And Then Fleece

After learning about Cotton, the order came last night for some Fleece. My #2 Granddaughter's beau is a Green Bay Packers fan. I won't fault him about that because he was born and lives in Wisconsin. I love football, just not this team and just not their colors. (MN & WI have always been rivals with football and for other reasons. It is in our blood.)

Fleece is a no-sew polyester fabric perfect for making those stadium-type blankets. I've made a few of them for the kids in my family and while cutting the ties is no easy task, they are less an investment to make than a standard quilt. With the sales over Labor Day weekend, it might have cost $4.99 a yard, so about $20. No way to make a quilt for that little!

Once you've made one of these throws, there is no need for a pattern. Two yards for each front and back will work for an adult and it will lay across a sofa or even a bed for extra warmth. Its something a kid can drag across the floor and the house animals love to cuddle up with as well. This is the kind of fabric I will buy at JoAnn's, and watch sales and coupons whenever I plan to make one (rarely).

In-store cutters measure fabric to the inch, and quite often when I order online, I get a LOT more. This time there was enough of the print to make a WOF scarf. I've pinned the top to the bottom on all four sides, and squared them up. Cutting one side at a time and tying it as I go works. (The tutorials say to cut 1-2" strips, and I find that 1" is a bit too narrow and 2" is a bit too wide, so go for 1 1/2" and about 6" long. Check the tutorial on your own if you try this.)

I found a site on the web that gives all I ever want to know about fleece, including a tutorial. It is a good resource and I may print off the laundering tips and send it in the gift box.
http://www.fabricdiva.com/Fleece-Facts-All-About-Fleece- There is a lot to learn here and worth checking out if you ever consider working with this fabric, even once.

Meanwhile, I am continuing with the hand work on the smaller projects.