If you want to know how to make a fleece blanket with binding, we will teach you the technique in two steps. You can apply this two-step guide to a finished fleece blanket and adjust the sizes accordingly. But why should you bother learning how to add binding to your fleece blanket?
Adding trim on your fleece blanket border gives it a nice finish that is beyond aesthetically pleasing. Binding will also keep the material from potentially fraying. Learn more about this technique below:
How To Make A Fleece Blanket With Binding For Beginners
1. Add the binding to the blanket
After you’ve made the fleece blanket, you want to remove the selvages so the edges will be straight and ready. Then, prepare the satin binding that will go around the blanket. You will sew two pieces of binding together according to the size of your blanket.
Sew their right sides together at a 45-degree angle and remove the excess. If you’re unsure what is the right side of your satin binding, it should be the slippery side. You can then add the binding to the blanket, starting at the middle pinching the fleece’s sides.
Some binding might have a longer side, so be sure that this side will be underneath the fleece blanket. Sew along the edge with zigzag stitches and proceed to the next step for the corners.
2. Make the corners and finish the blanket
You will sew to the edge of your fleece blanket and then finish the seam for the corners. Turn the corner to keep it from getting untucked, and you’re done. If you find this method too slow, you can also stop sewing from the edge and pin the binding in place.
Wrap it to turn around the corner and fold the fabric, so you’ll end up with a mitered corner. Sew on the edge of the binding and turn at the corner as you continue. While this method is faster than the first one, you have to be careful not to have the binding untucked.
Once you’ve finished around the corners, cut off the excess and leave an inch for turning under. Sew along the edge of the binding and finish the blanket seam. Trim the excess threads for a neater look, and your fleece blanket with binding is done!
How Do You Make A Self-Binding Fleece Blanket?
Besides the two-step beginner’s guide above, another way to make a fleece blanket with binding is to sew a blanket in a way to make it self-bind. The main idea is to use two fabric layers and bring the one on the back to the front to look like binding. Here it is in more detail:
1. Sew the blanket and leave a gap
Cut two fleece materials with different sizes, and make sure that you have removed the selvages or an inch of fabric on either side. You can have the first fabric at 72 by 48 inches and the second one at 82 by 58 inches because this is a self-binding fleece blanket. Lay the bigger fabric piece right side up and fold it in half.
Pin the center and repeat on all sides, then place the fabric right side down to meet the larger fabric piece’s right side. Fold it in half and pin the center so you can line up the center of both fabric pieces. Pin them together on all four sides to guide you in sewing.
Make a straight stitch with half an inch of seam allowance from the center on all four sides. Leave a gap around 4 inches on one side for turning the blanket in the next step.
2. Turn the blanket right side out and finish
You will make mitered corners to achieve a neater finish. To do this, fold the blanket so that the seam and the excess material of the larger fabric piece meet. Draw a 45-degree angle on the edge of all corners and cut off the excess.
Flip the blanket right side out using the 4-inch gap and ensure that the corners are pushed all the way. Lay it flat and sew the gap with any stitch you prefer. Trim the excess threads, and your self-binding fleece blanket is finished!
How Do You Make Fleece Bindings?
Besides satin, you can also use fleece as binding. To do so, cut out two strips of fleece around two inches wide with lengths suitable for your project. You can always connect several strips together, so you don’t need to cut very long fleece strips.
To join the fleece binding strips, place them with right sides together and edges overlapping around ¼ inches. Stitch from one point to another and backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam for security. Trim the seam so you’re left with ¼ inch seam allowance, clip the edges, and press the seam open.
Conclusion
Adding binding to your fleece blanket completes the look and improves the durability of your project. You have learned how to make a fleece blanket with binding in two steps using satin binding, but you can also make binding with fleece fabrics. The process is straightforward and quick, but you can also make a self-binding blanket using the techniques we shared.