Hi, I'm Sarah with the Hobby Lobby Creative Studio!
Welcome to our Sew This Bedroom Series! Today I'm going to show you how to make this custom
throw blanket to add a finished look and a little extra warmth to any room.
To make a throw like mine, be sure to check out our printable for a detailed list of what
you'll need! Alright, let's get started! I've cut my fabric to 55" x 78" and it's pressed
and ready to go. I've also pressed my muslin and bias tape pieces.
To give my throw a clean and completed look on both sides, I'm going to add muslin as
a backer. I want my muslin backer fabric to be the exact
same size as the printed fabric, but instead of cutting the muslin to 55" x 78" on its
own, I'm going to lay the fabric on top of the muslin, with their right sides outward,
and pin them together.
Make sure and place your pins 2 or 3 inches in from the edge so you don't have to move
them when adding your bias tape around the edges later.
To keep the fabric from shifting, I'm also placing straight pins throughout the rest
of the fabric, turning them in different directions. Now cut your muslin to match the edge of the
printed fabric. By doing it this way, you insure that the two pieces are exactly the
same in shape and size. Now, for this project I am going to use a
half inch pre-made black bias tape to finish out the edges of my throw blanket.
I've gone ahead and connected my pieces end-to-end so I have enough to go all the way around
the blanket. If you aren't familiar with how to do this, check out our Learn to Sew: How
to Make Bias and Piping video where we not only show you how to connect bias pieces together
but also how to make custom bias so it will match any project perfecty.
In that video we also go into a little more depth about how helpful these little clips
are for use in different projects in place of pins. I decided to use them today because
they help hold my bias around my blanket really nice and flat instead of wavy like pinning
tends to do!
So, let's get to clipping! With your fabric and muslin still pinned together,
begin adding your bias tape around the edges, clipping it in place as you go. Be sure you
are placing both of the fabric layers all the way into the crease of the bias tape.
Bias tape is not only functional as it will keep the edges from fraying when you wash
the blanket but it also gives the throw a nice, finished, porfessional look.
When you get to a corner, you'll want to create a crisp 90 degree turn with the bias tape
to make a nice, clean corner. Here's how to do that…
You want your last clip to be about an inch away from the corner.
Pinch your bias tape right at the corner. Now flatten the tape along the next edge as
you place the fabric inside it. You'll notice little wings forming at the corner, press
those down flat, giving you a tiny mitered corner.
Carefully pin this corner in place, making sure you're pinning that wing on both the
front and the back side of the mitered corner. I chose to use pins here so I can get really
close to my corner before pulling out the pin and sewing it in place.
Once you've clipped your bias tape and pinned your corners, you're ready to join the ends
together. You'll need to start by trimming the ends of your tape.
You'll want the two ends to overlap about two inches. So, find that measurement and
unfold your bias tape.
Now, you're going to cut this at an angle, so it visually matches the other seam in the
bias tape. To make sure you're cutting it correctly, look back at the angle of the last
seam.
You're actually going to cut at the opposite angle of this. So since my last seam is angling
to the left, I will cut this one angling to the right. Make the short side of the cut
at about that two inch mark you found.
Now when it's folded under, it will actually lay angled to the left like the others.
So, on the end you just cut, unfold the bias tape completely open, then fold the raw edge
in and press to hold the fold.
The last step here is to lay the two ends together so the right one is on bottom, and
the left one is on top. Completely open the other end of the bias
tape, and then re-fold them together, following the original folds in the bias tape.
Clip it in place and you're ready to sew! Begin sewing the bias tape onto the fabric,
backstitching when you start. Sew closely to the inner edge of the bias tape, and remove
the clips as you go.
At the corners, leave your needle down in the fabric so you can pivot your fabric without
interrupting your stitches, then continue sewing all the way around, again backstitching
at the very end to secure your stitches in place.
And that's it! One custom throw ready to spruce up any room in your house! For some added
decorative flair, you could even add a tassle trim like the one on the lampshade and roman
shade to really tie your decor together.
Well, that's all for today everyone! Now, be sure to check out the other videos in our
Sew This Bedroom Series and I'll see you next time at the Hobby Lobby Creative Studio.