How To Make A Minky Baby Blanket In 30 Minutes!
Make a minky baby blanket in only 30 minutes? YES! You will be shocked that you too can do it. You may continue to be shocked that one baby blanket will not be enough. Soon you will be fully addicted to sewing these sweet wraps and the world will be a better, cozier place because of it.
A while back I noticed a trend in my life. Evites to baby showers began popping up in my inbox. Photos of tiny scrunched up faces peeking out from under knit hospital caps were mostly what I saw on Facebook. Friends and family members would talk about getting the bug. The bug? I would ask.
Yes, the baby bug.
So what’s a girl to do? Embrace it. I knew I couldn't make a quilt for every new baby, so I needed to learn how to make something faster, easier and, uhum, cheaper. I learned to make a minky baby blanket in 30 minutes!
30 minutes, you say?!? Oh yes. It’s very simple, very easy, and very inexpensive. The best part about this blanket is that people assume it took you hours of time and planning. People also assume that it was personalized just for them. *maniacal grin*
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Little do they know that you have a pile of baby blankets on reserve. (after learning how simple this technique is, you really will) So when others are handing over their gifts of rubber nipples and bizarre bugger-sucking contraptions, you will get to proudly unveil a soft homemade blankie wrapped up with a bow. Those baby showers just got a lot less unbearable, oui?
To make one of these super sweet swaddles you don’t need much, not even very good sewing skills. Don’t believe me? After these 6 simple steps you will. Promise.
Minky Blanket Supplies
- Sewing Machine
- Pins
- Thread
- Fabric Scissors
- 1 yd. Minky (Fabric.com and Hawthorne Threads have a great variety.)
- 1 yd. Cotton (Picking out this cotton fabric is the super fun part! The amount of quirky cute fabric out there is staggering, so don’t hold back! Be bold! Below are a few of my favorite online fabric shops. For a more detailed list of great online fabric shops, check out this blog post!)
6 Simple Steps to Make a Minky Baby Blanket
- Make a small snip with your scissors and tear the cotton fabric on each side. This ensures that the corners of the fabric are perfectly square. Many times when you get fabric off the bolt, it is not cut on the grain and will look “wonky” – like a rhombus. By tearing the fabric, you get it back on the grain. (See Quilt Terms if you are unsure what the fabric grain is.)
- Lay minky on the floor right side up and place the cotton on top, right side down. Trim the excess minky with your scissors.
- Pin around the edges, every few inches, leaving a 6” gap on one side.
- Sew a ½” seam around the edge EXCEPT for the 6” gap. Backstitch either side of the gap so it doesn’t rip during Step 5.
- Stick your arm into the hole you created in Step 4, and flip the blanket inside out. At this stage it looks a bit like a pillow case. Poke the corners out with your fingers. Pin the edges down.
- Start where the hole is, and sew a ¼” seam around the edges to finish your blanket. Backstitch where the seams connect to secure the thread.
Check out my Favorite Sewing Notions!
- How to Choose the Right Quilt Batting
- The Best Sewing Table
- The Best Quality Thread: Part 1 and Part 2
- 5 Best Cutting Mats for Quilters
- Best Rotary Cutter
- The 4 Best Quilting Rulers
- The Best Iron for Sewing
- The World's Best Sewing Scissors
- Your Guide to Finding the Best Thimble
- Best Pins for Quilting
- The Best Quilt Marking Tools
- Fusible Batting Tape: Why You Need It and How to Use It.
- 8 Things You Never Knew About a Tailor's Clapper
- 5 Types & Sizes of Hand Quilting Needles
- Must-Have Quilting Tools
And that’s it! You’ve just completed your baby blanket! The first one probably took you longer than 30 minutes, but once you have made it once, the second will go sooo much faster. And then the third...and the fourth...ahhhh! So many babies! 🙂
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and please let me know if you have any comments, questions, suggestions, fabric recommendations, weird baby shower stories, minky blanket success stories, funny dog videos, anything! I just love hearing from you!! xo
I’m just in awe of this small world. My sister Anne and I just each bought our first sewing machines and have been slowly starting to learn the basics. I wanted to make baby shower gifts for friends of mine so I found your tutorial on Pinterest. After going through your website, I realized I “knew” you. I lived with Abby, Natalie’s little sister, in college and we visited Natalie in Chicago a couple of times. I always loved hearing Natalie talk about her best friend Suzy and how you made quilts. Just the smallest world. Well I’m off to buy material and try this Minky baby blanket out.
YES! Abby!! haha what a small world! I’m so glad we’re reunited again on the internet! LOL! xo
Should minky fabric be washed before sewing?
I didn’t think it should be, but I’d like to know for sure.
Thanks
It’s not essential to prewash minky since it is usually 100% polyester and won’t shrink and fray like a natural fiber.
Help! I’m new to sewing and am trying to follow your directions. My minky fabric won’t stay put when sewing even though it’s pinned all around. It’s going crooked and bunching. Do I need to make the stitches longer and looser?? I’m on my 3rd try and don’t want to give up!
It sounds like you need to lessen the pressure on your presser foot. Do you have access to a walking foot? That would be even better. The tension as your machine pulls the fabric through the feed dogs is too tight, which is causing the pulling in your fabric.
Would it be best to pre ash the cotton fabric? I don’t want it to end up smaller than the minky after getting washed. Also, do the two layers of fabric tend to slip around?
If you don’t want the cotton to shrink, you should pre-wash it. The two layers of fabric kind of slip around, but because the blanket isn’t very big, it only ads to the cuddliness – unlike a quilt which would need stabilizing stitches to hold the three layers together.
Should the minky be prewashed too? Does it shrink that much?
Prewashing the minky is a good idea – mostly so that all factory chemicals are washed out.
Hi! I’ve just finished my first quilt top and I wanted to back it with minky and not use batting… Could I in theory copy this technique and then stitch in the ditch to finish? Or would the ends be messy? I’m brand new to this and looking to finish the quilt as simply as possible. Also I don’t have a walking foot 😂😂 help? 😂
Honestly, if you are new to quilting, I wouldn’t use minky. Minky is a wiggly fabric that is hard to tame, even for experienced quilters. However, if you really really want to back a quilt with minky, I think you should stick with a classic quilting baste rather than flipping it inside out like with this blanket. Once you start quilting after flipping it, the edges will shift and cause the top and backing to not line up well.
Where did you find that particular floral print and what color is that minky?
The floral is a Heather Bailey print called Mum Toss Turquoise in her Up Parasol line of fabric – http://www.heatherbaileystore.com/product-p/fy-up-hb043-mumtoss-turquoise.htm
I always get my minky from Hawthorne Threads cause I think they have the best selection. The one I used can be found here – http://www.hawthornethreads.com/fabric/designer/hawthorne_threads/minky_dimple_dot/minky_dimple_dot_in_succulent
Hi Suzy….This is crazy 🙂 Today I bought this minky at the market….with a babyblanket in my mind….just when I’m looking around at pinterest for some additional ideas…I see your tutorial and this is just what I have in mind with this (black) minky! I’m going to make this blanket tonight..thank you so much for this great tutorial 🙂
Do you always prewash when you make the blankets?
I don’t always pre-wash, no. I really only do it when I remember to do it…which actually isn’t that often 😉
Do you have any tips for working with minky fabric? I keep reading about how slippery it is, how it stretches when your work with it. I’m a little scared lol. I have a yard I bought for a baby blanket but it’s been just sitting there for months out of fear.
My tip is to pin the fabric securely before sewing. After that, just go for it!! 🙂
Is it necessary to use a walking foot when sewing with minky or quilting for the first time on a home machine?
Not neccessary, but makes the job much easier. I walking foot allows the sewing machine to gently guide more fabric through the machine with less pressure than a simple presser foot – this lessens the tugging and pulling that can happen during quilting.
Should the monkey be on top or on the bottom when using a walking foot?
Ahh…autocorrect! Minky, not monkey!
I like to put that layer on the bottom.
Any quilting to keep the two sides together?
You can do some quilting or ties if you want, but you actually don’t need it. This is a really light and flexible blanket, so you don’t need the structure of quilting to keep it together.
Any tips for a milky rag quilt?
I’ve never made a rag quilt, but I think one made out of fleece would be super snuggly 🙂
So how big of a blanket does this make? Would 1 yard be like crib mattress size? I’m trying to get a visual as I’m making a Star Wars fitted crib sheet (which will take 2yds.) & matching blanket. 🙂
A crib sizes blanket is about 36″ x 52″ (See this post for details.). These instructions will make a blanket that is about 32″ x 38″ – a little smaller than a standard yard of fabric, depending on how much you lose when squaring up the sides.
Noob question: Is it possible to make it crib blanket size?
Sure! Just cut your fabric bigger. You could also add a few quilt ties if you wanted more stability between the two layers of fabric.
Ha! Ha! Ha! You can not cut your fabric bigger!
Can I use minky for both sides of the blanket?
You could!
Great tutorial! This also works well to use minky on both sides for a winter weather blanket. Also, I use a saucer or bread plate to round off the corners of my blankets.
I like that idea of rounding off the corners. Mine always look like they were chewed on oe something!
Great idea!
I love this little blanket- now off to the store to buy my fabrics! I can’t wait to see!
Is the cotton fabric flannel?
No, just quilting cotton.
Hello! This blanket tutorial is so great! I’m not a sewer and I was wondering if I need a special kind of needle to get though the minky fabric?
Nope! I simple universal needle will work great.
Is this secure enough to machine wash after? Im giving this as a gift and want to make sure it’ll be easy for them to care for!
Thanks
It sure is! Minky blankets I made a couple years ago have been washed multiple times and are still just as sturdy as the day I gifted them.
I am making my first blanket with a minky back. I am trying to hand tie it in the middle but my needle with a big enough eye for yard won’t go through the minky. Any suggestions?
Instead of yarn it looks like you will have to use something thinner, like a hand quilting or embroidery thread. One idea is to hand stick X’s instead of using yard ties. For all of my hand quilting I use DMC Pearl Cotton No.8 thread. A thinner option I like for hand-binding is Sulky No.12.
What exactly is Minky? A type or blend of fabric?
Minky is a special type of plush fabric that is like fleece – but softer and thicker. The high quality of minky fabric prevents its colors from fading and its warmth from decreasing over time.
Do you have any instructions to finish out the edging further? Ribbon possibly? I’m new to sewing.
I don’t, but I bet if you Google it or look on Pinterest, you will find some great tutorials.
I have used wide satin binding on many of the minky blakets I’ve made and they look beautiful. Just within the last two years I started to embroider the baby’s name on the satin binding. It just adds that extra personal touch.
I’m just a small local seller in my hometown. I am just curious to know if I am selling my small blankets similar to yours for the right pricing. Could you say approximately how much you would charge just for the blanket? Thank you for sharing your tutorial. I learned a different technique.
I’ve never tried to sell minky blankets, but what I would do is add cost of materials + time. If materials cost about $15 and it takes you about 30 minutes to an hour to make a blanket, $25 – $40 is probably a good range.
After completing step 4, should I cut the excess fabric?
Step 2 has you trimming the extra fabric – “Lay minky on the floor right side up and place the cotton on top, right side down. Trim the excess minky with your scissors.” However if you have excess after sewing your seam, trim the seam down to 1/2″.
Hi Suzy … thank you for this great tutorial!!! Can I ask you some questions?
Would this be an idea for a “summer baby quilt”? I mean, when you say it is “light” … would the minky be cool enough for a summer month baby?
Also, I was thinking of piecing the top … could I quilt a bit on top of the minky? Being that it has those cute bumps … I’ve never used it before and would just like to understand if it is possible.
Thanks so much!
Minky is an interesting fabric. Although it is light, it is also pretty warm. I think it’s great for all seasons, but could be a little heavy for mid-summer weather. You can quilt on top of minky, just keep in mind that it shifts and stretches a lot. One suggestion would be to use ties rather than quilting. Or if you do machine quilt it, don’t quilt it very densely. What’s so great about minky is that it is soft. If you quilt it densely, like you might an all cotton quilt, it will lose it’s soft squishiness.
Thanks so much Suzy!!! 🙂
Hi, the blog is very informative. As we all know that baby blanket plays an important role in the baby life. Nice tips shared by you to make Minky baby blanket. Keep sharing more creative ideas like this.
Hi! I love this tutorial and all the comments and questions are very informative. I have a few questions..
i have a giant piece of mink (a little over the yard) that i would like to turn into a baby blanket instead of a quilt because as you stated i want it to be as cuddly as possible for baby. If i use pieced flannel instead of the cotton fabric will it still move and be as cuddly? Or would you recommend i instead use a piece of solid cuddle fabric since the mink has animal & alphabet print on it?
A flannel/minky blanket sounds aaaaamazing! You need to make that ASAP. As long as the colors match, mixing prints and plaids can look beautiful. This is shaping up to be a very dreamy treat for baby!
Ok. Now that I have read every comment pertaining to flannel…I have a gender neutral baby blanket on tap and found a high end flannel. Can I minky the back? I don’t want to prewash because I am a little under the gun on time! These 30 minute blankets make me look darn good at these baby showers!!! Will these fabrics work out together?
Those fabrics will be great together! Very cuddly indeed 🙂
I have made a simple staggered brick top out of flannel and made this same quilt, just prewash your flannel, as it tends to shrink a bunch and the kinky will not. It was sooo cuddly, hard to give away.
Wonderful! These steps are good enough for making a good blanket.
I’m new to sewing and have only made decorative pillow coverings. I’m wanting to start making blankets as Christmas gifts. I came across this page and wondered what would be a decent size to make this similar blanket for an adult.
If you want to make this for an adult, I would suggest finding fabric that is wider than 42″ – possibly something over 50″ and get 1.5 – 2 yd. In many cases, chambray, denim and double gauze is wider than the classic 42″ for quilt-weight cotton.
Hi! I am newer to sewing and looking to make these blankets. I’m wondering, can I serge the pieces together? And then to back and too stitch with my sewing machine?
You can definitely serge the two pieces together! If you don’t mind the serged edge showing, you could even put wrong sides together (so the right sides of the fabric are facing out) and serge it all the way around.
I am confused about Step 1. I have one yard of fabric. If I tear it then won’t I have two 1/2 yard pieces? I have a different yard of fabric for the back.
Hey Jo, Don’t tear the fabric in half, just rip the sides of the fabric to get it on grain – that way your blanket will have squared up corners and no weird rhombus-shaped sides. Make sense?
I just finished three of these and am grateful minky is a forgiving fabric. I had a heck of a time keeping it from stretching beyond the cotton fabric. But they are lovely, and precision isn’t really needed, as they are loose and cozy.
Hello Suzy,
I was wondering if you can use fleece with the bubble minky back??? Most of the time it’s cotton or flannel. Any suggestions ???
Definitely! I would recommend pre-washing the fleece first, because it can shrink A LOT.
Hi, I’m making my first blanket using
Minke.I got cotton instead of flannel with milky. Will it be good ? I’m thinking I should go to the store. I just want it to be perfect for my friend.
Hi Kathleen, what a nice gift! Cotton works just fine, and in fact, this tutorial is about using cotton for a Minky blanket. Enjoy making your blanket!
Hello! I am planning on making a larger version of this for my son’s bed. I’m not a sewer, so I loved how simple this blanket appeared to be to do. Am I going to have any issues with it on a larger size? The cotton I’m purchasing is 42” wide and 72” long. I am wanting to make it as large as possible with that size of fabric. Just wondering if it will move around too much at that size? Thank you for the rest directions and your time!
I’ve never made a minky blanket on that scale, but as long as you completely sew the edges together, it will work. The fabric will shift similarly to the way a pillowcase shifts, but the integrity of the blanket will remain intact. I hope that answers your question!
Hello! I am wanting to make a blanket, but I want to use flannel instead of cotton. Can I still rip it to get it even on the edges?
Great question and I would suggest not ripping it. Instead, use a ruler, rotary cutter and cutting or a pair of scissors to get your flannel corners squared up.
After 8 HOURS and a WHOLE spool of thread and do EVERYTHING that was stated in the instructions. Tearing the material and EVERYTHING! I STILL CAN NOT GET IT TO SEW AT ALL! BRAND NEW SEWING MACHINE, WITH THE WALKING FOOT ATTACHED. So, I think this is nothing but a bunch of malarkey and lies! I wasted 30 dollars on minky material that after trying for 8 hours and getting NO WHERE! I threw that crap away. WILL NOT EVER TRY AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Paula, dont let the fabric get the better of you. Walk away from the machine, have a cup of tea. Then go back and rethread your machine. Make sure your bobbin is in the right way. Maybe take the walking foot off and try with just the regular foot on a scrap piece of fabric. It could be that your tensions are off a bit.
Always try stitching on a scrap of similar fabric before using the real fabric.
You are not the only one that has thrown in the fabric, so to speak. I work for a fashion designer and I have to work with silk, chambray, satin, and all kinds of fancy one of a kind prints, do you know how many I have messed up?! I have messed up several expensive pieces but I havent let it get me down. I just recut a piece and then start again adjusting my error as I go 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful encouragement, Sue! That’s something that all of us need to hear every once in a while.
I have a pretty knit that says It’s a Girl can I use that instead of the cotton or am I asking for trouble?
You can definitely use that! If it’s a stretchy knit, I suggest using some stabilizer so you aren’t fighting with the fabric the whole time. I go into a bit more detail about that here – https://suzyquilts.com/quilty-adventure-part-iv-sew-jersey/
Suzy, I’ve read all your instructions, and all the comments, so I’m getting ready to give it a try. Thanks, will let u know how it turns out.
I love this blanket! I made it once last year and it turned out great, but for some reason this time my minky got super stretched and so it was puckering! Do you lengthen your stitch length? I had mine at 2.5 but then ended up going to 4 at the very end (using a walking foot). And how far apart are you pins? Sorry for neurotic sewer questions but if I’m gonna pump these out I wanna make em right! ;D Thanks for all your awesome tutorials and patterns Suzy!
Thank you for the tutorial! I followed the directions and have only to top stitch to finish a cute blanket for my nephew’s soon arriving baby girl. It looks like it’s going to be great! My question is about tearing the fabric- along the bias it tore very easily, but the other two sides did not. In fact, they pulled significantly and the pulling/warping did not completely go away after I ironed it. Was I doing something wrong? I’m looking forward to making more of these blankets, but would prefer that to not happen next time if it can be avoided! Thanks
When tearing fabric, you want to tear it on grain, not on the bias. This means tearing it on the weft and warp of the fabric. Basically, when fabric is woven together, there are vertical threads and horizontal threads that get woven in and out very tightly. Depending on how the fabric is made, sometimes the warp does not tear as easily as the weft, or vice versa. If you want to avoid that situation completely, skip the tearing and use a ruler, rotary cutter and mat OR fabric scissors to cut the fabric. Just be careful to square it up with a grid or ruler.
I was wondering if it had to be 100% cotton for the printed fabric? I am making a baby blanket for my friends who are refusing to find out the sex of the baby so they’re going with a bear theme and neutral browns until the baby is born. So far it has been difficult to find a pattern of brown bears that: 1. Isn’t so ugly it hurts. And 2. Is gender neutral enough. I found the perfect print but it is 100% polyester. Are there any other fabrics you can use on the side that isn’t minky that you can recommend?
Flannel would be nice and cozy. Also, you could try using a knit or jersey if you aren’t afraid of stretchy fabrics. Have you seen this bear fabric by Bonnie Christine? It was inspired by her son, but is gender neutral. Also totally adorable. 🙂
I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent trying to sew this 30-minute blanket. I get it all pinned and sew with my walking foot but it just keeps getting out of shape and have to repin and resew. Not sure if it’s the minky fabric I’m putting both pins and clips to hold the fabric. Frustrating! :>(
I had the same problem. I thought this was going to be a quick project to sew, but it ended up taking me hours. Every time I sewed two edges, the other two edges got out of shape and the pinky stretched so much. I sewed and ripped out so many stitches. Even when I laid the two fabrics together and started pinning the edges, neither of them would lay flat. The cotton fabric kept bubbling up on top and wouldn’t line up with the minky. I had visions of making several of these, but now I don’t think I’d make another one again. If I did, I would use flannel on the back instead of pinky.
Would you recommend using the cotton fabric for one side & not using the Minky for both sides?
Both could work, but using cotton on one side will be easier to sew together.
I love your blog, thanks for all the good info!! Have you ever used batting in one of these little blankets?? Just wondering if it would make it softer?
Thanks!
I want to make this blanket to match the baby room decor so I purchased a crib sheet. As it turns out, the sheet is 100% polyester. Can I use this with the minky? Will it cause static? I was hopiing to put a contrasting ruffle around this blanket.
I think you can still use it. I would pre-wash it before sewing though.
Great tutorial. Should I wash the fabrics before cutting and sewing? Not sure if they will both shrink or only one?
I usually don’t prewash my fabric when making these, but if you don’t it to shrink at all after sewing, you can.
If I were to do this by hand what stitch would you suggest? Do you mind to suggest needle type and thread? Or would you suggest the DMC mentioned above? Thank you so much for your time and the lovely tutorial.
If you were to do this by hand I would recommend getting a rayon or poly thread and either some basic sharps or embroidery needles. These articles on thread and needles should help you out more.
When I tear or cut my flannel to square the fabric before cutting the design is “catiwompus” (not straight) with the grain. I know the reason is because the design is printed on, not woven in. How should I handle this?
Anne
Since the design seems to be printed off grain, I would square up the fabric based on the printed design rather than the grain. You can use a book, ruler, cutting board – anything that has a 90-degree edge and line that up with the fabric design. Then with scissors, cut your fabric rather than tear your fabric.
Hi, thank you for the tutorial. The minky with flannel is a bit warm for a summer baby. Do you think all flannel is just as warm as the minky and flannel? Thank you
Probably most flannel will be pretty warm. You could try a light weight jersey! That would be really soft and cool.
Hi there, what stitch length do you recommend for the initial straight stitch and the top stitch? Thanks!
I usually sew with a stitch length of about 2.5 – 3.
Your nieces are adorable!! I love the Minky blankets!! I’m sure they adore you and coming to your house! 💕💕
I have a specific flannel print for my upcoming grandson. I do not sew but could do this..Do you think the flannel on one side, and minky on the other would work?
That would definitely work! You may want to pre-wash the flannel, since that’s been known to shrink a lot.
I have made this blanket and pinned the hell out of it, but still got a big pucker. Any other suggestions to stop the minky slipping? TIA
What always helps me a TON is using a walking foot and sewing pretty slowly. Have you tried that?
I don’t have a walking foot but I do have a pressure setting. Should I set it so that it is a bit higher?
yes. I think that will help a lot.
Hi Suzy,
I love how simple and easy this sounds and can’t wait to give it a try. I figured if I wanted to make a bigger blanket than to just get a bigger size fabric. However, what if I want to add a border around it? What material should I use and how easy is that to do?
If you want to add a simple pieced border to just the top fabric, all you have to do is sew strips to each side. However, if you are thinking about a boarder that is more like a sham, that’s not hard, but a slightly different process. You will probably want to look up “sham tutorial.”
I’m leery of using Minky. Would it help to starch the edges before sewing the blanket?
Hmmm…I’m not sure that would help since minky is so textured. You could try a running stitch around the perimeter to prevent stretching. With these simple blankets, though, precision don’t matter very much. Embrace the chaos! 😉
Hi, what kind of cotton fabric should i use? Flannel, or can I use regular quilting fabric which is a lot thinner? Thanks.
You can use either quilt-weight cotton or flannel. Both work great!
Hello there, I just made a fun blanket with this tutorial today! Thank you! I wanted to make one that’s a little bigger now (still for my baby) but I was wondering if you would recommend keeping the middle of the blanket together somehow if I make a bigger one? I know nothing about quilting so I wondered if there is an easy way. Or maybe it wouldn’t be necessary?
I actually don’t think it’s necessary to quilt it or hold it together. You could add some ties is you want. Here’s a tutorial on that – https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-tie-a-quilt-with-a-modern-twist/
Thank you!
I’m making a baby blanket with minky and poly satin on the back. Would you think this would need tacking since it’s such a soft fabric?
By tacking do you mean quilt ties? I don’t think it will need that since there is no batting. The middle layer of batting is why quilts need their layers to be quilted together.
Loved the tutorial. I’m going to attempt this very soon. I’ve already got my walking foot attached. Just waiting for when I’ve got a free hour in my day. I may have to schedule it in! Will let you know how it goes. Thanks so much.
Is minky on both sides okay? Any reason for the cotton?
That’s totally OK. Since minky usually only comes in solid colors, it’s fun to have a print included.
should I sew Wirth the Minky material facing me and the flannel on the bottom?
Your two pieces of fabric should be facing each other so when you flip the blanket inside out, the right sides are facing outward. Make sense?
Do you just use a straight stitch for both steps four and six? Or does it need to be a zig zag or something else? Sorry I’m brand new to sewing but I’d love to make my baby a blanket!
I use a simple straight stitch for the entire blanket.
When you say make a small snip with your scissors and tear the cotton fabric on each side, do you mean all four edges of the fabric (cross-grain and straight of grain)?
That’s exactly right!
How can this be printed?
If you navigate to the top of your screen in your web browser, you should have an option to Print un the File tab.
I am making an I spy quilt using a minky fabric on the back which has a directional print of rows of race cars. Before I pin the two fabrics together, if I have the first row of the I spy quilt aligned with the top of the directional fabric, right sides together, will they still be aligned after turning it inside out? Or will the race cars be upside down?
Sandy…my mind just melted trying to figure this out. lol! Can you do a little pinning and practice the flip to see if it’s going the right direction?
Is it necessary to put batting between cotton fabric and minky?
Nope! This blanket doesn’t use any batting.
For anyone wondering, minky fabric typically comes on a 60 in bolt and cotton is 42. This is normal and fine. Just discard the excess minky. I made this for my daughter 2-3 years ago and I’m a novice at sewing! It has still held up After her using every night and I’m going to make another one for my son who begged me to make one for him too. Thanks for sharing!
Loved all your ideas on Minky blanket. My question is what batting is best for a baby quilt that will be a throw on a wooden floor (live in Chicago). It probably will need warmth and some loft, but I don’t like high loft baby throws.
For warmth I suggest wool batting, but it does look puffy. If you’re not into lofty quilts, cotton may be your best bet. I have some blog posts on batting if you search “batting.” Here’s one that covers most of the options available – https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-choose-the-right-quilt-batting/
HI! I am a sewer and a friend gave me some of this minky fabric plus some plush silky blend to sew a blanket for her daughter. She started sewing and was having issues and got frustrated which is how I ended up with it. Problem is, I can’t seem to get my machine to sew this fabric! It bunches up and jams in my machine. I tried a ball needle, I tried a polyester thread, but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?
Have you tried using a walking foot on your machine?
In addition to all the other tips with sometimes quirky minky, I’ve occasionally cut 1 1/2” strips of either tissue paper or wash away stabilizer; putting it on the minky side of the seam. The stabilizer gives more structure to the seam. There is, however, the added task of pulling away the extra tissue. It always helps to try a sample before any project.
Thank you for these wonderful instructions! I finished my 3rd minky blanket today and have material ready for a 4th one.
Thanks so much for the pattern! I’ve made other blankets before but with batting…and this pattern is sooooo much easier! I prewashed my fabrics, since I was using cotton flannel, and rounded out the corners like a user suggested above and a walking foot. Easy peasy….was done in under an hour.
Wow, this 30-minute guide is the best. I got every step, thanks for sharing.
Hi. Nice tutorial. I am new to sewing so am full of questions. I just picked up a fabric similar to minky except it has no “wrong” side (one side is a scalloped pattern pastel ombre, the other side is just the ombre). Wanted to make a blanket to give my niece who is due in late December, but since it is finished on both sides I don’t need two layers. I can’t find any single layer tutorials that are not fleece specific and was wondering how to finish the edges. Any advice?
If you want to use a single layer of fabric and finish the edges, you can use a finishing stitch on your sewing machine (like a simple zig zag), a straight stitch and then pink the edges with pinking shears, or, if you have a serger, you could serge the edges. Oh! And you could also fold in the edges a couple times then sew around the perimeter like I did in this envelope fold pillow case tutorial. https://suzyquilts.com/easy-tutorial-envelope-pillow-cover-with-binding/ (It’s the part them I use a glue stick.)
Could you use flannel instead of cotton?
Yes, definitely!
Why is it that every time I sew a minky blanket at least one of the edges are thinker than all the rest. I have measured and cut accurately. I measure again to have each piece the sizes needed and still at the end, after I miter the corners….the thickness to one side is larger that the other side. I have tried it several times and come out with the same results. Any tips?
It sounds like the minky is shifting at some point in the sewing process. Are you pinning a lot and using a walking foot? The extra drag of a regular presser foot could be our culprit.
What kind of cotton fabric did you use? I was looking at novelty cotton or flannel. I’ve read that the novelty cotton can be stiffer than regular. Wanting to make my first minky blanket for my 6 month old. Hopefully it turns out.
I used basic lightweight quilting cotton with the minky. Check out this blog post for some great shops that sell it – https://suzyquilts.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-best-fabric-online/
I have been getting my materials from Joann fabrics but I’m buying online so I’m not sure if the quilting fabric is soft like flannel.
Have you ever made a minky, sherpa or faux fur backed blanket in larger sizes? Does that work?
I haven’t, but I’m sure it would work. Since there is no center batting quilting the layers isn’t necessary.
Love your patterns and tutorials. I wanted to ask about Minky. It’s not all the same. Some shed like crazy when cut, while others don’t seem to at all which is what I prefer. Is there a brand of Minky you can count on to not shed along the cut edges? Thanks.
I have found most minky to be kinda messy while I’m cutting and sewing with it, but this minky from Hawthorne is really nice quality and doesn’t shed once the raw edges are sewn. https://www.hawthornesupplyco.com/fabric-theme/alternate-substrates-minky/7B3EBAD6F98B/
I find minky has “little legs” and moves around so I cut minky about 2” larger than flannel then pin, sew & trim to same size before turning right side out. This compensates for the shifting which will come.
I’m using minky backing for a baby quilt for the first time, my cotton pieced blocks for the top measure 12 x 12 inches. I am using quilters dream lightest batting between the layers. I plan to stitch in the ditch where the large blocks join (it’s 3 by 3 blocks big), but I’m not sure how much quilting to do within each of the 12 inch blocks, or if any is needed at all? Thanks for any suggestions!
I would try to quilt every 4 inches. Since this is a baby quilt, and will be getting washed quite a lot, you don’t want the batting traveling. Denser quilting prevents that and keeps the layers securely in place.
I ama very novice sewer and am trying to make a blanket for a friend. Light flannel on top and minky on the bottom.
Having issues with the threads not catching to make a stitch.
What are the needed settings for the machine? I’m using an old singer 537.
what type of needle and thread should I be using?
I suggest setting your stitch length to 3 and using either a poly or cotton thread. Metler, Aurifil and Gutermann are all great brands you can find online and at craft stores. A universal 80/12 needle will work great.
I’m seeing comments about a tutorial for the minky baby blanket. Where can I find this?
This post has all of the instructions 🙂
Can I add a layer of polyester fiberfil for extra weight and warmth?
You can, however once you add batting you will need to add some quilting to stabilize the layers, otherwise after a few washes your batting will migrate and get uneven and lumpy.
I’m making a minky baby blanket I want to put batting between fabrics n my quilter said she can quilt it, can this be done for sure without a problem
Thanks
If your quilter says she can quilt it, go for it!
Hello, I am a newbie and a visual learner. In step 1 you said to tear the fabric to get it back on the grain. It’s very simple, I’m sure but I’m still confused – even after reading the comments lol. Do you have a video of you or someone else doing this step?
Hi Melody! Here is a YouTube video where Suzy shows how to get fabric on grain. Hope this helps! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XznVKhBMqSc&t=27s
You make this sound so easy and meanwhile it’s kinda in a foreign language at the same time. By chance do you sell these?
Hi Breain! Here at Suzy Quilts, we only sell digital quilt patterns and offer free weekly tutorials like this. However, if you visit a local quilt shop, they will be able to help you! Many of them, though not all, carry Minky and other supplies you’ll need. It’s a good idea to call and ask if they carry Minky before visiting!
Great tip about leaving a 6 inch gap. I need to get a blanket as a gift for her newborn baby. I’m hoping to get one that is nice and soft.
Hey 1 question please how do you iron the cotton fabric without the minky dots being flattened at the back after washing it? TIA
Since minky is a poly blend fabric you want to be careful about using high heat. Have you tried spraying it with water, flattening it with your hands and then just letting it dry? At that point you could also use low heat on your iron. It shouldn’t flatten out the minky dots.