DIY wool blanket

A wool blanket is an incredibly practical item to have in your home. It is warm, light, perfectly absorbs moisture and dries quickly. Of course, you can just buy it at your local store. But it is very easy to do it yourself.

Preliminary work

Dimensions

First you need determine the size of the finished productso that the blanket fits into standard duvet covers without any problems.

• The size of a single blanket is 160x205 cm;
• one and a half - 145x205 cm;
• double - 175x205 cm;
• European standard - 200x220 cm.

Wool consumption

• A small children's product requires approximately 1.5–2 kg of natural sheep wool;
• one and a half - 2–2.5 kg;
• double and euro - 3–3.5 kg.

Based on the figures given, you need to buy fabric for the cover of the required size + 10 cm for seams, as well as wool, from a sewing store.

Materials and tools for work

To avoid distractions while working, prepare the following in advance.

• Natural combed wool (sheep or camel).
• Thin fabric for the cover.
• Sewing machine.
• Scissors.
• Centimeter.
• Needle.
• Threads to match the fabric.
• Pencil, marker or chalk.
• pins.

How to prepare wool

You can buy six already prepared for work. But if you have untreated fleece, then you need to soak it in a bathtub in warm water for several hours. When dirty, drain the water and add new water.

IMPORTANT! Do not use synthetic detergents for soaking; they can weigh down your hair.

After 1-2 days you need to wash and dry well. The fleece should be hung vertically on ropes. The best time to wash wool is on sunny summer days, so that the wool can dry naturally outside. If this is not possible, then place it in a dry and well-ventilated area.

After this, the fleece must be thoroughly beaten so that it does not lie in lumps. This is very hard and dusty work, so it is better to ask a man for help.

REFERENCE! After washing, the finished material will lose approximately half its weight.

Making a cover

The fabric for the cover must be cut according to the selected dimensions. Allow 10cm for seams and quilting.

• Pin the loose edges or sew the seam by hand.
• Leave a fairly large hole to make it easier to tuck the wool inside.
• Sew the stitch on your sewing machine.
• Wash the fabric and iron thoroughly.

How to make a blanket

When the cover for our product has already been sewn and the wool is ready, you can proceed directly to sewing.
To start choose a surface to work on. This could be a clean floor without carpet in a large and spacious room. Or you can move several wide tables together. The main thing is that the blanket fits entirely on the surface and there are no hanging edges.

Filling the case

• Turn the cover inside out and lay it out on the work surface.
• Let's start laying out the wool.Start from the edges, slowly spiraling towards the center.

ADVICE! Distribute the fur evenly so that there are no empty or overcrowded spaces.

• Next we start turning the blanket out. This process requires extreme accuracy, so it is better to resort to the help of a few more pairs of free hands.
• Start rolling the blanket together with the laid out wool into a roll. Work your way from the solid edge towards where you left the hole. The roll should not be too tight. In the process, straighten the displaced wool, tuck in the material sticking out at the edges.
• As soon as the roll is rolled, you need to simultaneously place the ends of the cover over the roll and unwind it, as if putting it on wool. Take your time so that there are no lumps inside and the blanket is evenly filled.
• Lay out the future blanket evenly, without wrinkles or kinks. Carefully hand stitch the opening closed using an inside seam.
• Once again, carefully check the uniform distribution of the wool inside. Correct if necessary. And proceed to the next stage.

Quilting the product

• Place some weights in the center and along the edges of the blanket so that the blanket does not move around inside while working.
• Having retreated 10 centimeters from the edge, begin to sew the seam forward with the needle. Do not lift the product too much above the surface to avoid displacing the contents.
• Lay the seam in a spiral, retreating 10 cm from the edge and the previous seam. Work from the edges to the center. If the thread runs out, tie the next one to it with a double knot. Don't interrupt the stitch.
• Continue quilting to the center of the quilt. Tie a strong knot at the end to prevent the seam from unraveling.

Your handmade wool blanket is ready! You can give it as a gift or tuck it into a beautiful duvet cover and use it yourself.