Sewing Tips for Baby Blankets: Quick and Simple

In this post are some helpful tips on how to sew your own cozy blanket, whether it’s for a thoughtful gift, a comfy addition to your couch, or even a sweet baby blanket. I’ll walk you through the best fabric choices, including linen, cotton and fleece so you can choose the right material for your project. We’ll also discuss whether your home sewing machine can handle the task, and I’ll show you the best sewing needles to use for thick fabrics. You’ll learn the types of stitches that work best for durability and a professional finish. By the end of this video, you’ll be ready to create a beautiful and functional blanket with confidence!

Hi everyone, my name is Teria with Peace and Make, and today I’m going to share some tips on how to sew a baby blanket. These tips can also be applied to making blankets of all sizes—whether for kids, adults, or even pets! I’m currently working on a sewing vlog for creating baby blankets, and today I want to dive into some of the things I’ve learned while making these blankets. I have two blankets done so far, and I’m working on the first one for this vlog. I have about two hours of footage, but I plan to condense it into a 20 to 30-minute video, followed by more detailed parts in future videos.

While I’m working on editing that, I thought I’d share some key tips for sewing baby blankets, based on what I’ve learned so far. I have five main questions, and if you have any more, feel free to ask in the comments, and I can make another video to answer them. The first question is: What type of fabric is best for sewing a blanket? For this baby blanket, I used fleece—both a thinner and a thicker fabric for different layers. I’ll be right back with an example of what I used. (Pauses to retrieve fabric example.)

So, for this project, fleece is a great option, but you can also consider quilting cotton, linen, or cotton gauze. If you prefer something stretchier, you could use sweatshirt fabric, though if you’re new to working with stretchy knits, I’d recommend avoiding it for now. The next question is: Do you need a special sewing machine to sew a fleece blanket? The answer is no—your regular home sewing machine should work fine. I’m using a Baby Lock Jubilant, but any machine should be able to handle fleece, even older ones.

Next up, what kind of needle should you use for thicker fabrics like fleece? For this project, I used a 10/70 needle, which is a lighter needle, and it worked just fine. If you find that a smaller needle isn’t going through the layers easily, you can switch to a 90/14 needle, which is a bit thicker and might help. The fourth question is: How do you care for a handmade blanket? Fleece is really easy to care for—it can be washed in cold water and even dried on low heat. But I recommend pre-washing your fabric to avoid any shrinkage and color bleeding. For example, I washed the green fleece separately from the floral print fabric to keep the white from turning green.

When gifting a blanket, it’s always a good idea to remind the recipient that it’s machine washable, especially for baby blankets. Babies can be messy, and parents will appreciate being able to easily toss the blanket in the wash. The next question is: What if my sewing machine struggles with thick fabric? If your machine is having trouble with multiple layers, try using a heavier needle, like a 90/14, to get through the fabric more smoothly.

As for the best stitch for sewing a blanket, I used a straight stitch with a stitch length of 5, which worked perfectly for the fleece. For a more secure hold, you could also use a basting stitch to keep everything in place before you quilt it.

To wrap up, I wanted to show you the fleece I’m using for my next project. For a kid-size blanket, I used a yard and a half of fabric—one yard for the top layer and a half yard for the bottom layer. For baby blankets, I typically use one yard of fabric, but for bigger kids or wider coverage, you might want to go with more. If you’re making a blanket for an adult, I recommend using two yards of fabric.

Once you have your fabric, lay the two layers on your cutting table, smooth them out, and secure them with safety pins before quilting.

For the next video, I’m not sure if I’ll have one ready next week, but I’ll keep you updated in the community tab. I’ve been having so much fun making these blankets—it’s such a relaxing hobby! If you enjoyed this video, make sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss the upcoming tutorials. You can also find me on Instagram @peaceandmake. See you next time! Bye!