kasey said...: I love to give personalized ornaments or picture frames; August 5, 2010 at 8:40 AM
Blue Jeans said...: I love giving a cute onesie that I've appliqued with some cute flannel burp cloths or bibs. I like to wrap it up like a cupcake!; August 5, 2010 at 9:56 AM
Vesuviusmama said...: My favorite gift to give is a quilt that I have made. The best gifts I have received were onsies that my family and friends had personalized at my first baby shower - those priceless pieces will be going into a t-shirt quilt one day!; August 5, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Chalece said...: These baby blankets are gorgeous! I have several friends who are pregnant and due around the same time I am, so this would be perfect.
I usually like to have a bath-themed gift with bath soaps and bath toys.; August 5, 2010 at 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...: I love giving handmade baby quilts - I just love picking out the colors and patterns for the new Mom and baby and pouring all sorts of love into it while I'm sewing!; August 5, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Suzi said...: Beautiful baby blankets! You did a fabulous job and I can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for the giveaway.; August 5, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Rachel@www.thecozygreencocoon.com said...: I just received some handmade reusable cloth baby wipes and fabric covered case that was just the right size for them to fit in at my recent baby shower. Also, my husband's grandmother gave us a beautiful handmade blanket along with an invitation to teach me how to make them myself. I love that idea because it's a gift that will keep on giving (=; August 5, 2010 at 12:41 PM
Robyn said...: i love giving fun handmade bibs or dresses to new babies :); August 5, 2010 at 1:09 PM
Heather said...: My favorite to give is a receiving blanket made with flannel on one side and a woven cotton on the the other with a binding on the edges using bias tape. The blankets are the perfect weight for year round use, and I love using gorgeous cotton prints for the one side and a snuggly flannel in a plain color for the other. They are my preferred go-to blanket with my own babies as well.; August 5, 2010 at 1:55 PM
Joy said...: Your blankets are lovely - good job! I love to give baby blankets, too. It's an "easy" way to give a unique, custom gift.; August 5, 2010 at 2:10 PM
ificould said...: Call me crazy, but I love a new outfit for the baby. As the mother of 3 boys, I NEVER buy the youngest new clothes- we just use the hand-me-downs. Nothing better than having a special new outfit for a new baby!; August 5, 2010 at 2:17 PM
Julie said...: I love giving homemade burp cloths. Cloth diapers with a strip of fabric and some ribbon, easy beautiful and always loved.; August 5, 2010 at 3:56 PM
Kelly Rachel said...: Oh these lil blankies are just too beautiful!
My favourite baby gift to give is something handmade by me, which will hopefully become a treasured possession. I also try to give the gift of babysitting! When my sister's son was born I had him sleep over now and then to give Mum and Dad a full night's rest. I know I would have treasured that more than anything when my sons were babies.

Thank you for the opportunity to win this wonderful prize!; August 5, 2010 at 5:40 PM
Adrienne said...: I haven't received a baby gift in a long while as my son is now 9, but I always give a pair of Robeez and handmade baby blanket :); August 6, 2010 at 12:32 AM
Kelly O. said...: I love to give diaper cakes!; August 6, 2010 at 4:24 AM
la chio said...: hola! me encantaria recibir ese libro!!!
hermosas sus telas y creaciones!!
les dejo un beso desde cordoba argentina; August 6, 2010 at 5:43 AM
cakegirl said...: I received a handmade quilt for my first born and now give every new baby a quilt that I have made. Fun for me, cozy for the baby, and the Mom loves it.; August 6, 2010 at 7:33 AM
Nancy Sue said...: Too funny, your next book can be called Sewn Spaces Interrupted!

Our favorite baby gift that we received and we love to give is the Fisher Price Popper. Yeah, I know, my ears are burning already. I know it's not a homemade gift but this has been our son's favorite toy since he was tiny (hes now going to be 3 in a month.) The concept is simple, 5 balls and air. We've had this heatwave here in the Washington DC for most of July and hopefully it will run out of steam here in August, but my son was napping on the floor, with the popper on it's side, so my son could hit the big button and get some air flow like a personal fan. Too funny!!
Thank you for this generous giveaway!
nsue21702 at gmail dot com; August 6, 2010 at 12:06 PM
Kim said...: Baby quilts. They are so small and easy to quilt.; August 6, 2010 at 1:51 PM
Haynie Headlines! said...: My favorite thing to give as a gift is baby booties!! I have recently started making my own and embroidering the name of the baby and the birthdate on the bottom of the cute little shoes!!; August 6, 2010 at 2:04 PM
Val Laird said...: The gift I most love to give for a new baby is a soft cuddly quilt, all prettied up with lots of applique.; August 6, 2010 at 3:51 PM
Jen said...: I love giving handmade scrapbooks because I never had time with a newborn to get scrapbooking done! I also love giving super soft blankets!; August 6, 2010 at 5:04 PM
mel said...: I LOVE, LOVE to make baby gifts. I have a standard list of things that I love to give. But, currently I have 12 friends that are prego, so, I have to produce in mass quantites. Right now the most requested gift is a hooded towel. Super cute and super easy to make. Plus, the babies/kiddos use it up into grade school. Its a very practical gift. Love it.; August 6, 2010 at 5:52 PM
joonzeboo said...: i love to give handmade gifts for my baby nephew. the latest thing was a biscuit (puff) quilt. it took forever to make but i felt so proud when i saw him sitting on it.

joonzeboo (at) gmail (dot) com; August 6, 2010 at 7:25 PM
Unknown said...: My favorite baby gift to give is a bunch of cloth books or soft books that engage babies and little ones through different colors, textures, and short stories.
elliebeetle (at) gmail (dot) com; August 6, 2010 at 7:51 PM
Melissa said...: I'm a sucker for appliquéd onesies.; August 6, 2010 at 9:20 PM
raebethriv said...: Personalized burb cloths & practical but pretty bibs are helpful and thoughtful gifts.; August 6, 2010 at 10:59 PM
tbeth said...: I attended a diaper shower this summer, and someone had made "diaper cupcakes". It was a really cute gift!; August 7, 2010 at 12:17 AM
Rosanne Derrett said...: Perfect idea for me, thanks! My neighbour is expecting in 10 weeks and has no time to sew. I'd better get cracking with my pile of fabric and a sewing machine.; August 7, 2010 at 5:54 AM
Jody said...: I'm pregnant with our second child who is due in November. Your book would definitely come in handy:) Thank you for such a great giveaway!

jodym7@yahoo.com; August 7, 2010 at 6:56 AM
AMessWorthMaking said...: I love baby quilts! Thanks for the chance to win this awesome book.; August 7, 2010 at 8:45 AM
nathan&jennifercorkill said...: Thank you so much for sharing your baby quilt tutorial! I find personalized handmade gits are an absolute treasure. I look forward to making this tiny treasure! Thank you.; August 7, 2010 at 1:13 PM
Little Bluebell (Adrianne) said...: I love to make and give baby blankets. For family... quilts! For friends... flannel receiving blankets with a custom bias trim.

I love yours with the minky and applique. I wouldn't have though to put those two together and they look beautiful!; August 7, 2010 at 1:23 PM
Sara said...: Wow, these are so georgous! I love them!

I love to applique and embroider, so I think this is going on my list of things to try... beautiful!

I've been making bibs and burp cloths a lot lately, so I'm glad for the new inspiration!; August 7, 2010 at 1:44 PM
Kirsti said...: My practical side wins over...I love to give & recieve jumbo boxes of diapers!!! (You just never can have enough of those.); August 7, 2010 at 7:21 PM
Alexandra said...: I love giving cute diaper bags!; August 7, 2010 at 11:09 PM
Jen said...: Absolutely love the appliques!! Minky/cotton blankets are usually my go-to for baby gifts, although lately my friends have been having baby girls right and left, so I've been making elastic smocked dresses for summer. Thank you for a chance to win!!!; August 8, 2010 at 3:31 AM
Christiane said...: While I love to give small stuffed animals for the Baby I usually give something extra for the mother. She has all the work and should enjoy something aswell; August 8, 2010 at 2:04 PM
VK said...: I love to give minky blankets, cause there wasn't such soft feeling fabric back when I had my own children.
Burp rags, and if I have time or inclination a little smocked dress, are other favorite gifts to give.; August 8, 2010 at 2:43 PM
Daphne said...: I usually like to give a keepsake piggy bank...but now that I've taken up quilting I'm thinking that a homemade quilt would be a wonderful gift to give.; August 8, 2010 at 5:28 PM
The Paulsons said...: it is a family tradition to make a quilt for each new baby ... my mom makes them so now I have started to make them for my friend's kids (sudo nieces and nephews) ... but after having a baby in April and three babies due before November I am totally in need of some quick tricks!; August 8, 2010 at 7:12 PM
gaile said...: This year I learned to quilt, and have been making baby quilts for my new mother friends. I am also an avid knitter, and like to knit tiny sweaters to coordinate with the quilts. I also use the scraps to make stuffed bell balls for the whole package!; August 9, 2010 at 12:21 AM
Sameday said...: Hope I'm not too late, I hope I win, I would love to have this book.; August 9, 2010 at 7:07 AM
Anonymous said...: I love to make a shopping cart cover and a tote bag. I made myself a cupcake covered shopping cart cover for my little cupcake.; August 9, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Janna McCalley said...: I hope I'm not too late to enter this. I just found your fabric at a local shop and bought a pile of it to reupholster a chair with (www.swooninteriors.blogspot.com) and had to look you up. I LOVE your patterns and so glad to find you! I don't have kids (yet) but when I do I hope my sister in law crochets a blanket for me like she did for each of the neices and nephews in our family. Homemade gifts are the best!; August 9, 2010 at 12:42 PM
Julie said...: I know it is too late to enter but I just have to say that you guys rock. I absolutely love your line of fabric and search for it all the time.I am even more proud that I live in the same state as you too! Thanks for such awesome fabrics!; August 10, 2010 at 7:06 PM
Anonymous said...: I just wanted to let you know I have linked to this project and thumbnail on our site: http://www.allfreesewing.com/Baby-Blankets/Applique-Baby-Blanket. I think it’s a great project that our readers will love to make! We are always looking for more tutorials and sewing patterns, so if you have any similar projects please feel free to send them my way or let me know if you prefer we not link to you. Thanks!
Karisa
ktell@primecp.com
Editor, www.AllFreeSewing.com; September 9, 2010 at 3:51 PM
sakura-ko said...: Hellow!

I love your site, It is a pleasure to visit.

I have added your site to my site.

Please link my site to your site.

Thank you!; September 30, 2010 at 5:50 AM
Haylee said...: Oh my gosh, these are incredible! I'm going to make one of these for my new niece. Thank you thank you for the idea!; February 17, 2011 at 9:04 PM
Anonymous said...: a gift that i received at my baby shower that i loved and absolutely have adored since i began using it was my nursing wrap. it was homemade and beautiful (and still is).; April 5, 2011 at 9:23 AM
Edwyna said...: I loved homemade blankets with my 3 babies. They were larger than store bought and so much softer and prettier. I'm 68 and starting to sew and I love your patterns.; August 4, 2011 at 7:34 AM
Unknown said...: I need to make one of these for my nephew who is set to come in less than 2 months :); August 2, 2012 at 8:29 PM
Kristin Carman said...: I think handmade blankets and quilts are the best baby gift to receive! They are also ridiculously fun to make!; August 7, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Anonymous said...: I know the feed is from 2010 but I received this blanket as a gift at my shower and it is still my favorite gift and I am giving one I made to a coworker for her little boy who is due in 3 weeks; September 12, 2012 at 4:30 PM
Jessica said...: I know this post is 2 years old but I love the fabric on the back of the butterfly blanket and would like to know where I can find it.
Thanks!; October 26, 2012 at 10:32 AM
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