Waterproof picnic blanket

Last weekend, I whipped up something up that I think will be pretty handy this summer.  In fact, we used it for the first time about an hour after I made it!

I got the idea from Amy Butler website, where she provides a free pattern for a picnic blanket.  I really wanted to make this fancy blanket in bright pretty colors, quilted, and with a carrying case.

That’s not exactly what ended up happening.

First of all, I’m on a crafting budget.  Marcus gives me heck if I spend a lot of money on my “habit” so I had to keep the cost of the materials on the DL.  So, when I went to Fancy Tiger and found out the oilcloth from Amy Butler’s line was $17 a yard, I had to keep walking.

A few weeks later, I was at JoAonn’s and saw an oil cloth that was only $12 a yard, and I had a coupon for 50% off. Perfect price, but the fabric wasn’t as cool as Amy Butler’s.  Oh well, I bought 2 ½ yards of it.  It’s not hideous, but I never really liked it that much, and after I bought it, my excitement for the project waned.  At some point, I picked up 3 yards of a brown and white heavy home decorator fabric from the clearance bin and Denver Fabric for $2.67 to use for the top of the blanket.

That was last summer.

Last weekend, I decided it was time to confront this project, even if I wasn't in love with it.  

I sewed it all together (Didn’t use a pattern…I mean, it’s just a square, right?) and got what turned out to be a nice little blanket!   Turns out, the ugly fabrics don’t matter that much for something you throw on the ground.  Pictures are coming; for now you just have to imagine.

Do you want to make one?  Here’s how it’s done:

Materials:

2 yards of a laminate fabric 54” wide.

2 Yards of a heavy cotton fabric 54” wide

A 14” square of each of the two fabrics above.  Or two of one…whatever.  You just need 2 14” squares.

First, construct the pocket so the blanket can fold into itself:

(If you want to keep it simple, skip this section, and just make the blanket!)

1. Take your 14” squares and press them so they are lovely and wrinkle free.
2. Put them right sides together and sew a 1/2 inch seam around the edge, leaving a 2 inch gap on one side.
3. Clip the corners
4. Turn it right side out, using a pencil to push out the corners.
5. Pres it nice and square, turning the edges of the gap in 1/2 an inch, and pin it.
6. Top stitch around the edge using a generous ¼ inch seam, making sure you catch your folded in portion to close the gap.
7. Lay out your oil cloth face up.  On the lower right corner, lay your square of fabric down 1 inch from the edge and pin it.  Now top stitch down one side, across the bottom, and up the other side. Make sure you do a nice sturdy backstitch at each end so your pocket will hold up.

Now Make the Blanket:

1. Press out any major creases or wrinkles in your fabrics.
2. Lay out your oil cloth face up on the floor.
3. Lay the cotton face down on top of it (so right sides are together).
4. Pin it all together.  For this project, I pinned very liberally because these fabrics are heavy, and they will pull and fight you all the way through the sewing machine.
5. Sew a ½ inch seam all the way around the edge, leaving a 10 inch gap on one side.  NOTE:  Be careful as you sew around the edge where your pocket is attached, so you don’t screw up your pocket!
6. Clip the corners.
7. Turn the whole thing right side out, using a pencil (or something else handy) to push out the corners.
8. In your 10 inch gap, turn the edge in ½ inch and press it nice and flat.  Pin it.
9. Now, press all the edges so they are nice and square.  DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! This will make your life much easier as you top stitch the rest of the blanket.
10. Pin around the edges to keep the fabric in line.  I know this seems unnecessary, but again, theses are heavy fabrics and will pull, so this will help keep everything square while you stitch.
11. Top stitch a generous ¼ inch seam all the way around the edge.  Make sure you catch the edges in your 10 inch gap so there’s no hole!

Yay!  Now you have a picnic blanket!

P.S.  In case you were wondering, here’s how you fold it up:

• Lay it down so the pocket is face up on the bottom right side.
• fold it in half, turning the fold under so the pocket is still face up on the bottom right side.
• Fold it in half again, turning the fold under so the pocket is still face up on the bottom..  At this point you should have tall column with the pocket at the bottom.
• Now fold the top forward, tucking it down into the pocket. 
• Fold the top forward again, tucking it down into the pocket.  You should have something like a pillow!