oooooh lala. I had heard stories about how lovely, airy and soft double gauze was, and it is all true. This pair of baby swaddling blankets are my first project with it, and it most definitely won’t be the last.
A lovely friend of mine is expecting her sixth baby in just a couple of weeks. The thing with having that many babies is that you already have the basics covered, but giving a gift that says that this child is special and love and prepared for is still so important. It is why I took the time to make myself a silk sling for Vincent, and why I have a few special projects in mind before “Liddle Brudder” in July. So for this friend, instead of sewing up my favorite flannel baby blanket, I splurged a bit and ordered two one yard cuts of double gauze.*
The actually sewing was simple enough. I had to true the fabric cuts into nicely proportioned rectangles, and I took my time being precise with my hemming. (ironing, people! It’s worth the hype!) In the end, each blanket was roughly 35 inches by 38 inches. (As an a note, in the future, I think I will order 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 yards per blanket. I wished they had been just a bit bigger.)
The gift was a success, and to be honest, I was tempted to keep them for myself. Perhaps I should make a couple more?
What sort of special gifts do you think would be good for a mother of many children?
*I ordered the polka-dotted double gauze from Imagine Gnats, but as of this posting, she doesn’t have any. If you are curious about this fabric, read more about double gauze here.
The blankets look so cozy! I’m currently in a double-gauze frenzy, as I made a top from it and can’t stop wearing it. It feels so good against your skin. Too bad they’re out of the fabric you chose. It looks wonderful. Nice job!
MMMMM, double gauze! Isn’t it the nicest? I came back from Japan really obsessed with it, and it’s so nice that in the last 4 years it’s started popping up way more in the sewing world! You need to order some for yourself, because it’s lovely to wear in both summer and winter!
Gifts for mothers with lots of kiddos? Coffee? Wine? Earplugs? ((kidding!))
I love giving personalized gifts. Subsequent babies always get a lot of hand-me-downs. I like making something that’s brand new, just for them.
I’m in love of these blankets…so perfect for warm weather. that baby is going to be wrap in clouds! very nice present. About your question, I think it would be nice an actual pressie for the mom to be :a body lotion, salts for the bath, a nice dressing gown. I think something to make feel mom happy and pampered.
Great job! I’d love to nuzzle them. Your comment about ironing made me laugh.
Double gauze—I had never heard that term until I read this post! I need to go and look up what this is; I love the idea of a “go-to” gift for special occasions. One of the baby gifts I’ve done is a simple blanket made from two layers of interlock knit–they are so soft and moldable.