Let's Show Off My Blanket

The last post showed off the teen's camp blanket - it's her second so there aren't many badges on there to show off. I'm still on my first blanket - and thought it'd be worth showing it off. I also wanted to add a few notes on things I've done which are a good or bad thing. 

I found the Baby Shark themed badges funny, so decided sewing them in the middle of the blanket would be a smart move. It wasn't - that area seems to have the most pressure (and they're hand sewn) and comes undone the most. When I have a bit more strength I'll use the sewing machine as that method is way better for ensuring badges stay on. 

Bottom left - my Guide badges. We're talking proper 1980s Guides here - though you can't really see them on the picture. Next to the Guide badges are some of the current skills builder badges as well as a few other random badges I've picked up along the way. 

Bottom right - my Brownie badges. When I was a Brownie badges said 'Girl Guides' (they changed to 'Brownie Guides' at some point, possibly as I was leaving). Anyway, there's a decent amount there - including a Pixies badge (I was a Pixies sixer and second) - looking at those triangular badges makes me feel happy - and having them all together like this is good too. 

Middle bottom - my Rebel Badges I've earned. I bought the Rebel Badge Book and was working through a few different badges - then my health problems happened and things were put on hold. I'm now stronger and adapting what I'm working on to get the badges I've started completed. I earned the Community Service one retrospectively with my Girlguiding Volunteering (over seven years of it now) - and there are a few more which have been added. 

Everywhere else - badges, badges and more badges. The LaSER Paw Print badges which are evil to sew (unless you use a sewing machine), the random challenge badges worked on through the year. Australian badges bought in the Western Australia Girlguides HQ on more than one occasion. 

What would I have done differently? I started the blanket in the last 5/6 years, possibly longer. I have had a sewing machine for a couple of years - and I made the switch from hand sewing badges to machine around this time. It's a game changer - I tend to keep sewing and tidy up the loose threads at the end which speeds things up as well. I've tried glue (the badges fall off) and hand sewing (the stitches get loose and the badges fall off), so anything which means I do the process once is a good thing. 

So there's a look at my old blanket too.