I saw Elisabeth Irwin’s gorgeous wintery wool throws and asked her to design a simple version for Spring. I adore what she came up with — that yellow velvet ribbon! Do you do any sewing? Would you tackle a project like this? — Gabrielle

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My family loves having cozy throws around the house to snuggle up in, but as the weather warms up, it’s too mild for a thick wool blanket. I made this simple, ribbon-edged throw to toss over the end of our bed through the spring, and I think that it adds the perfect punch of geometry and color to the room. Plus, it makes a great hiding place for little boys! Isn’t it fun how something quick and handmade can make such a big improvement? Happy sewing!

Materials


-To make a 4 x 6 throw, you’ll need two yards each of two coordinating fabrics. I used this Lotta Jansdotter cotton print and a medium-weight linen. If you expect to machine wash the throw, fabrics should be made from the same or similar materials.
-Approximately 7 yds. of ribbon (you’ll need a length equal to the entire perimeter of your throw, plus about 10 inches for overhang). I used 1-inch velvet ribbon, though grosgrain is a more washable choice and comes in tons of colors.
-Thread to match fabric and ribbon
-Basic sewing supplies


Lay pressed fabrics on top of one another, wrong sides facing. Smooth out air bubbles and creases, and cut away any areas where the two fabrics are dramatically different in size (we’ll cut them to match precisely later).


Measure to find the center-width of the stacked fabric, then place pins along this center line down the entire length of the throw.



Stitch together your fabrics along this center line.



Lay your throw on a flat surface and use two hands to smooth the fabrics, beginning at the seam you just created and moving toward the raw edges. Now find the center point of the throw’s width on either side of the seam (these points, together with the seam you already stitched, will divide the throw into fourths) and pin to approximate two more lines running the length of the throw. Stitch along these lines.



Repeat the smoothing process once more, then pin two more lines roughly 1.5 inches from the long edges of the throw and stitch. You should now have five seams total. Press the entire throw.


Now that your front and back fabrics are firmly attached to one another, cut the edges  to your desired final throw size. Make sure that you cut away any selvedge that might peek out from under the edging.



Cut ribbon into four pieces equal to the lengths of each side plus at least 2 inches per side.


Beginning with the short sides of the throw, wrap ribbon around the throw’s raw edges, sandwiching the fabric stack. Work from each side’s center point and move toward the corners.



At ends, fold the ribbon under to the exact length of the side and then sandwich the corner and pin.



Use matching thread to sew down the ribbon to the fabric, stitching as close to the ribbon’s inner edge as possible.


Repeat on the long edges of the throw, treating corners the same way.



Hand stitch the folded ends of your ribbon together to enclose corners, and admire your completed spring throw!