I have mentioned on here before that I have some fabric that I happily took...  but I didn't say it was four different times from four different people. Well, they found out that I am a quilter and some of them thought that I could put it to good use and really to just get rid of it. I kept it all for a long time and only using small bits. It was stored in the basement and I didn't really see it, the basement sewing room wasn't the best. Out of sight, Out of mind. Well, when I moved my sewing room upstairs and all that fabric came with it and now I see it all the time mixed in with my fabric I have purchased over time and current projects.  I made my mind up that I was going to use it up because there is no use in keeping it for nothing. So here comes the hard part. It isn't things that I would buy, because usually I buy fabric with a project in mind or a print that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Long story short I have over three yards of some flannel in both yellow and blue. What do you do with this you might ask??

Make a Chenille Blanket!  (so I know that there are tons of these out there but this is the first time that I have sewn one and this is how I did it.  I did it a little bit different so feel free to follow along :)

Chenille Blanket Tutorial

(I bought a very cute print to stand out and compliment my flannel layers.  I have one layer of quilter's cotton and then four layers of flannel, they are all one yard.  Sandwich them all with the quilter's cotton face up and pin layers together)

(I wanted to do my lines diagonal so I marked a diagonal line from one corner to it's opposite corner.  It is super hard to see but maybe if you click on the picture to zoom in you will see a blue line.)

(I sewed on that marked line and then I sewed additional lines approximately 1/2" apart.)

(Okay now.  That took a little bit of time, lol.  But seriously it looks so cute I almost didn't want to cut the layers.  Then I found a little tiny wrinkle in the back and I didn't feel bad anymore :)

(I rounded the corners.  I thought it would give the blanket a soft touch.  There is nothing like soft corners when it comes to baby blankets.)

(Then slip those scissors in.  This is where my blankets varies.  I only cut through Three layers instead of four.  I like how the back has a soft flannel covering the wrong side of the quilter's cotton.  Feel free to cut through all layers but the top layer if you like.)

(Well, that took some time too.  It is fun to get to the end though and count that you only have three more lines, two more lines, wholly hannah one, done.)

(Now you need to add the binding.  I cut my binding in 2 1/4" x WOF - width of fabric strips.  Then you place the strips right sides together making a uppercase L.  Then sew the corner off.  Then trim the excess fabric off.  Yep it's that easy.  Then, press the strips in half.  Place on the chenille side of blanket  leaving a tail and some room from a corner and sew a 1/4" seam through all layers.  Stop about 7" before you reach where you started.)

(Joining the binding - This is where it is a little bit tricky, this is how I learned and I really like this technique, Take the width of you binding and divide by 2.  Mine is 1 1/8".   Fold back your binding strip and cut 1 1/8".  Then leave a 1/4" gap and do the same to the other side.  Make the L and sew the corner off.  Open and Press to make sure you have enough and that you didn't get a twist in.  Trim off excess fabric and sew the remaining binding on.)

(Fold the binding over to the front and sew a 1/8" seam along the binding around complete edge.)

(Binding finished!  Put this baby in the washer and dryer.  )

(Beautiful!!  This is my first one and I am in LOVE!)

(It isn't helping me reduce my hand-me-down-fabric-stash, if I can't part with anything that I make with it...Well I guess it does but it just grows my sewn items stash.  People don't talk too much about those kind of stashes do they?)

So I did make some more doll diaper bags and a cute little chenille doll blanket to sell.  At least I won't hoard these little babies.  I am going to update them in my etsy (click on the etsy tab if you want some bags).  Well I seriously had a blast making these chenille blankets.  I actually have three yards of blue flannel to make another one but after the first one I opted to make the doll version instead and save the boy blanket for another day.  That is a lot of monotonous sewing and cutting.  It is better to break it up.