Weighted blanket

Hurray! I just finished a weighted blanket for Monkey, and then woke him up so it could help him fall asleep. Yep, this is the magic that is parenting. I've wanted to make him one for a long time, but couldn't think of what to fill it with. Dried beans or rice couldn't be washed, an important quality for us. Pennies or washers seemed prone to oxidization and banging the heck out of my washer. Then Craft Nectar mentioned using Poly Pellets, tiny polypropylene balls for filling stuffed animals. Genius. It's very easy, once you actually get all your stuff together. I was very picky about fabric and looked all over the place before finding this great Alexander Henry robot print and some nameless fabric with tools. It is so nice to finally get this done.

I sewed channels into a giant fabric pocket, sewn together on three sides. I then measured out 23 grams in nine cups and poured it into each channel. I used three bags of pellets for a six pound blanket.

Sew across the top of the pellets, dividing your pocket into little squares, and repeat as necessary. I propped my machine up at an angle to keep the pellets away from the needle. It is cumbersome at first, but actually gets a little easier as less fabric is mashed under the arm.

So soothing.