Hey everyone. Today we're making a cozy throw blanket you will reach for every single night.
Let's talk about the fabric first, y'all. This is the 2 yd Luxe Cuddle Cut Hide Ivy. It comes as a 2-yard cut. That is a generous piece to start with. No hunting for yardage math today.
It is a Luxe Cuddle fabric. Folks also call this family of fabric minky. It has that plush, soft hand you feel right away. Run your palm across it once. You will know why we picked it. Super duper soft, from start to finish.
The colorway here is Hide Ivy. Ivy gives you a calm, leafy green tone. Hide gives the fabric its name and character. It does not need a loud print to shine. The color and the plush texture do the work. Just like that.
The Project: A Cuddle Throw Blanket
Our throw finishes at about 48 inches by 58 inches. That is a classic couch throw size. Big enough to cover your legs and feet. Small enough to fold over the arm of a chair.
Why does this fabric suit a throw so well? A throw lives on touch. This Luxe Cuddle feels warm and welcoming right away. It drapes over a lap without feeling stiff. And that plush pile hides your stitching a little. We're not reinventing the wheel here. We are letting a soft fabric do soft work.
Materials
- Your 2 yd Luxe Cuddle Cut Hide Ivy — trimmed to about 49 inches by 59 inches before sewing
- One piece of coordinating quilting cotton or a second piece of Cuddle, about 49 inches by 59 inches, for the back
- Optional thin batting if you want extra warmth — same size, trimmed after layering
- 50-weight polyester thread to match
- A 90/14 ballpoint or stretch needle
- Wonder clips or long pins — plush likes to shift as you sew
- Walking foot for your machine, if you have one
- Sharp scissors or a rotary cutter, a marking tool, and a point turner
Brief Steps
Here we go. First, shake your cut outside before you cut it. Cut Cuddle makes a little snowstorm, folks. A good shake first saves your sewing room later.
Second, lay the fabric flat on a big table. Stroke it with your hand to find the smooth direction. You want that smooth direction running the long way. Mark and cut your front piece to size. Cut your backing piece to match.
Third, place the two pieces right sides together. If you are using batting, lay it on the wrong side of the backing. Clip all the way around. Place clips every 1 to 2 inches. This fabric creeps, so give it nowhere to go.
Fourth, sew around all four sides with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Set your stitch length to about 3.0 mm. That is roughly 8 to 10 stitches per inch. Leave a 6-inch opening on one side for turning. Slow down at the corners, or the layers will shift on you.
Fifth, trim the corners at an angle. Be careful not to clip your stitches. Turn the throw right side out through that opening. Push the corners out gently with your point turner.
Sixth, tuck the raw edges of the opening inside. Smooth them flat with your fingers. Clip that spot closed. Then topstitch around the whole throw about 1/4 inch from the edge. That one pass closes the opening and finishes the edge. Alrighty, you are almost done.
Practical Tips
I will be honest with you. My first Cuddle throw shifted on me. One side wandered almost a full inch. Oh my goodness, what a lesson. I learned to clip more than I thought I needed. And to let the walking foot do the feeding. Do not pull this fabric through the machine.
Keep a lint roller by your machine too. You will need it. And keep your seam allowance honest. A full 1/2-inch seam is your friend on plush. A tiny seam can pull loose when the throw gets loved hard.
You can change this up, too. Skip the batting for a lighter throw. Add it for a warmer winter throw. Use cotton on the back for contrast. Use Cuddle on both sides for max softness. I prefer Cuddle on top and cotton on the back. Completely up to you.
Here is your permission beat, friends. Your throw does not have to be perfect. A slightly wavy topstitch will not matter one bit. You're your own worst critic. Your family will just feel warm and cozy. Take your time. It's not a race. If I can do this, y'all can do it.
Thanks so much for spending a little time with me today. Make one for your couch, and make one to give away. We'll see you next time. Bye.
Shop the 2 yd Luxe Cuddle Cut Hide Ivy at Linda's Electric Quilters.
