Rag Edge Blanket – The Easiest Finish


Little S has figured out that momma knows how to sew stuff and has started making demands.  One is teensy baby-size blankets for her dollies.  I made some smaller versions of the Simple Snuggly Baby Blanket with minkee scraps, but then she made a request for a two sided all-pink cotton extravanganza.  Inspired by the decorative stitching on Jacinda’s Portable Tea Party Set, I did a little rag-edged version.  I don’t normally love the look of rag-edged stuff, but now that I’ve done it, I’m a total fan.

Enjoy your blanket, creepy baby. This wouldn’t make for a great human blanket, but it’s perfect for dolls, or even placemats or a tablecloth.  It’s crazy easy and a great way to use any scraps you have piling up.

Get the full Rag Edge Doll Blanket Tutorial after the jump…

And as always, leave a comment on this or any post this week, and you could win that Tacky Pack of Aleene’s glue pictured up on the left.

Rag Edge Blanket
1. Grab some fabric scraps or cut fabric to size. I used two fat quarters, but cut to whatever size for your project, like a 16″ square for a dinner napkin. Rag edged works well with cotton, and especially well with denim. Lay the two pieces wrong sides facing, so you see your patterns. Pick a decorative stitch from your sewing machine (I used a wave) or just use a straight stitch if you like. Use a coordinating or contrasting thread as per your preference. Sew all the way around with a big seam allowance to allow for your rag edge – make it as thick as you want your fluffy edge to be, I went about half an inch. Curve at the corners to avoid having to make perfect corners with your decorative stitch:

2. With your scissors round the corners:

and cut little slits 1/4″ to 1/2″ apart all the way around:

3. Throw that baby in the wash, then in the dryer. This will get the edges to rag up. The more you wash it, the more fluffy they will get (these have only been washed once):

4. Snuggle up creepy-face. No, don’t blink your cold, dead eyes and say “mama” in your robot voice!

Drink your milk! But don’t start making that icky sucking motion with your face!

And just so I don’t give you mightmares with that as the last picture, the rag edge one more time:

So, think you’ll give the rag edge a try?

by

32 Comments

Taylor {Sew Much Love}

Wow! I'm not normally a fan of the rag edge finish either but that really does look really cute! Ha and I love that you called it a creepy baby! Why do all their baby dolls resemble Chucky!?? I don't want to run into any of them in the middle of the night!

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Heather

I'm so glad you typed, "creepy baby"…I totally moved away from my screen when I scrolled down and saw this little dolly, expecting her to climb out of the screen…

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Liv

I love that now your child is making demands on your sewing, that's so fun.

Also, I love that you find dolls creepy, I'm right there with you.

I'll have to keep this in the records for when my baby girl needs blankets for her creepy dolls.

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K. Fox

My mother has a huge doll cabinet with glass doors absolutely filled to the brim with super creepy dolls. Maybe I'll make a really big version of this to cover it up so those maniacal eyes don't stare at me whenever I go over there. Or would that be worse? Knowing that they're just there, grinning at me, plotting behind the ragged-edge blanket?

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Genevieve

LOL I was sitting here snipping the edges of the little blanket when my husband came home for lunch. He asks me, "what are you doing?" He didn't realize I was also on the phone listening to the million of prompts. Then he asks, "What's wrong?" So I did my crazy arms to get his attention to show that I was on the phone…then whispered, "I'm ragging it." He just walked away. It wasn't until a few minutes later until it dawned on me, he defintion of "ragging it" and mine were totally different. LOL

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Wendy

I want to make one but don't have any babies or dolls to make one for!! My stepdaughter has now grown out of dolls – she had some really creepy ones, worse than the one in your picture, and my lovely goddaughter isn't interested in dolls yet. I'll bookmark!

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durham_knits

I'm terrified of the day that creepy baby dolls become a household toy. They're just so nightmare inducing!

The blankets, however, are a great idea for a couple of little girls who need birthday presents, soon. Thanks for the tutorial!

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CollegeSAHM

Oh man I had a creepy doll when I was younger that my brother's did awful things to because non of us liked her. While all me other dols were saved by the army men this doll would be the lone victim in the horrible acts.

Now I don't let creepy dolls into my house! We have an Bitty Baby Doll and lots of animals ๐Ÿ™‚

Love this blanket idea! Maybe if I make some of these my daughter will quit taking all the dish rags to wrap her baby and random animals in ๐Ÿ™‚

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Beth @ Sand To Pearl

My daughter has a Fancy Nancy doll, which I think is really cute, but my mother in law outlawed the doll from her house because it gives her nightmares. I should make a cute blanket for that little doll, and put it on my mother-in-law's bed next time we're over there. She'd freak.

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Melissa

Yeah my daughter picked one of these cult babies out at a yard sale once. It even has nail polish and marker on the face. The owner of the sale just gave it to me…I think hoping to remove the curse it had put on his house…:)

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Jacinda

Clare has a rag-edge quilt from my grandmother that she loves. It's flannel. It's so cozy! I have to try it! Going to add some flannel to my next fabricworm order for this!

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Seaweed and Raine

That's rather funky! ๐Ÿ™‚ Might give creepy baby a miss, but I'm sure the rag edge idea will come in handy at some point. Thanks!

Maybe I'll try it for some teddy bears instead…
Or details on dress ups?

Hmmm…

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Lilfroggin

My 2 y/o does everything with her "Baby", and loves when I make things for Baby too. I just finished stitching up one for her from scraps, and off to the wash it is now. Thanks so much for the idea!

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Amy in SC

Yup, the babies are creepy. I've got 4 girls and lots of babies. I just make sure they are out of sight at night. I stay up late sewing, and I do not want to bump into one of them in the middle of the night. I make little things for all the kids. My oldest boy just asked for a strap to carry his Nerf(tm) gun.

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Casey

I love those edges! I made a bunch of burp clothes for my son with the ragged edging, they were so soft, he snuggled those things all the time. I really want to try a ragged squares blanket sometime, they're probably so soft!

also, I agree with the creepy babies! My mom bought both my daughter giant ones for Christmas one year, they were the size of my youngest who was 1 at the time. CREEPY! Thankfully, they have finally been weeded out of the house

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Nikka

I've been on a hunt for a non-creepy baby doll for my 1 year old. My recent Facebook status said something like: "Does anyone know where to find a baby doll that doesn't pee, poop, blink, drink or make terror-inducing crying sounds?" I doesn't help that I'm Asian, live in the Philippines and ALL the baby dolls here have ice-blue eyes and blonde ringlets. No wonder so many of my countrymen are moving away to become nannies.

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Kriss

HAHAHA!!!!! Great line, "Snuggle up creepy-face. No, don't blink your cold, dead eyes and say "mama" in your robot voice!"

I personally can't walk in the doll aisle in Target without having an anxiety attack with all the talking babies. This is a toy that I hope my daughter never discovers!

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Ramirez

Creepy baby is right! I don't know if you've seen the Alfred Hitchcock with Telly Savalas (aka Kojak except he has hair in this one) but that doll is the mother of creepy dolls! Too funny, I enjoyed your project and humor. Thanks!

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Mel

ah come on, the doll is not THAT creepy!!! I have seen way worse!! Just come and have a look in my daughters' Moses basket that is overflowing with creepy little babies! ๐Ÿ˜‰ Sometimes I go in"to their playroom at night to clean up, and I hear "mamma" and goo goo" and the various sounds of dolls trying to crawl out of the basket, blink their eyes, and suck their plastic pacifiers! Now THAT's creepy. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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xperimentl

Goody, a quick project that I can have ready before my daughter gets home from school today. No creepy dolls in our house, but lots of stuffed animals that evidently need blankets. Thank you!

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Alicia for Isabelle

LOL! Oh, wow! Everytime I read your tutorials and think over my new projects I feel like I am reading my own personality! (Agree with the creepy doll all the way) You keep me laughing. Thanks for the project idea.

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