September 11, 2016
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Feeling Fidgety
I am not a quilter. A little further down the page, I'll post a photo and anyone reading this will nod and think, "She's not lying." I'm not a quilter, but when my niece sent me an article about "fidget blankets," I wanted to make one for my mom. Fidget blankets are designed for people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or other forms of dementia. They may be made with things attached to pull on, twist, or otherwise play with. They may be made from different types of fabrics to provide sensory stimulation or comfort.
I made several trips to JoAnn Fabrics with no real vision for the project. I bought fabrics of different textures, deciding that for Mom, the feel of the blanket would be the main feature, with only a few doo-dahs to play with and no buttons or beads since she's been in a stage of Alzheimer's that renders her incapable of recognizing what's edible and what's not. In other words, she tries to eat anything she gets her hands on. Because of that, I also decided that every bit of this lap quilt would be machine stitched, to make it harder for her to pick and pull it apart.
I spread the bits of fabric out on my table and played with it for a few days, trying to find inspiration. Ultimately, I decided to keep it simple, with two large blocks of fabric and two groups of four smaller blocks sewn together. One of the large blocks was plain white fabric over which I stitched a handkerchief of Mom's I discovered in a box of her papers and photos I ended up with.
The upper left of the quilt is four small squares of different fabrics. Bright colors, cheerful patterns, one is a soft fleece with knobbly bumps on it, one is a thick satin with a butterfly design. Across the seams I sewed large, rainbow rickrack. On two of the squares I sewed bits of snap tape and made little stuffed hearts with the other half of the snap tape on top. Before stuffing the hearts, I spritzed the polyester filling with Mom's favorite Chantilly cologne.
The top right square is made of that fussy flower fabric that wedding dresses and ball gowns are made of. I didn't add anything to this square.
The bottom right is four small blocks sewn together, three of them the same fabrics as the upper left. The satin fabric was replaced with a soft, shaggy fake fur. On the three non-furry blocks I sewed bits of ruffled elastic for Mom to pull on and twist.
The handkerchief square is on the lower left. I made a heart-shaped pocket and sewed it into the middle of the square. It's to hold a couple of the stuffed hearts. I know these hearts will get lost, so I made eight of them. My sisters can replace the hearts as they get lost and I can make more when needed.
The quilt is bound with wide, satin blanket binding, which I used to make my daughter part of the quilt. She loves blankets with satin bindings.
The back of the quilt is the same heart print fabric as the pocket. Some of the hearts say, "I LOVE YOU MORE." I chose this fabric because every week I write to my mom and the last thing I write is, "I love you SO MUCH!!"
After another trip to the store for fabric markers, I am in the process of writing the names of my parents, all their children and spouses, grandchildren and spouses, and great-grandchildren in the empty hearts. Those names will take up most of the back of the quilt.
This has been my latest art project. I probably spent more time and money than I should have for something that will probably end up picked apart, torn, washed and dried in industrial machines, and ultimately lost, but once I started it became a labor of love.
We are looking for people who would be willing to make one or more lap-sized fidget blankets so we can give one to every person on the Alzheimer's wing of Mom's nursing home for Christmas. We need around 20 quilts/blankets, and they don't have to be as involved as this one was. Then again, this one probably would have been a piece of cake for a real quilter. If you'd like to make one for one of the residents on Mom's wing, leave a note in the comments.
Comments (8)
Oh, Vi -- it's PERFECT!!! I hope you can convince the help that your sister needs to launder this one rather than them! Your mom will love it! About a month before my mother died, I visited her one day and she was unsewing (picking apart) the binding from her wool blanket -- she told me that "we'll have to sew it back on again when she was finished!" Fidgeting seems to be a part of the process.
I was thinking the same thing about it being sent home with a family member for laundering. I bought enough fabric to make it again if I have to. Maybe the second time won't be as complicated as the first.
I think this is a nice idea. When I reach a certain age, I will probably need one. I already love texture, which is why I have many towels, pillows, and stuffed animals.
I do not quilt, or even have a sewing machine, so I cannot offer to provide one for your mother's wing, but I think that is a beautiful goal. Best of luck finding sewers.
I was sorting through my craft closet and found the fake fur that I bought for a school project oh so long ago... not to mention all the fleece from making hats. I don't mind the sewing but the cutting it all out and deciding how it will go together is the hard part!!
I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. I'm going to try a farmer themed one for one of the male residents... sometime...
I thought of you and this project while I was at dollar tree. They had a car wash mitt (in choice of blue or neon green) that was very soft with lots of nobby bumps that would be perfect material for this, I think. I will mail you a few if you like.
That's okay, there's a Dollar Tree in my area and I can check it out next time I'm out that way. I'm thinking of doing a blanket for a man sometime and that might be just right for a section.
so very special!
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