A lot has happened this week and I won’t go into it, but I HAD TO make a Scrap Happy Post. I actually have several little items I have worked on but will start with this one first.
When Bob and I first got married we bought a really nice blanket for our bed. That was over forty years ago and it had been well used by us, and then by the dogs since moving here to Alabama. Frankly, it was quite warm for California weather, but simply insufficient for the winters here in N. Alabama. Ergo, it became a dog blanket. And pups, being pups, well, it did get some abuse.
So I measured and trimmed off the ugly bits…
Then squared and pinned the whole thing to split it down the middle.
I chose a leftover bit of flannel from some ten years back when I tried my hand at making pajama bottoms.
Cut into 2.5 inch strips, sewn end to end, the strips were folded, pressed, and then stitched as binding to the edges of my personal blanket. I basted the backside of the binding so I could hand stitch it into place with embroidery thread… Which just happened to be an ombre of colors from the old paisley flannel. To be honest about the thread; the one skein I had on hand went much faster than I could have imagined and I had to go searching for more online. Amazingly, I found that this particular thread is still available after all these years and the newly produced thread matches perfectly to the old!
I would like to tell you that I have actually finished this blanket, but with ZERO DEGREE WEATHER overnight and not breaking freezing for the next few days, well, I am using it anyway and putting in a few new stitches each day. But, the basting is holding and I am staying warm at night!
And that my friends is a comfort.
ScrapHappy happens each month on the 15th. The many participants are listed below, and although they don’t participate every time, it’s always fun to see what they have created from their scraps!
Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Tracy,
Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Nóilin, Viv, Karrin, Amo, Alissa,
Lynn, Tierney and Hannah
Life on the Farmlet 
It’s amazing that you could match that thread after such a long time. I like the binding. Blankets are in vogue around here right now; we’ve been below freezing for a couple of days, and just have moved up to 41F. A sixty-degree swing since yesterday!
Good to see you — stay warm!
Linda, I know! I was really pleased, as it was one of my favorites, and I was saving the last one for something special. Since finding it was still an item, well, I purchased five of them, because they were priced so nice too! We’ve been well below freezing for several days here too. Got down to ZERO last night and never got above 27 today even with the sun out all day. Waiting for spring…
Now THAT is my kind of binding fabric! Even though it’s flannel, which is quite loosely woven, given gentle use it should last you the next 40 years.
Kate, LOL! I’m seventy, I’m not gonna be all special with it I’m gonna try and use it all up before my demise! 😀 The jamma bottoms I made with this flannel (7 -8 yrs ago?) are still pretty sturdy and need another (third) elastic replacement. And yes, that fabric is pretty wild. Bob hated it, but I love paisley and the colors were so nice too. 😉
Definitely a work in progress!
Tom, truer words. It isn’t grand, but I hate throwing away items that still have some life in them. Except for us, and here on the blog post, no one will ever see that it’s an o-l-d blanket remake and it certainly is doing the job of keeping me warm at night. About another week of daily stitching, between other tasks here, and it should be done.
What a good save. The paisley fabric is ‘groovy baby’, a real retro vibe, I love it.
Thanks, Lynn. I have always loved paisley. Bob on the other hand does not. I tell him he doesn’t have to wear it, but then he complains that he has to see it when I’m wearing it. He hated those PJ bottoms when I made them. Well, for the sake of his eyes, at least the offensive fabric is limited to just a bit around the edges. 😉
How sensible to use it now, even if it isn’t finished!
Hi Annie,
When we had that infamous “Polar Express” a couple of years back we never went down to 0 degrees. this has been wicked weather that we are not used to at all! I have been living in my woolly robe in the house all day, every day, for a week.
We feel guilty with our barmy weather at 5 degrees C! Take care.
Never feel guilty for good weather. Just enjoy it! ❤