Adding a fabric backing gives a crochet blanket extra warmth, comfort, and stability. It also neatly hides yarn floats from stranded colorwork and creates a polished, quilt‑like finish. Because knit and crochet fabrics stretch differently than woven fabric, the layers must be secured evenly across the entire surface (just like traditional quilting) to keep everything balanced and prevent shifting.
What You Need
- Self‑healing cutting mat
- Quilting ruler
- Rotary cutter (45 mm)
- Fabric scissors
- Skip‑cut (skip‑stitch) rotary blade (45 mm) for perforating edges
- Wonder clips or similar clips (optional)
- Minky or fleece backing fabric (slightly larger than your blanket)
- Lint roller (optional)
- Curved basting pins or safety pins
- Tapestry needle
- Sewing machine (optional)
- 5 mm (H) crochet hook
- Worsted weight yarn (Medium/4)
Preparing the Fabric
- Wet block your crochet or knit blanket first. This evens out the shape and ensures straight edges before adding the lining.
- If using a napped fabric (like minky), position it so the nap runs downward for the most natural look and feel.
Cutting the Fabric
- Place the backing fabric wrong side up on your cutting mat.
- Lay your blocked blanket wrong side down on top of it.
- Align two edges, then fold and trim the excess fabric from the remaining sides so the backing matches the blanket exactly (no seam allowance needed).
TIP: A sticky lint roller is incredibly helpful when working with fabrics that shed or have nap.
Perforating the Edges
- Replace your rotary cutter blade with a skip‑cut blade.
- Position your quilting ruler ¾″ (19 mm) from the fabric edge.
- Roll the skip‑cut blade along the ruler to create evenly spaced perforations.
- Repeat around all four sides of the backing fabric.
These holes will make it easy to crochet a clean, even edging.
Crocheting Around the Edges
Using worsted weight yarn and a 5 mm (H) hook:
- Make a slipknot.
- Insert the hook front to back through a perforation a few inches from a corner.
- Yarn over, pull through the hole, yarn over, pull through both loops (first sc made).
- Work around the edge, rolling the fabric slightly to the wrong side as you go:
- Edge: Ch 1, sc in next perforation, repeat to corner. Corner: (sc, ch 1, sc, ch 1, sc) in the corner perforation.
- Repeat step 5 around, then join with a sl st to the first stitch and fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
Attaching the Backing
- Place the blanket and backing wrong sides together.
- The finished backing should now be slightly smaller than the blanket.
- Clip the first edge to hold the layers in place. Basting pins also work, just avoid straight pins as they disappear into crochet stitches.
- Using the long tail and a tapestry needle, backstitch along the edge.
- Repeat for all sides.
Basting the Layers
Basting temporarily holds the layers together before quilting or tying.
- Flip the quilt to the right side.
- Smooth out both layers.
- Place curved basting pins every 3″–5″ across the entire surface.
Quilting (Machine Tacking)
If using a sewing machine:
- Clear your workspace... you’ll need room to maneuver the quilt.
- Thread your machine and set the stitch length to 2.
- Insert the quilt through the throat of the machine.
- At each basting‑pin location, sew 3–5 stitches forward, then reverse (repeat 2–3 times per spot), or use a zig‑zag stitch with zero stitch length for stationary tacking.
- Use your machine’s thread cutter between tacks, or trim all floats afterward.
This secures the layers evenly across the entire quilt.
And here it is, my finished crochet quilt! The layers are securely joined across the entire surface, staying perfectly in place without shifting.
Tying the Quilt (No Sewing Machine Needed)
If machine tacking isn’t an option, tying is a simple and beautiful alternative.
- Thread a tapestry needle with matching yarn or embroidery floss.
- Insert the needle from back to front, leaving a 2″ (5 cm) tail.
- Insert the needle back down through a nearby stitch.
- Repeat once more to reinforce.
- Trim both tails to about 1″ (2.5 cm) and tie a double knot on the back.
Repeat across the quilt at evenly spaced intervals.
