About Brenda Lewis Expertise I can answer questions on alteration of patterns, matching fabrics to patterns, sewing technique, stuffed animals and dolls, home sewing and most other questions.
Experience I've been sewing clothing for about 40 years, home decor for about 30 and have done craft sewing for about 30 years. I'll be happpy to help in any way I can.
Awards and Honors All projects I have taken to the county and state fairs have won blue ribbons.
Question My teenage daughter found a beautiful fleece blanket with finished edges in a reversable woodland pattern. She wants to fold it diagnally like a diamond and turn it into a poncho for her best friend. But we have no idea how large we should cut for the headspace. I thought she could finish the neck edges with a blanket stitch. This is a last minute Cheistmas gift...Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for your time, Mary
Answer Sounds like a really neat garment is in the works!! If you want the poncho to fit fairly close around the neck you need the hole to be 16 to 18 inches with a slit in the front. But if you want no slit you will need to make the neck 22 to 24 inches to slip over instead of "tug" over. The best way to figure the hole is with a pencil on a string - place the end of the string (that your going to figure in just a minute using your highschool geometry)at the center of the neck hole and just draw a circle and cut...... :-) Circumfrence=2 radius X pi... or radius = (circumfance divided by 3.16) divided by 2. For a 20" neck your string lenght (radius) figures out to be 3.16 inches or just over 3 1/8 inch (1/8 is .125).
Hope this helps and if I can be of more use feel free to write back as many times as you'd like
