The one where I make a cosy floral blanket cape for Mollie Makes

 

A few months ago Mollie Makes asked if I would turn this £3 Ikea blanket into a pretty cape for them - I can't deny that I was a little dubious about it to begin with, partly because I generally only work with natural linen and cotton fabrics, and partly because I thought it would take me an eternity to make (when the deadline was super-tight), since blankets are obviously massive and embroidery is small and time consuming.

I persevered with the idea though, and I am so glad I did because it turned out really nicely and was an absolute pleasure to stitch. Sometimes I think it is a very good thing to push your boundaries and try something totally different; the unknown is where the magic happens after all!

 

 

To make the project work, I decided to use a combination of leftover knitting yarn and tapestry wool to make big, chunky, freehand stitches that are simple to copy, beautifully textural to look at, and cover a very large area in a relatively short space of time. Bargainous supplies, enjoyable stitching and a usable finished object = a very satisfying project.

 

 

If you'd like to make yourself one you can find all the details on page 40 of the latest Mollie Makes (issue 61, pictured above) - and if you share your make on Instagram be sure to tag it with #whatdelilahdid as I'd love to see it!

Delilah x

PS, I saw that Ikea make that blanket in cream and red too - if I was making one to keep for myself, I'd go for cream with pretty coloured flowers; perfect for keeping on the back of my sofa ready for winter swaddling.

Comments

[Chiara]

that's beautiful!!
I always looked at those IKEA throws with one eyebrow raised but look at it now! I'll have to grab one the next time I go there and give this a try, it looks like a lot of fun! ❤️

[Delilah]

Thanks Chiara - I must admit I had one eyebrow raised at the start too, but the project surprised me and it won me over in the end!

[Susan]

What a great design to spruce up a boring blanket! Great job!!!! I need to look at IKEA goods with a more creative eye next time I go there.

[Delilah]

Thanks Susan!

[Holly]

I really love this project, but I was a bit disappointed that there was no actual pattern in Mollie Makes. I understand that it's very difficult to transfer a pattern to the blanket but an illustration of placement and shapes wouldn't have gone amiss :(

[Delilah]

Hello Holly - I did supply all of that information to Mollie Makes, with full placement diagrams and photos for every step and technique but unfortunately they didn't put them in. I guess they ran out of space. Sadly I have no control over what they choose to print and what they leave out, and I'm not allowed to share the information elsewhere as the project now belongs to them! You will appreciate that it is frustrating for us designers too, especially when I always put a lot of work into making my instructions as clear and foolproof as possible. The final editing decisions are always made by the publication and not the artist.

[Holly]

Hi Sophie; I've only just seen your message! Ah right, I had no idea :( I thought it was strange there were no proper diagrams as you are usually so thorough. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me, I hope you didn't think I was getting on at you or anything!

[Delilah]

Oh, thanks Holly - no worries at all! Professional publishing can sometimes be rather like being stuck between a rock and a hard place... I hope you managed to cobble the instructions together well enough to follow them in the end :)

[Hannah]

I saw your post on Pinterest and fell in love! But I am fairly new to hand embrodiery, I am finding getting the yarn through the fabric VERY difucult! I finally found a chenille size 16 needle and am hopping this solves the problem. Did you have to pull hard to get your yarn through? Thanks again for all your hard work this cape is lovely!

[Delilah]

Hello Hannah,

I hope the chenille needle sorted the issue for you - you really do need its bulk to make a big enough hole in the fabric for the yarn to go through. With it the yarn slid easily through the fabric and I really didn't have to pull hard at all, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to try the project with a smaller needle!

[Becksie]

Hello, I love this cape and have my supplies at the ready :) I was just wondering if your pictures show the same design as in the magazine...it just looks a little different around the neck or is that because you've wrapped it differently? It really is a gorgeous design, thank you :)

[Delilah]

Thanks Becksie :) It is exactly the same cape, just wrapped in a different way - I prefer it wrapped around and flung over one shoulder more like a massive scarf.

[Becksie]

Ah thanks Delilah...I prefer it that way too :)