Quick Cuddly Fleece Throw

Jim came home from the hospital Sunday, and I immediately decided to make a warm fleece throw for him, because our old house is drafty. I rifled through my design files and came up with a fleece throw pattern in a pamphlet called “Fun with Fleece.” I have seen variations of  this pattern everywhere, as it is easy to make (no sewing), cuddly, and very warm.

I wanted fleece, because–no offense to sheep–there is nothing like it for its soft warmth. At Joanne’s Fabric I stood for awhile before a blinding array of fleece intended mainly for kids, sports fans, and hunters, but after a lengthy search, found a pretty beige and blue plaid. At 50% off in a sale, the total fabric cost was about $25.

At home I unfurled the fleece on the dining room table, and quickly found that it has another attribute: cats simply adore it. I was soon in a standoff with our cat Rocket, who could not be budged, so he took on a supervisory position.

Rocket supervises removal of selvedge.

Quick Cuddly Fleece Throw

Materials: 4 yards fleece fabric, scissors

Finished throw is about 4 x 5 feet in size.
How to: Cut the fleece in half crosswise. Trim the selvedge (white or perforated edges) from the fleece. Lay the two pieces wrong sides together and pin to prevent pieces from shifting. Cut a 5″ inch square from each corner. Cut fringe 5″ deep and 1″ wide on each side. Using an overhand knot, tie front and back fringe together. Complete around entire blanket.

Fleece throw in action.

Note: The original throw was smaller, made with 3-1/3 yards–you can easily downsize or upsize this pattern. To cut the fringe, I made a 1 x 5″ cardboard template as a guide. Cutting could also be done with a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler.