Lap of Luxury

Warm up your winter with a luxurious lap blanket in periwinkle microsuede.

©2007-2008 The O’Neil Sisters, All Rights Reserved
What You'll Need
  • 2 pieces of periwinkle microsuede, 36 inches by 48 inches
  • Polyester batting, 36 inches by 48 inches
  • All-purpose sewing thread to match microsuede
  • Sewing needle
  • 7-inch letter stencils, Gothic font (available at Staples)
  • Silver metallic craft paint, 2 ounces
  • Sponge paintbrush with flat, round bottom for stenciling
  • Paper plate
  • Tape measure
  • Straight pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Scissors

Directions
Step One
Lay one piece of periwinkle fabric face up and mark the center of one end with a straight pin. Center the stencils “C-H-I-L-L” 7 inches from the bottom edge. Pour some of the paint onto a paper plate and apply to the sponge brush. Lightly dab the sponge paintbrush on the plate to remove any excess paint, then dab the silver paint into the cutout spaces of each stencil. To keep the paint from seeping underneath, use a very small amount of paint with each dab and hold the stencil edges down firmly. Allow the paint to dry.

Step Two
To make the throw, lay the second piece of periwinkle fabric face down on the stenciled fabric, then place the batting on top. Pin the fabric and batting together all the way around, placing the pins 1 inch from the edge. Using a sewing machine and the matching periwinkle thread, stitch the fabric and batting together ½ inch from the edge. Remove the pins as you go. Sew almost all the way around, leaving an 8-inch opening at one end.

Step Three
Reach through the opening and turn the throw right-side out. To sew the throw closed, fold the hems of the opening inward and pin together. Using a sewing needle and the periwinkle thread, hand-stitch the opening closed with a hidden ladder stitch.


Find Your Center: To find the center of the fabric, fold it in half, stick a pin along the fold, and open it back up. The pin will be in the center!
©The O’Neil Sisters 2008
As seen in
The Wave magazine
Who wants to snuggle up with a ratty, old afghan when you can make a supersoft throw thanks to the miracle of microsuede? Choose a trendy color like purple-blue, then give your throw a mod twist with metallic paint and parking lot stencils that spell out C-H-I-L-L. It’s the perfect way to add a splash of color to the couch––just what the doctor ordered to cure those winter blues!
Sew Smart
Instead of choosing cheap, all-purpose thread, spend the extra sixty cents on Gütermann’s. It’s higher quality so it’s less likely to stretch and break in your sewing machine.