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Trim a cozy fleece minion blanket with satin binding

Hey, everyone, I just made my first blanket with satin binding! And it was surprisingly easy!

My son and his wife are big into animated family movies. So when the Despicable Me movies appeared (Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment), they became enamored with minions, as have most movie-watching families!

RJ playing with his stuffed buddies and puppets on the satin binding minion blanket

So, my nearly 3 year old grandson RJ has “grown up” with minions in the form of toys, books, and even a toddler-sized armchair! When I found this minion fleece at Walmart, I knew he'd love to sleep enveloped in it!

Truly, this is what a cozy fleece blanket is made for!

As I considered a no-sew blanket for him, I remembered an old friend's story of her own blankie as a child. She emphasized how much she loved stroking the satin binding of the blanket with her fingers as she settled down to sleep! Because she loved it so much, I resolved to give RJ the opportunity to love smooth satin as well!

Here's how to make a blanket with satin binding

I used two layers of fleece so the blanket would have a comforting weight to it when snuggled under.

MATERIALS

1 ½ yard minion polar fleece (Use whatever fabrics you prefer. The satin binding method you use stays the same.)
1 ½ yard matching polar fleece
2 packages 2 inch satin binding (Wright's-4.75 yd./4.34 m)
Matching thread
Sewing machine that can zig-zag
Straight pins
Iron and ironing surface (I used the Satin-Dry setting to press the satin binding )

Plus scissors or rotary cutter, etc.

Amazon.com has the best selection of licensed minion fabric I've found. They have it in cotton, flannel, and fleece. If you opt for cotton or flannel, be sure to pre-wash and dry the fabric! Then iron it.

FABRIC PREP

Step 1

Cut both lengths of fabric so that they are the same size. Put the wrong sides together. Pin. (Some folks prefer to use binder clips to hold everything together. That’s great! Whatever you’re comfortable with. If you are using a fleece or other fabric that slips, pins will be more reliable.)

NOTE: I did not cut off all the selvedges for this blanket. Since I wanted to maximize the size of the blanket, I relied on lots of pins and carefully doing Step 2 (below). This helped make the rolled edges lie flat and gave me an extra couple inches. Call me frugal! Feel free to cut your selvedges if you are more confident doing it that way.

Step 2

On your sewing machine, straight stitch all around the blanket about 1 inch from the edge. After that, do another lap all the way around, but this time do a wide, long zig-zag right by the edge. I like to do this so that there will be no risk of bunching inside the binding. (If you have a serger, go for it! That would work just as well - maybe even better!)

Straight seam around the edges. Kept the selvedges because the satin binding will cover them.

Here you can see the straight and zig-zag seams around the edges. And more selvedge.

SATIN BINDING PREP

Step 3

Remove the binding from the packages and iron the bumps out. (Notice that one side of the satin binding is a tiny bit narrower than the other. The narrower side should be on top of the blanket when you are sewing. This way your stitches are sure to catch the binding on the bottom.)

The dimensions of this blanket are 54 in. x 58 in. That makes 224 inches (6 2/9 yd.) all around. Hence, the need for 2 packages of binding.

I join both strips into one looong strip this way.

Showing #1-2-3-4

Showing #4

Showing #5-6

Showing #7

Open the end of one strip and lay it shiny side up (right side up) HORIZONTALLY (side to side).
Open the end of the other strip and lay it shiny side down VERTICALLY (up and down).
Be sure to line up the 2 edges on the ends. Pin if needed.
Use a straightedge to draw a line from corner to corner, as in the picture.
Sew a straight seam right on the line. Reverse to anchor your ends, if you wish. However, the binding will be sewn onto the blanket, which will anchor it anyway.
Cut off the excess ¼ inch away from the seam on the line.
Open and lay the binding flat to see your miracle joining! Fold it over and press it.

Now you have one reaaally long strip of satin binding! I make it easier to work with by rolling it up and clipping it with a pinchy clip, or big binder clip. The image shows a smallish roll because I forgot to take a picture while I was working, so I redid it with what was left over. But you get the idea!

Be sure to roll it loosely! You don’t want creases in your binding after going to all the trouble ironing it!

NOTE: Before rolling, you can calculate how much binding you need for your blanket. Then add about 6 extra inches (just to be safe!). Cut the excess off before rolling. Then your roll won’t be quite so big.

SEWING THE SATIN BINDING TO THE BLANKET

Tuck and pin

About midway down a side of the blanket, tuck the fleece side into the satin binding. Be sure that the shorter width of binding is on top!

Allow the binding to naturally lie flat. This may mean that the fabric does not go quite all the way into the folded edge. I pin the binding to keep it in place.

NOTE: Work only one side at a time. After each side, I clip threads and lay the blanket flat. This helps me to miter the corner more easily and pin all the way down the next side.

Stitch

On your sewing machine, set up a wide zig-zag stitch that is not too close and not too long. The pictures give you an idea of the stitch length.

Go slowly. Not too fast. Check the backside of the blanket to be sure you’re catching the satin binding and it looks good. Sew right to the end of that edge of the fabric. Clip your threads.

The picture of gray fleece with the yellow binding was taken after I completed the blanket. I decided you might appreciate a picture of what it looks like sewing all the way to the end before you make the mitered corner.

How to make a mitered corner

Turn the binding along the next side. Fold the corner so that the top and bottom angle seam line up with each other. Pin it.

Begin to fold the mitered corner

Lining up the back with the front

See how the top...

...lines up with the bottom.

I start at the corner and do a narrower zig-zag of zero length to anchor the stitching. Then I widen it and stitch the angle. When I’m back on the normal inside of the satin binding, I zig-zag down the edge to the next corner.

NOTE: Proceed in this way down each side. I like to clip the threads and lay the blanket out flat to make and pin the mitered corner and next edge. Then I take it back to the machine. Unroll the binding as needed to pin and sew each side.

Proceed in this way to miter all the corners EXCEPT the last one.

Let’s do some ironing before we miter that last corner!

Before you miter the final corner, estimate the amount of binding you need to finish the blanket. I leave an extra 3 inches or so to work my final overlap magic.

Follow these steps

One

Two

Three

Take the blanket with binding to your ironing board.

Fold one corner of the binding in a little past the fold. Press.
Fold the other corner in a little past the fold. Press.
Now fold the satin binding normally and press again. This ensures no loose edges that may fray.

Now go back to your sewing machine and miter that last corner.

It’s time to finish up!

Sew down the final side until your neatly pressed angled end overlaps the beginning of the binding. Pin the edges so the top and bottom edges meet (like your mitered corners did). Zig-zag to the edge. To lock your stitching, turn your stitch length to zero. Then zig-zag a couple times. Cut your threads and you’re done!

Happy fabric, happy stitching, happy kid!

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Greetings!

I'm Susan, a recently retired elementary school teacher, reading specialist and happy grandma! Since retirement, I'm beginning to focus my energies on a list of desired extracurricular activities for which there has been no time, until now.

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