Fav Projct: Take-It-With-You-Blanket

When Andria and I think back on our favorite project from the book, we always land on the Take-It-With-You-Blanket.  This was a new project that we had never done with kids before, but one we thought of for the book.  Andria had the initial idea of a blanket with a little "friend" that fit in a pocket.  She had made this super cute pillow for Phoebe's birthday. 

The blanket had to be soft and easy.  Fleece was a natural choice and the fringes add some simple detail.  We had trouble thinking of what the friend should look like.  It needed to appeal to both boys and girls and be easy to create. 

 Then, Phoebe brought home this drawing.  I was immediately drawn to it and even made a lino stamp out of it.  Several bibs have been made with this little guy on it.  The basic shape is great and then you can add arms, legs, and a face as you see fit.

Phoebe used the original prototype of the blanket last year for school rest time with great success. Recently, after looking at the photos in the book, she designed her own version of the blanket for her doll bed.  Her blanket is patchwork and the body of the doll is stuffed while the head is flat and drawn on with marker. 

This is what Andria and I have been hoping for - that the book would encourage creativity and allow them the freedom to take and idea and make it their own.

The little pocket pal can be anything you want it to be.  Last Halloween, I introduced the pattern to the kids at Sewing Club and they envisioned crazy little monsters to attach to backpacks.

The Take-It-With-You-Blanket is the kind of project that has multiple uses and ideas running around in it.  Don't let the 3-stars (our most difficult projects) scare you away.  It's mainly due to the amount of time that the project takes if you follow the directions exactly. 

Where will you take your blanket?