Today I am participating in Sewing for Kindergarten hosted by Sewing Like Mad. A big thank you to Mie for including me!
I had grand plans of sewing a few pairs of Morocco Pants and several Rowan Tees. However, as the first kid/grandkid/nephew to go to kindergarten, Jude was showered with lots of awesome back-to-school duds. And this mama was much busier than she thought she'd be once school started. How is it that having one kid in school all day doesn't really free up ones schedule? Luckily I was still able to squeeze in a little practical kindergarten sewing. I made this simple fleece nap blanket with attached pillow and I've even included a handy tutorial!
I still can't really believe that I have a kindergartener! Jude started at our local public school a few weeks ago and so far it has been really great. I was more than a little nervous, but Jude was super excited and so far his enthusiasm hasn't faded. The first day I shed quite a few tears on the walk home, it felt so strange to leave him all day. And that was the hardest adjustment for both of us, the long days. I was very happy when I learned that they had a nap period each afternoon. Not only did it mean he would get a much needed rest, it meant I got to sew something!
I took Jude to JoAnn and told him he could choose any fleece his heart desired. The wolf heads won him over instantly. He wanted them more than robots, Avengers, Star Wars, and monsters. It was wolf heads or bust and who am I to argue with that kind of conviction? So we went with a Dances with Wolves motif and ended up with a pretty sweet nap blanket. My big kindergartener even helped with the design and sewing! This nap mat comes together quickly, rolls up small, and washes easily. If you're in the market for a simple nap blanket, look no further.
Keep reading to learn how to make a simple fleece nap mat of your own.
And be sure to check out all of the awesome kindergarten sewing on the tour.
To Make a Fleece Nap Blanket with Pillow You'll Need:
- 1 1/2 yards of fleece
- 1/2 yard of complementary fleece
- 12 in x 16 in pillow
- velrco
- 1" elastic
- sewing machine
How to Make a Fleece Blanket Roll with Attached Pillow
1. First create the blanket part. Trim off the selvages and round the corners. I used a skillet as a guide to create round corners with my rotary cutter. Finishing the edges of fleece is totally optional. I ran mine through the serger but a nice blanket stitch would look great.
2. Next you'll create the pillow case. Cut a piece of fleece 18" by 30" Fold the shorter edges up 1" and stitch to create hems at either side. This is a great step for little ones to help with.
3. Attach the velcro. Sew a strip of velcro to the hemmed edges, you want to make sure that you are attaching it to the side or wrong side of the pillow.
4. Fold the pillow case in half with right sides facing and using a 1/2" seam allowance stitch down both sides. Turn your work right side out and you will have a finished pillow case complete with velcro closure.
5. Attach the pillow case to the blanket. Fold your blanket in half lengthwise with wrong sides facing. Center your pillowcase along that top edge. Pin just the bottom velcroed hem to the top (wrong side) of the underneath half of the blanket. Sew the pillow case to the blanket along that hemmed edge.
6. Add the elastic. Cut two 24" lengths of elastic. Fold them in half and pin them to the bottom edge of the blanket. Place one about 10 inches from the outside edge and the second one another 8" in from that. Use a zigzag stitch to sew them to the blanket.
7. Add your pillow insert and you're ready to roll!
Note: to roll up your mat first fold the edges of the blanket in to be flush with the pillow. Next roll your pillow down to the bottom edge of the blanket and secure it with the elastic straps.
Here's to Happy Nappers!
