After reading this post in the spring on Ginger Makes, I started thinking about how I do actually sew things for other people sometimes, and maybe I should post about some of them.  Especially when I actually go outside and take pictures before mailing the thing off.

Sometimes, I sew a blanket for the new arrivals in the families of my nearest and dearest.  The last several have been made from the scraps from these hats (quick shameless promotion: they’ll be back in my Etsy shop soon!  Ask for them at your favorite kids’ store.  Get me in touch with that store!  Ok, I’m done).

I can’t get rid of these ribbings, they’re so irresistibly textural, and so vibrantly colored, and so buttery soft, basically perfect for a new baby’s blanket as far I’m concerned.  Mamas, did I mention already felted = machine washable?  (Just like the hats.)

I used the mock-serger stitch on my machine, for strength plus some stretch.  With these materials, the seams will never be 100% ripple-free, so I’m going with “ripples are part of the charm.”  In lieu of extra decoration, I switched thread colors at intervals as I went, and it made a big difference in the look, I love that the thread isn’t distracting from the ribbing colors.

We’re actually going to meet the recipient of this blanket today! I’m really excited.

One thing I love about making things for other people, besides the warm fuzzy feeling, is that it’s often an opportunity for me to try out a new idea and be more creative, thinking about things from another perspective.

What about you? How do you feel about making things for others?