Blanket to Duffle Coat?

Memory_Girl

I've managed to inherit 2 pure wool blankets today - which although lovely are no use on our beds (duvets and quilts or microfibre blankets)

So I was thinking - what I REALLY need is a warm winter coat for DS2 who is three years old.

If I hot wash these blankets to shrink/felt them and run a dye through them - I have 2 navy dyes got for a pound when Woolies shut down. Could I then run up a duffle coat type of coat for the littlie?

..................... or have I gone completely doolally??

Anyone ever attempted a makeover like this?

MG

Hardup_Hester

It should work but it depends how much the blankets shrink by, they might end up too stiff to be wearable.
I'm about to turn 2 skirts into 2 tops.
Hester

valk_scot

Don't see why not. It's just fabric after all. I'd dye them first though in case you end up with them felting so much in the hot wash that there's no leeway left to dye them.

monkeymonkey_3

I don't see why you cant make them into a coat, sounds like a good plan!

Why do you need to shrink / felt them though? Couldn't you just use the fabric as it is? Then you'd just wash the coat on a cool wash in the future. Or am I misunderstanding?

Memory_Girl

I thought felting might make the fabric thicker and more robust - they are quite thin at the moment, but maybe lining them would do at a pinch.

Maybe I will run a strip through a hot wash to experiment first - nothing ventured nothing gained

MG

TrixieB

Gather up your clean wool fabrics, remove any seams and put them in the washing machine. Run the machine on the highest heat setting for the longest time setting without any soap or detergent. If the fabric comes out of the washer felted enough for your taste, hang it to dry. If you desire a more felted look, put the fabric in the dryer on the highest heat setting until dry.

taken from http://www.ehow.co.uk/info-tip_8692538_sewing-felted-wool-coats-children.html if that's any help?

Topher

I'm sure that in my trawling through stuff from World War Two Homefront, I've seen a pattern for a coat made from a blanket. Unfortunately all I'm finding on line today is coats from blankets that just look like well draped blankets. Pretty sure there was some WW2 publicatin that gave a pattern, I'll look a bit more. T.

moneysaverboy

Sounds like a fab idea to me. Specially sounds sensible to test a strip in the washing machine first to see if the felting works and leaves it nicely thicker or too stiff to be of use.:T

mummy2jack

I never have attempted anything like that so cannot advise... Good luck and post a pic of the finished result... x

Memory_Girl

Washing machine now on with a test strip - I will be back

MG

Memory_Girl

Righto - test strip shrinks down to half its size and thickens / felts lovely.

I think one blanket should be enough to make a duffel coat for DS2 - but now I am wavering on the colour.

I've got a dark blue dye - but he would look so cute in a bottle green (he's a canny wee Scots read-head).

Dark blue it must be - because that's what I have and that's what Make Do and Mend is all about.

Off to find a pattern for a duffel - although it should be pretty easy to make one up - its not as if they are complicated shapes.

MG

ETA - hopefully there will be enough left over for a couple of "designer" wool bags from the blankets. Local shop is selling them for £42!!!!!! Ouch!!!