I'm Dana from the sewing site: MADE--a place where I share DIY ideas, sewing tutorials and patterns, design inspiration, recipes, photography, and just a bunch of this and that.
I'm a mother of 2 kids living in Austin, TX with my husband and sewing is a big part of our lives. It's infused through the clothing we wear, our home decor, items I find at the thrift store, even our toys. In a nutshell, I love creating.
It's what keeps me sane and alive--providing an outlet from my day-to-day duties as a mom. Plus there's something magical about transforming a 2-dimensional textile into something new, useful, and 3D. Sewing breathes life into fabric. And blogging gives me an outlet to share what I love with others.
My grandma taught me to sew when I was ten years old. We started out sewing straight lines on a brown paper bag....no thread, just holes. I was immediately intrigued. By 13 my mom taught me to use store-bought patterns and I spent many summers sewing simple pants, dresses for church, and every type of scrunchie and big bow I could think of--afterall it was the 80s.Fast-forward 15 years through high school, college, and a film career and I found myself back at the sewing machine. My creative spirit had been dormant for a while but I suddenly had an urge to make things for this little human....especially since sewing for kids takes half the time and half the fabric as it does for adults. My daughter is now 5 and my son has joined the sewing circle so the projects are a plenty. The flavors at our house are...
And many more. Just head to the Tutorials page for a complete grid of tutorial ideas and patterns.Today I'm sharing a project that goes back when my daughter was born. Every baby needs that special "blankie" for holding and snuggling. I'm not a traditional quilter but this blanket combines a bit of quilting and traditional sewing.
It's a faux chenille blanket.
4 to 5 different layers of cotton fabric are sewn together, cut into diagonal sections, bound with bias tape, and then comes the secret ingredient....
Throw the blanket in the washing machine and watch those lines ruffle up into little chenille strips. The layers of cotton begin to fray slightly and make the blanket oh-so-soft. 
In this tutorial I'll show you the detailed steps, taking you from fabric--to blanket. And I'll even share my mistakes!--cause believe me, I've cut plenty of holes in these blankets. Nothing a simple patch job won't fix.
Head over to MADE for the complete tutorial. You're babe will love you for it.
Happy Sewing!- Dana
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