Embroidered Cozy Throw & Storage Pillow

Let the temperatures rage below zero outside -- you'll be cuddled up and cozy in this smart fleece throw!

Sleeves in the blanket allow your hands to stay free for snacking, reading, and remote controlling, while the rest of you stays warm. A matching pillowcase is just the thing to store this clever blanket.

Read on for instructions for making this cuddle-up cozy blanket and case!

Supplies & Materials:

Supplies Needed:

3 yards of 60 inch wide fleece
3/4 yard twill
3/4 yard lightweight canvas (print home decor fabric)
Medium weight cutaway stabilizer
Temporary spray adhesive
Air-erase pen, or other marking tools.

The designs featured in this tutorial include:

A Winter All-A-Round Design Pack (Available in Lg, Md, Sm)
Swirling Snowflakes (Available in Lg and Sm)

Gather Materials:

Cut 28 inches of fabric from one of the short ends of the fleece. Then, fold the fabric in half widthwise and cut in half along the fold, creating two 30 inch x 28 inch pieces.

Light blue fleece fabric folded on a wooden table with one corner lifted; orange-handled scissors laying on top near the fabric edge.

To find the placement for the embroidery designs for the sleeves, fold one piece of fabric lengthwise, wrong sides together.

Measure and mark 4 inches in from one side along the fold, using an air-erase pen or other marking tool.

Create a paper template of the design by printing it from embroidery software. Place that template on the fabric with the edge of the design 1/2 inch from the mark on the fold.

Poke a hole in the center of the template and mark the fabric. Also, mark the horizontal and vertical axis points.

Close-up of a hand holding a blue pen, marking light blue fabric using a paper stencil with black snowflake designs and a metal ruler on a wooden surface.

Remove the template and draw lines connecting the axis points. These lines will be used for hooping.

Hand holding blue fabric marking pen, drawing short horizontal line on light blue fabric. A metal Westcott ruler with measurement markings placed vertically on fabric.

The border design that we're using is short, and we want to stitch it twice to fill the top portion of the sleeve. We'll mark the fabric to repeat the design.

Lay the fabric flat and continue the vertical center line by drawing it up past the fold.

Hand holding blue fabric marking pen near vertical metal ruler on light blue fabric with faint blue guidelines for sewing or embroidery.

Align the center point of the template along the vertical center line, with the end of the design about 1/4 inch from the fold.

Mark the center point and axis lines.

White rectangular paper with black outlines of two snowflakes and dots on light blue fabric. A hand holds a pen near the paper's upper right corner.

Start Embroidering:

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive, and smooth that on the backside of the fleece.

Hoop the fleece and stabilizer together, aligning the horizontal and vertical axis lines with the lines on the hoop.

Light blue fabric secured in a rectangular embroidery hoop with blue markings forming a cross centered inside the hoop, sitting on a brown surface.

Attach the hoop to the machine. Scoot the hoop so that the needle is right over the marked center point, and embroider the design.

Embroidery machine stitching a light blue fabric with a hoop, creating black snowflake shapes and white swirling curved lines on a grid-marked cloth.

After embroidering the design, unhoop the fabric and re-hoop for the second design. Follow the same steps as before -- align the marks for the horizontal and vertical axis lines with the marks on the hoop.

You may find that you're hooping over the design that you just embroidered -- and that's okay, the stitches won't be damaged.

After finishing the second design, unhoop the fabric. Trim away the excess stabilizer from the backside, leaving about 1/4 inch around the edge of the design.

Blue fabric hooped in embroidery frame with a partially completed white and blue floral swirl design; a hand with a ring rests on fabric.

To create a fringed edge for the sleeves, lay the fabric flat. Mark 1 inch increments on the outer edge of the fabric (the embroidered edge).

Close-up of light blue fabric with white and dark blue embroidered swirls and dots. A metal 18-inch ruler and a pencil held by a hand are on a wooden surface.

Mark 3 inches up on each side and draw a line across. Cut slits in the fabric along each mark up to the drawn line.

Light blue fabric on a wooden table with embroidery of white swirls and black floral designs. The fabric edge is cut into evenly spaced fringes with scissors.

Tie knots in the fringe, two by two, all along the edge.

Repeat the above steps with the other piece of fabric to make the second sleeve.

Light blue fabric with knotted fringe edge, decorated with dark flower-like embroidery and white swirly stitched line, held by a hand on a wooden surface.

Next, fold each sleeve piece lengthwise with the right sides (embroidered sides) together. Pin in place. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edges.

Light blue fleece fabric pinned along the edges on a wooden table, with a hand lifting one corner of the fabric.

Turn the sleeves right-side out. They're complete! Set them aside while working on the blanket portion.

Light blue fleece blanket with embroidered white swirls and blue flower accents along one edge, finished with knotted fringe, on a wooden surface.

Making the Blanket:

Next, mark and cut the holes in the blanket for the sleeves.

Lay the remaining fleece with the right side up. Fold the left and right edges in 16 inches. Measure and mark 12 inches down from both corners.

Hand holding a fabric marker poised to mark light blue fabric next to a metal ruler on a wooden table, preparing for sewing or crafting.

Mark an additional 8 1/2 inches down from the first marks. The area between these two marks is where we'll cut the semi-circle for the sleeves.

Hand holding a dual-tip fabric marker near a light blue fabric on a wooden surface. A metal ruler with measurements lies beside the fabric.

Between the two marks on the left side (16 1/4 inches down), make a mark. Measure out from that mark 4 1/4 inches.

Draw a semi-circle on the fabric using those marks as guides. We did this freehand, but you can use a plastic lid or small plate to guide you, if you wish.

Hand drawing a blue circle with a marker on light blue fabric, next to a wooden surface and a metal ruler placed on the fabric.

Cut out the semi-circle. Cut through both layers of fabric.

Repeat this for the right-hand side.

Light blue fabric piece with a rounded cutout on a wooden surface, a semicircle fabric piece folded in half, orange scissors, and a metal ruler visible.

Finish the top and sides of the blanket by folding the edges over 3/4 inch and sewing them in place with a 1/2 inch seam.

Light blue fleece fabric being stitched under the needle of a sewing machine, close-up of needle area and fabric edge with stitching in progress.

Align the ends of the sleeves with the holes in the blanket, right sides together. Align the top of the sleeves (the area right in-between the two embroidered designs) with the top of the holes.

Pin in place from the wrong side of the blanket. Sew the sleeves in place with a 1/2 inch seam.

Sew all around the end of the sleeve working on the wrong side of the blanket.

Close-up of hands working on a light blue fleece fabric with a gathered edge and pins, positioned on a wooden surface.

To finish the blanket, create fringe all along the bottom as you did for the sleeves. Cut strips that are 3 inches deep and 1 inch wide, and knot them together, two by two.

Light blue fleece fabric with fringed edges tied in knots along one side, resting on a brown wooden surface; a hand with a silver ring touches the fabric.

Making the Pillowcase:

The front of the pillowcase is made of three panels, and we'll embroider the middle panel.

To make the middle panel, cut a piece of twill that is 19 inches wide by 7 inches tall. Draw a horizontal line through the center (3 1/2 inch height). Mark a center point on that line (9 1/2 inches from left or right).

Hand holding a marking pen over a rectangular piece of brown fabric with white border, placed on a wooden surface. Blue marks visible on fabric.

Print paper templates of the designs from embroidery software. Poke a hole in the center of the middle design and align it with the center point marked on the fabric. Align the other two designs on the horizontal line as well, with the edges of the designs about 1 3/4 inches apart.

Mark the centers of the designs on the fabric, and the horizontal and vertical axis lines of all three designs.

A beige fabric piece with three circular embroidery pattern templates pinned or glued on it and a person's hand holding a blue pen near the edge.

Remove the templates and draw lines connecting the axis points for the designs.

Spray a piece of cutaway stabilizer with temporary adhesive and smooth it on the backside of the twill.

Hoop the fabric and stabilizer together, aligning the horizontal and vertical lines on the fabric with the markings on the hoop.

Embroidery hoop with fabric stretched inside, marked with blue lines for alignment, resting on a folded beige fabric on a dark surface.

Attach the hoop to the machine and scoot the hoop so that the needle is right over the center point for the design.

Embroider the design. After it has finished, rehoop the fabric to stitch the second and third designs.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a blue snowflake design on beige fabric held in a hoop, white sewing machine parts visible nearby.

Next, cut two 19 inch wide by 7 inch tall pieces of the print canvas for the front panel.

Cut one 19 inch by 19 inch piece for the backside of the front panel. This is an optional piece, but I like it because it covers the backside of the embroidery.

Also, cut two 19 inch by 12 1/2 pieces of the twill for the back panels.

Two pieces of fabric on a wooden floor: a brown solid piece underneath and a blue and white checkered piece folded to show both sides. Orange scissors with black handles lie next to the fabrics.

Align the long sides of the front panel pieces along the top and bottom edges of the embroidered panel, right sides together. Pin in place and sew a 1/2 inch seam along the pinned edges.

Partially folded fabric with blue and green plaid on one side and brown fabric with a blue and white embroidered snowman design on a wooden surface.

Press the seam allowances open on the backside.

Close-up of embroidery work in progress on a fabric strip featuring an outlined snowflake design, laid on a blue and white plaid ironing board cover, with a metal iron nearby.

Next, align the optional back panel (19 inch by 19 inch piece) with the front panel, wrong sides together. Tack the pieces together with a 1/4 inch seam all the way around the sides.

Hand holding corner of a beige plaid fabric with a decorative panel featuring blue and beige embroidered Christmas-themed ornaments on a wooden surface.

Next we'll prepare the two back panel pieces for assembly by hemming the edges.

Take one of the panel pieces and fold one long side to the right side of the fabric 1/2 inch, and press. Fold the edges over another 1/2 inch and press again. Sew a seam along the inside edge of this fold. Repeat for the other panel piece.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching a seam on light brown fabric, creating a folded edge along the fabric's length. White workspace background.

Lay the front panel with the right side up. Align the first back panel on top with the right side down. Align the back panel with the seamed edge facing in, and the opposite side aligned with the outer edge of the front panel. Pin in place.

Rectangular fabric piece pinned with colored pins on left side, plain brown fabric on left, blue plaid fabric on right with stitched circle embroidery of coral design, hand with rings on bottom right corner on wooden table.

Align the other back panel on the opposite side of the front panel with the right side down. Position the panel with the seamed edge facing in, with the opposite edges aligned with the edges of the front panel. The back panels will overlap in the center. Pin in place and sew a 1/2 inch seam all the way around the outer edges.

Beige fabric piece folded and pinned with colorful pins on dark wood surface, with a hand resting on the right edge.

Turn the pillowcase right side out through the space in-between the back panels. To add the blanket, fold it into a square shape and tuck it inside the pillowcase.

Hand holding a light blue fleece fabric with black embroidery being placed into or removed from a beige pillow cover on a wooden surface.

Get Inspired:

And now you can cuddle up in this cozy blanket! The sleeves allow your hands to turn the pages (or the channel) while keeping the rest of you nice and warm.

Person sitting on a dark chair wearing a light blue fleece blanket with sleeves and tied fringe details, holding an open book. The background has a red wall with two framed artworks and a yellowish partition.