Identical blankets for identical twins

Perhaps one of my favorite things to create is a custom embroidered minky blanket. I have been told by several recipients that my minky blankets have "magical" qualities that set out to soothe cranky little ones with their cuddliness. For those of you that don't know what minky is, it is perhaps the softest fabric on the planet. I have heard its texture compared to dipping your hand into a bowl of flour. It comes in many varieties (Babycapes are made using several different varieties of minky including cuddle, marshmallow and sherpa suede) and I have used most of them at one time or another while making blankets for treasured babies.

Recently, I was contacted by a customer who wanted me to create two blankets for identical twin girls. After perusing my photo gallery for ideas, and discussing fabric choices, we set about picking the fabrics. The mother of the twins dresses one girl in pink and one in lavender, so we settled on chocolate brown and pink and chocolate brown and lavender minky polka dot with pink and lavender rosebud backing.

Then we discussed design choices and decided that since the fabric was so luxurious we would use a simple, elegant monogram with each girl's name embroidered on top with a single butterfly (see photo above). I created the designs using my embroidery software, then began constructing the blankets. I cut the fabric and serged the edges, then embroidered the designs on the blanket tops. Then I set about assembling the blankets and stitching them together. Minky fabric is very stretchy, making it difficult to sew. The fabric curls and stretches so much, it's hard to keep to a particular measurement. I have found that by adhering lightweight, tearaway stabilizer to the backs of the minky prior to sewing cuts down on the stretch considerably. I also use my walking foot on my sewing machine in order to feed both layers of fabric through my sewing machine more evenly and easily. After sewing the layers together right sides facing each other, leaving a small hole on the side, I remove the stablizer, then turn the fabric right side out. I use a bamboo stiletto to make sharp points in the four corners and then topstitch the blankets using a small zigzag stitch to allow for stretch. The final step is to slipstitch the opening closed by hand.

Once I finished both blankets, I placed them one on top of the other, and, miracle of miracles, the blankets were the exact same size. The finished products are pictured below. Hopefully, these blankets will soothe and comfort Avery and Kinsleigh for many years to come!