I used to sew quite a bit, on the job and for pleasure, but then when we started our family, it slowed down to a baby blanket and a baby outfit for for each one, then eventually down to sewing on scout badges, creating costumes and mending. So most of these were done in a hurry, without much creativity involved!
The last few months, it has been fun to experiment with sewing again. Having babies on the way (plus Pinterest) has inspired me to work with new fabrics.
One day when I was getting quilting fabric at Hamilton at the Missouri Star Quilt store, I saw the above double gauze baby blanket trimmed in minky fabric. I thought it was adorable! They used two coordinating double gauze fabrics, then cut a 2 1/2 strip of the minky fabric for the edge. I really liked the texture of the turquoise minky with the double gauze fabric.
There are many tutorials on Pinterest and fabric sites for working with these two fabrics. The double gauze will shrink, so depending on what you are making with it, you will probably want to prewash the fabric before cutting it for your project. I found that it helped to lightly spray the gauze with spray starch and pressing it before cutting. Some of the double gauze has cutting lines woven into the fabric, which really helps on projects like this. The minky fabric is usually 100% polyester and does not require prewashing.
I found I needed to slightly reduce the pressure on the pressure foot and increase the stitch length when stitching the layers together. The minky has a two-way stretch, so you do not have to cut it on the bias when using it for trim. It may be easier to cut the minky fabric with a rotary cutter.
One site stated that “sewing with double gauze is kind of like wrestling a cloud.” It does tend to want to move around, so you may need to use more pins than usual. The double gauze fabric is so soft – perfect for swaddling blankets. And the more you wash it and use it, the softer it becomes.
I used some the leftover fabric to make a bib. They had quilt-as-you-go kits at the Missouri Star Quilt store, but they are also available on Amazon. These are so cute and so easy to make!
https://www.amazon.com/JUNMN-Quilt-Patterns-Batting-Natural/dp/B0792MCKZJ
Two sources of both double gauze and minky fabrics are listed below:
https://www.missouriquiltco.com/
Have fun getting your sewing machine out and trying some new projects!!! Enjoy!
