With all the little lovie blankets out there I love seeing something that stands out and grabs my attention - and hopefully the attention of my little one. Petite Meiette’s Mini Miette did just that! It is the sweetest of little bunny lovies with its playful, brightly colored bunny head complete with floppy ears. And this little bunny has a just-as-colorful attached fleece blanket. Consider it the sweet-yet-stylish self-soother!

The softness of the Mini Miette should make it a great companion to comfort your baby at naptime and playtime. Petite Miette’s Mini Miettes use organic cotton fleece and are stuffed with organic cotton batting. The eyes and nose are embroidered on securely so you needn’t worry when the Mini Miette becomes your child’s favorite chew toy! The Mini Miette bunnies come in three color combinations: citrus patchwork (sky, raspberry, and citron); berry patchwork (blueberry, kiwi, and clementine); and natural.

You can purchase a Mini Miette for your Mini Me for $24 from PetiteMiette.com. - Emily H.

Rag quilts are super popular right now. They are great for baby blankets. I am not a quilter, but I have wanted to make a quilt for my daughter. After reading a tutorial on how to make a rag quilt, I think I will try to make one of these rag quilts for her. The hardest part seems to be taking the time to cut everything out!

You can use any fabric that will fray easily. Flannel is a great option. I have also seen them with denim. Denim just isn't as soft. For a baby blanket I might suggest a flannel just because every time you wash it it will get softer and fray more.

This tutorial is great with step by step instructions and easy to follow pictures. I know pictures always help me understand the steps easier. This seems to be a simple enough quilt, even for those of us who have never quilted before. I'll have to go look through my fabric and get started on one myself! - Trisha

I recently discovered one of the softest materials out there: Minky (sometimes spelled Minkee). This stuff makes the softest baby blankets ever. The only problem with it is that it's hard to sew. I Craft has a great tutorial for how to sew a minky blanket without getting really frustrated and throwing your sewing machine out the window!

One thing she doesn't mention is the size of the blankets. If you want a square blanket, it's common to make it 36"x36", which would require a yard of material of each kind of material. If you want it bigger, I like to make mine 44"x44" which would require a yard and a fourth. You could also make them rectangular using a full yard of material, which would put it at about 36"x44". Good luck sewing! - Trisha

Registering for the real basics

A friend recently asked me what to register for. Now, my list of recommended items is probably more bare-bones than most, so I am likely to neglect things other people would want. So I thought I’d review some baby registry lists I found online to see what I thought of them. My assessments of six lists from leading parenting websites and retailers are below.

Good lists

Parents.com: I was impressed by this list. Sure, the quantities are off (8 pairs of socks? We had two, and we had a winter baby, and that was enough) and some things are not truly necessary (like a crib bumper, which is not recommended because of small increase in SIDS risk) but really, it is a good list. [Link]

Babyfit.com: A nicely organized, non-overwhelming list. Some things were a little odd (belly casting kit?) but most things were practical and safe. [Link]

Decent lists

Giggle.com: A good list. Again, too many of some things (seriously, how is a stroller blanket different from a crib blanket?) but not overwhelming and not very materialistic. [Link]

Target: Target’s Newborn and 0-3 month lists are comprehensive - overspendy but a good start to whittle down from. For instance, you do not need a diaper stacker, diaper disposal system, or diaper disposal refills, in my opinion. But that is your decision. And according to roughly 95% of the internet community, you can skip the wipes warmer. I know I did. [Link]

Bad lists

Baby/Toys R Us: Totally insane and overwhelming, this page would have made me cry. Unless you love to shop (and thus spend money), avoid. [Link]

Walmart.com: Whoa. Do not follow this list. Far too long, lots of unnecessary things, and at least one thing that is unsafe (sleep positioners). Finally, they completely lost me at “elbow cushion” for the bath list. Are they serious? I did not know such a thing existed. I think the "elbow cushion" of choice for 99.9% of moms is called a "towel." [Link] - Leigh G.

I just found a fun way to create a baby blanket out of old sweaters. This is great for those people who don't know how to crochet or knit, and is a great way to recycle old sweaters. This tutorial from Martha Stewart tells you an easy way to make your own patchwork blanket.

In this tutorial they talk about felting the sweaters. Now, if you are like me, you have no idea what that means. So I did a little research for you and discovered this great article on felting sweaters on Craftystylish. The author tells you everything you need to know about this subject, including what sweaters will felt, how to do it, and some tips to help protect your washer and dryer. The benefit of felting is that the yarn will not unravel when you cut the sweaters. It also makes them fluffier and softer- great for a baby blanket! - Trisha