Cozy Sherpa Lap Duvet
I recently learned a new Spanish verb: acurrucar. It’s in a Spanish childrens song that we sometimes sing to my daughter, and when I asked my husband (the resident Spanish speaker) what it meant, he paused and said, “Just what it sounds like… to be all snuggled up.” What a great word!
This winter its my goal to be as snuggled up as possible which is where my new Organic Cotton Sherpa Lap Duvet comes in! Organic Cotton Sherpa is a beautiful thing to hold and to behold. Its soft, lofty, and toasty warm, like a layer of cotton balls or a blanket of billowy cloud.
To double down on Sherpas innate coziness I used it on both sides with a layer of plush wool batting in-between. And for fun I sewed it all together with seven vertical rows of bright red tacking stitches. The finished blanket is so cuddly and warm, like a portable heater. Perfect if you want acurrucar! –Molly
Materials
- 3 yards of Michael Millers Organic Sherpa, 100%
- 1 crib size Wool Batting
- 1 small spool of 100% cotton thread in color 1040. This is the Matching Thread.
- 1 small spool of 100% cotton thread in color 4880. This is the Contrast Thread.
- A Water Soluble Fabric Marker
- Curved Safety Pins
Size
42 inches wide by 48 inches long
Notes
Before beginning this project, pre-shrink the Sherpa by machine washing and drying it on a regular cycle. Do not wash the batting.
You will be using your machine’s walking foot for all of the sewing in this pattern.
Pattern
Cutting and Sewing Together
Cut the Sherpa into two 50-inch long pieces. Do not cut off the selvages. Each piece will be 44 inches wide by 50 inches long.
Lay one of the Sherpa pieces down on a flat clean surface with its right side (the fuzzy side) facing up. Smooth it flat so there are no wrinkles and then lay the second piece, right side facing down, on top of the first. Make sure the pieces are exactly the same size; trim one down if necessary.
Lay the Wool Batting on top of the two Sherpa pieces and cut it to match the Sherpa pieces.
Pin all three layers together around all four sides. This is your quilt sandwich.
With the Sherpa side of the quilt sandwich facing up, use the Matching Thread to stitch the three layers together. With a 1-inch seam allowance, sew around all four sides, leaving a 6-inch gap in the middle of one of the sides. Back stitch at the beginning and end of this seam.
Quilting
Turn the duvet right sides out through the gap. The right sides of the Sherpa are now on the outside and the Wool Batting is encased within. Pin the 6-inch gap closed and using the Matching Thread, hand stitch it shut with a blind stitch.
Make a second vertical line 6 inches from the first vertical line. Mark and pin it in the same way.
Keep marking and pinning the duvet at 6-inch intervals until you have seven equidistant vertical lines, pinned every 3 inches.
Using the Contrast Thread and a, short, wide zig-zag stitch, sew approximately 3/8 of an inch forward, backward, and then forward again at each pinned point (removing the pin before you sew that point). This will create a solid little block of color. Do this at every pinned point along the marked vertical lines.
Clip the Contrast Thread on both sides of the duvet and spray the marked lines to make them disappear. You’re all done!
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
You guys always amaze me with your simple but classy and beautiful things that you come up with. I might just have to make this.
wow, that throw looks so so cozy! great diy.
I've been looking for good-quality sherpa fabric for a while – this is amazing!
The duvet looks sooooo cozy. I want to hide right under it! Thank you for a great project 🙂
This looks absolutely amazing! I'm wondering if I was to take a slight variation – with one-side Sherpa -and the other side a voile/lawn fabric – what the recommendations would be in terms of needle choice?
Hi Ivy-
I would just use a medium width universal needle. If you have problems with it catching you might try a ball point needle.
Thank you for your question!
Molly
I was reading a little more about MM Sherpa fabric, and it looks like its got some decent stretch to it. Would that make it really difficult to put cotton on the other side? Like the commenter above, I was thinking of doing one side in the sherpa and the other in something like a flannel or soft cotton, but I'm a little worried that sherpa side may stretch out over time and be all gappy. Maybe the quilting will eliminate that concern? Thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Maggie-
This fabric is pretty forgiving. As long as you use your machine's walking or quilting foot and pin it a lot around the four sides before you sew it togehter you should be fine. Also make sure to prewash both fabrics. The Sherpa shrinks A LOT!
Please let us know if you have any more questions and thank you!
Molly
How much do you consider a lot? 2-3″?
Hi Sheryl,
Thanks for writing in! We do not remember exactly how much the Sherpa shrank on washing but what I am finding generally is between 5-10%. Your results may vary.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
How do you clean it, as the Sherpa is already washed, will the wool batting shrink when wasded as a finished project? I love this idea, that's why the question.
Hi Su-
This wool batting is made especially to be machine washed (once it's sewn inside of something) so you can just wash and dry the finished project just as you normally would wash a blanket.
Thank you!
Molly
I want the sherpa fabric on my queen duvet.How much would it cost to have this done to my 86″x86″ flannel duvet cover if I was to pay someone to do it for me?
Hi Sou-
We don’t do custom sewing but if you contact your local sewing store or taylor they may be able to help you find someone who does. If you are in the NYC area you may want to call our retail store, 212-420-8796, to see if they can recommend someone.
Best-
Molly
Thanks Molly
I recently bough a yard of this cotton Sherpa from your store. How much will it shrink (approx) after machine wash?
Also can I hand wash this?
Hi Suru-
Yes, you can hand wash it if you don’t want it to shrink. It shrinks quite a bit (unfortunately I can’t remember exactly how much) so it’s important to wash it before hand if you plan of machine washing it later.
Thank you!
Molly
Is the weight of this blanket heavy enough to serve as a winter blanket for two kids? I made the lap duvets to serve as their comforters for my two kids with toddler beds and would now like to make something in a heavier weight for the winter. It does get fairly cold in the house at night. What if we doubled the batting?
Hello Melanie!
Depending on the weather where you are, I would say this is quite a warm and snuggly blanket for anyone! Doubling the batting would definitely make it more substantial if you have any doubts about its warmth.
Happy sewing! -Alyson
Very good to know – thank you!!
Hi…..what a gorgeous blanket! I was wondering if I used cotton flannel on one side and Sherpa on the other, what would happen if I eliminated the wool batting between the layers? Thanks, Trish
Sure! Give it a shot! That would be a lighter, but still cozy version! Best of luck -Alyson
I love this blanket! However, I would like to know how wide it is?
Thanks!
Ellerie
Hi, Ellerie!
Thank you for writing in! We are delighted that you like this blanket as much as we do! The blanket is 42-inches wide and 48-inches long, perfect for cuddling up with! If you have further questions, please let us know!
Happy sewing,
Kumeko
Hi there !
wandering if you can explain to me how exactually to do the stitching, I just cant seem to get a nice even block, ive been going up and down to make a block but each one is different sizes and it just doesn’t look as good 🙂 also where does the contrast thread come in, I couldn’t quite understand that either !
thank you !
Hi Rosy,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m not quite sure which step you are having trouble with – are you still at the initial assembly step of making your quilt sandwich, or are you having trouble with tacking all three layers together? Please let me know!
Best,
Julianna
I love the red contrasting tack stitches. How do you finish the loose ends of the red thread so they aren’t visible? Thank you!
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for reaching out! Since we used a machine zig zag stitch overlapped on itself, the stitches are quite sturdy without any treatment, so we didn’t do anything besides clip the thread close to the fabric. If you wish, you could knot the ends of the thread together and then use a hand sewing needle to bury the ends in the batting of the duvet.
Happy sewing!
Julianna
I am planning to make this for my niece. However, I didn’t read the directions correctly. I was supposed to wash and dry the sherpa but not the batting. Unfortunately, I washed and dried both. Is this a big deal? Do I need new batting before I begin this project? Thanks, Megan
Hi Megan,
Thanks for reaching out! While it isn’t necessary to prewash batting, it also isn’t a problem! You can go ahead and use the prewashed batting for your project without any issues.
Best,
Julianna