How to I "Make" my own huge thick blanket?

[cbr shadow]

I want to make a blanket.  I want it to be huge, thick, heavy, and warm.  Would this be quilting?  My wife and I were talking recently about how there's nothing like a big thick blanket like one we used to own.  Most warm blankets are too small, and most huge blankets are too thin.
To do this myself, would I need to learn to quilt?  If so, what's the easiest/fastest way to learn how to do this?  I'm open to the task even if it will take a very long time, as it might be a fun project to work on for a long time.
When I say huge I was thinking like a queen size sheet.

I know this question is probably weird, but it's side project that I've been considering for a while.

[jpo]

Have you considered DIY camping quilts? You can stuff with down or synthetic to a thickness of your liking.

[Norrie]

Our daughter received a blanket several years ago that is comprised of two thick pieces of polar fleece, with the fringe knotted. I don't think that there was any sewing involved in it. It's not quite queen-sized...maybe double.

It looks similar to this (only not football themed, and I think that hers is smaller):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271138858398&item=271138858398&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

By Googling "double fleece blanket instructions", I got all kinds of things. Our daughter swears that this is the best blanket of all time, and actually sleeps on top of her made bed of sheets and a comforter, and just sleeps under this.

[brand new stash]

Well, it depends on what that blanket was like. 

The warmest blanket we have was actually a wedding gift, and it is thick wool fabric.  Incredibly warm.

Most quilts are made of quilting cotton pieced together to make a design, with a layer of batting, then a backing sheet also made of quilting cotton.  Those aren't terribly warm, they usually look great, but not ridiculously warm.   Slightly warmer quilts can be made using fleece in place of the batting and the backing of quilting cotton.

If you can easily find small warm blankets that you like, you can piece those together and use that as the batting for your blanket.   

Another suggestion is knitting.  I find most multi-strand knitted blankets to be pretty warm. 

[Milehimama]

The EASIEST and cheapest way to do this is "cheat quilting".  It will be big and warm, but will not have the look of a handmade Amish quilt or anything.

Get two King size flat sheets (or Queen- depending on your bed size and how big you want it.)  You are going to need batting.  You can buy this at a fabric store, it's kind of like a white fluffy sheet of fibers.  Or you can get even thriftier and make DIY batting out of old t-shirts, etc.  You will need lots.  You can also use old torn up quilts, comforters, etc. as batting.

Sew up the edges, then stitch across the sheets in a few places to anchor the batting.  You'll notice on quilts they have decorative stitchwork that goes across the fabric design- that anchors the batting.  If you have chosen the "jeans/shirts/sweaters" method of batting you will have to make sure that EACH separate piece is anchored down with stitching.

If you want an EVEN heavier spread, start saving your old jeans.  Cut squares out of the legs (same size) and sew together (seams on the "wrong" side).

You can also crochet an afghan.  Crochet is easier than knitting IMO and if you are making a large item, use a large hook (J or K) and chunky yarn, it works up fairly quickly.  How warm it is depends on what yarn you use, and what stitch you choose.

[geekette]

I'm not sure why you want "heavy" precisely, but cotton is heavy (I find it too heavy), while wool is warmer, but lighter. 

Polyester batting, like you'd get at the craft store, is pretty warm, but not particularly heavy.  I've never heard of using old jeans for batting, but that sure would be heavy. 

[netskyblue]

Old jeans as a quilt top - cut them up and make your quilt blocks out of them. 

[greenmimama]

Old jeans as a quilt top - cut them up and make your quilt blocks out of them.

Yes, a friend made our boys jean quilts and they are super heavy and very warm! she just backed them with a cute flannel.

[Rural]

The warmest thing I ever slept under was a quilt with the top pieced from corduroy that my grandmother had made. I don't know how much batting she put in that thing, but it was over and inch thick, plus the corduroy was warm.

[capital]

Ikea comforters can very thick. I have one and it is all of 'huge, thick, heavy, and warm'. It is so huge and thick, it is difficult to store in summer.

[krenwren]

We used to "tie"quilts in college.  Make a top and bottom from the fabric of your choice.  You can use sheets, piece together patches from old clothes,  piece together large pieces of fabric, whatever.  Put batting in between then use either floss or yarn to tie the layers together every few inches or so.  VERY warm, as a poor college student in Vermont, they kept me toasty.

[Simple Abundant Living]

Old jeans as a quilt top - cut them up and make your quilt blocks out of them.

Yes, a friend made our boys jean quilts and they are super heavy and very warm! she just backed them with a cute flannel.

I remade one of these quilts when the flannel and batting failed. I just took the jean side and attached it to polar fleece- no batting. Super warm, super durable, super heavy!

[MandyM]

My family is a fan of the no sew fleece blankets that Norrie posted about. They are easy and fast to make and incredibly warm. The downside is that if you have pets it is a magnet for fur. Google no sew blanket for instructions.

[acinaps]

The warmest blanket I have is a down-filled duvet. I keep my house cold at night and sleep under only the duvet, and I stay toasty warm. It's definitely one of my best purchases ever. I realized that going out and buying a duvet is not DIY at all, but you could sew up a cover for it if you really want to do some of it yourself.

[nubbs180]

As a quilter, I have to say that the term "quilting" is misleading.  It can refer to piecing a pretty quilt top or it can refer to sandwiching a bottom, bat and top and connecting them so the batting doesn't shift.  The latter of the two--the actual "quilting" can be done in several ways, either tying every few inches with yarn or another heavy-ish sting or thread, or quilting which is stitching lines or designs through all three layers.

But what I think you want is a heavy loft wool, down or other batting (not cotton would be my guess, and I'd have to add not polyester because it is cheap and ends up looking poorly).  This can be attached between two sheets, or if you have a mind to, a top you put together yourself (of a heavy fabric, if you want; I like the corduroy idea), or any other fabrics you want to use.

In the modern quilting mindset, if you go to a quilt shop to look for battings, is that a thinner quilt is better because you can always layer them if you're cold (and most quilters have a LOT of quilts around as it is an addicting hobby), but if you talk to the people they will help direct you to what you are looking for.

[rachael talcott]

My grandmother used to make really warm blankets by getting wool blankets from the army surplus store and sandwiching it between layers of cotton.  The cotton protects you from the scratchiness of the wool. 

[Everything in Moderation]

"Our daughter received a blanket several years ago that is comprised of two thick pieces of polar fleece, with the fringe knotted. I don't think that there was any sewing involved in it. It's not quite queen-sized...maybe double.

It looks similar to this (only not football themed, and I think that hers is smaller):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=271138858398&item=271138858398&lgeo=1&vectorid=229466

By Googling "double fleece blanket instructions", I got all kinds of things. Our daughter swears that this is the best blanket of all time, and actually sleeps on top of her made bed of sheets and a comforter, and just sleeps under this."


I made one of these and it is the warmest blanked around.  I used 1 piece of fleece and 1 piece of sweatshirt material.  Be sure to wash and dry the material before you make it, or the shape will not be right. 

[Snow White]

I too am a quilter and one of my favorite quilts was made from men's shirts acquired from the thrift store.  You could make a warm and snugly blanket by buying several flannel shirts from Goodwill and cutting them into squares and then sewing together in a random or even organized pattern if you feel artistic.  This quilt should be tied as it will be too heavy to quilt and as mentioned by other posters, you can go to a quilt store for help or just google for instructions.

[Zaga]

My grandmother used to make really warm blankets by getting wool blankets from the army surplus store and sandwiching it between layers of cotton.  The cotton protects you from the scratchiness of the wool.

This is a brilliant idea!  I can't stand the feel of real wool, the there's no denying how warm it is!


To answer the original question, I once made a hand crocheted blanket, but it was far too cold to use because of all of the spaces that air could get through.  So I decided to sew backing onto it, and I used two layers of the polar fleece because the DIY tie blanket fleece just happened to be the exact right size.  Now I have an extremely heavy and warm blanket.  We keep it on the guest bed, and when DH is cold at night he goes in there to sleep.

I'm not suggesting you hand crochet a blanket, that would take far too long.  But if you have a hand crocheted or knit blanket around the house (or at a second hand store), backing it with one or 2 layers of fleece could get you a super heavy and warm blanket.

[Zaga]

Here is a pic.  This is also a lesson in - don't trust a 13 year old to select your yarn colors :-D  They are brighter in person, the flash washed them out a bit.  And yes, the 13 year old was me.

[jenstill]

@Zaga: Forgive me if this is a silly question; I'm no seamstress. How do you securely attach the fleece to the back of the afghan? I have a couple of these and they are lovely, but as you said, they let in so much air that they are not warm. I'd love to back them and make them useable!

[Zaga]

@Zaga: Forgive me if this is a silly question; I'm no seamstress. How do you securely attach the fleece to the back of the afghan? I have a couple of these and they are lovely, but as you said, they let in so much air that they are not warm. I'd love to back them and make them useable!

To be honest it's not completely attached at this point.  I initially used large safety pins to secure it at intersection points, then sewed as much of it as I could using my somewhat crappy machine.  I wouldn't want to use a nicer machine because the layers were so thick it could easily have damaged it.

Anyways, it's about half sewn together, all along the lines between squares.  If I was going to do it again, I'd sew around the outside, then use the tie method that others have mentioned to attach it in many places, and maybe weave in the ends of the ties.  Try You-tube for how to do a tie quilt.

[Mori]

The warmest blanket I've ever used was crocheted--a small hook (like an F or a G) for verysmall holes in the pattern and two-strands of yarn. Very labor-intense, but it was ridiculously warm (for someone that's perpetually cold).

Took about a month to make, I think. Easily 5 lbs plus when she was done.

[lizzzi]

I would spend the money for a down comforter. Mine are from L.L.Bean, but there are any number of good vendors. Then spend the money for a duvet cover. I have bought percale ones from L.L.Bean, but my favorite are the flannel ones, used with flannel sheets on the bed. Super comfortable, super-warm, and they last forever. I have passed 30-year-old down  or down and feather comforters along to my grown daughters, and bought new ones for myself and my husband. They are not cheap, but you will amortize the expense over the years.

Now as for quilts: A few thoughts, as my grandmother quilted her whole life, and so have I. Don't use second-hand or used fabric in a quilt. You are putting too much work into it to use fabric that will wear out all the sooner. If you want what my grandmother called a "heavy" quilt, and it is to be used for warmth more than looks, piece a top on your sewing machine using corduroy or flannel. Buy batting at the fabric store, and buy flannel fabric for the backing. It will be hard to quilt, as it will be thick and heavy, and if you do quilt it, don't try to quilt "close" or fancy. If you are right-handed, pick a simple quilting pattern that is all right-handed quilting, i.e. something like a wavy pattern, or half-circles made with a teacup for a template, so all your quilting is done with your right hand moving toward yourself. You may do better to "tie" the quilt--which will make you wince if you take pride in a beautiful, hand-quilted project, but will be much faster. Buy a lot of big safety pins and pin your layers together, and then use yarn to tie the quilt together, just cutting the yarn into short tufts to a length that you like. My three brothers slept through the winters (northern Ohio) in unheated attics--sometimes woke up in the morning with snow sprinkled over them from cracks in the roof--but always said they were warm enough under those "heavy" quilts. When the family broke up housekeeping in 2011, there were still a couple of those "heavy" quilts that were sold at the auction even though they were thirty or forty years old by that time. My grandmother made many, many beautiful quilts, so the family really didn't want the old, homely but serviceable "heavy" quilts.

[brewer12345]

+1 on the down comforter.  DW has poor circulation  her hands and feet and won't let me drop the heat at night, but when we have had the occasional power outage there is nothing warmer.

[tracipam]

I love crocheting, and the warmest crocheted blanket I ever made held six strands of yarn together on a really simple back-and-forth pattern of single crochets.  Dense, thick, and super super warm. 

[Rebecca Stapler]

I agree that, for warmth, nothing beats a down comforter!

But if you want something heavy but not super hot, my husband swears by his quilt made of his old jeans. Nothing else is heavy enough for him, because it's not that he wants something really warm but he wants the weight.

[kimmarg]

Down comforter worth the money!! But don't buy a cover - just sew two sheets together