A Taggie for Willow

When my sister asked me to make her a taggie for Willow, I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about and agreed before I even knew it was a blanket.  I was excited to get to sew something for my niece though because when she's 30, she's still going to have this baby blanket and say "Oh yeah, My Aunt Jo made that for me."  That's my plan...  Obviously that's not my only reason but it's still a good one.

This is a taggie and my finished project:

Supplies:

- Material (typically one side is cotton and the other is minky or fleece).  Depending on the desired size of the taggie, you may need 1/2 yard of each fabric or 1 yard of each.

- Ribbon (different textures, sizes, and patterns)
- Thread
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors
- Pins

Step 1:

Cut the material to the desired size.  Most taggies are 15" x 15" but Michelle wanted a larger one so this is about 30" x 30" (you can also make it a rectangle as opposed to a square).

Step 2:

Cut about 20 strips of ribbon approximately 5 in" long.

Step 3:

This is where it starts to get a little tricky...  Lay the fabric down with the "right side" up.  Then loop the ribbon in half and pin it between the two pieces of fabric with the raw edges matching. Make sure the loop is inside the fabric and that the "right sides" of the fabric are touching each other.  The "wrong sides" of the fabric should be facing out.  Secure everything with a pin.

Step 4:

Sew along the edge of the blanket all around, leaving a hole about 2-3 in wide to turn it inside out. However, make sure not to run the sewing machine over the pin needles - take those out as you sew.  It is also better to leave the hole in the middle of one of the edges as opposed to being in a corner.  Then clip the corners so it can turn inside out a little easier.

Step 5:

Turn the taggie inside out! This is the fun part where you start to feel a sense of accomplishment - like it's all going to work out.  I like to iron the fabric at this point so it is easier to top stitch and it makes the corners a little crisper.

Step 6:

Top stitch all around the edge of the taggie, making sure that the hole is sewed up and giving it a nice, clean look - this also makes the blanket more durable.  Then you're done!  Congratulate yourself and show off your hard work.

I think Willow is going to love it.  

Go Clemson!