Asking for help...
06-30-2009, 10:02 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 5
Well, I'm kinda new to quilting. My mother taught me sometime last year and I've been working at it since.
I am asking for help because I would like to make a quilt for someone very special. He has been blind and deaf since birth. He has what is called "pin vision" in one eye. Which means he can see about as much as the size of a pin out of one eye.
He lives in a home that my mom works at. Mom heart just aches when she sees him because although he has taught himself a wealth of things throughout his life, he still seems like a lost soul sometimes. For instance, he sometimes lays on the floor curled in a ball because he likes the feel of the sunlight coming in through the window... He mostly communicates by touch. For example. They have a little wall hanging with pockets in his room and if it's supper time and my mom puts a spoon in the pocket and directs him to the wall hanging and he feels the spoon and heads for the kitchen. If they put a piece of coral in the pocket, he knows he's going to get to swim that day and his face just lights up.
Anyway, I would like to make a quilt for him. I was thinking maybe something with alot of different textures so that he could feel each one individually. I'm asking for any help or input that anyone could give. Whether it's design, fabric suggestions or anything else that you can think of that might help. THANKS!!!
I am asking for help because I would like to make a quilt for someone very special. He has been blind and deaf since birth. He has what is called "pin vision" in one eye. Which means he can see about as much as the size of a pin out of one eye.
He lives in a home that my mom works at. Mom heart just aches when she sees him because although he has taught himself a wealth of things throughout his life, he still seems like a lost soul sometimes. For instance, he sometimes lays on the floor curled in a ball because he likes the feel of the sunlight coming in through the window... He mostly communicates by touch. For example. They have a little wall hanging with pockets in his room and if it's supper time and my mom puts a spoon in the pocket and directs him to the wall hanging and he feels the spoon and heads for the kitchen. If they put a piece of coral in the pocket, he knows he's going to get to swim that day and his face just lights up.
Anyway, I would like to make a quilt for him. I was thinking maybe something with alot of different textures so that he could feel each one individually. I'm asking for any help or input that anyone could give. Whether it's design, fabric suggestions or anything else that you can think of that might help. THANKS!!!
06-30-2009, 10:13 AM
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Camarillo, California
Posts: 35,242
Welcome to the board from Southern California.
Some Chenille fabric, some Minke, a washable velvet, maybe some lace over cotton. Cordoury fabric with different size wales, a scrap of denim jeans with the pocket on it. Maybe some ric rac type stuff sewn on cotton. Something glittery that you can feel the glitter. Most of these would have to be stabilized because if the stretching.
Would this be used a lot and washed over and over? That would make a difference cause then everything would have to be washable.
Use the brightest stuff you can find so he can see it.
I'm sure there are more ideas out there that someone can give you
Some Chenille fabric, some Minke, a washable velvet, maybe some lace over cotton. Cordoury fabric with different size wales, a scrap of denim jeans with the pocket on it. Maybe some ric rac type stuff sewn on cotton. Something glittery that you can feel the glitter. Most of these would have to be stabilized because if the stretching.
Would this be used a lot and washed over and over? That would make a difference cause then everything would have to be washable.
Use the brightest stuff you can find so he can see it.
I'm sure there are more ideas out there that someone can give you
06-30-2009, 10:19 AM
#5
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Join Date: Jun 2009
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Oh, sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that this will be a quilt that will be used often (hopefully) and will need to be washed often but thanks so much for the ideas so far!!! I was thinking of all the different fabrics, but I never thought to make it as a rag quilt or to use a piece of denim with a pocket on it, or ric rac... I'm so glad I decided to ask for help!!!
06-30-2009, 10:20 AM
#6
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Location: Out searching for some sunshine :-)
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A block with a chenille design on it
maybe sew "tags" into the seams on a 9 patch blocks, using different fabrics in each block
tie a few blocks with different threads, yarns, ribbons
couch designs on some blocks, using different textured materials. Make some circles, squares, triangles, etc.
Applique some fake fur pieces to blocks
Pintuck some blocks
3 dimensional flying geese blocks
3 dimensional rose buds appliqued onto a block
different textured fabrics appliqued onto the outside border of the quilt
maybe sew "tags" into the seams on a 9 patch blocks, using different fabrics in each block
tie a few blocks with different threads, yarns, ribbons
couch designs on some blocks, using different textured materials. Make some circles, squares, triangles, etc.
Applique some fake fur pieces to blocks
Pintuck some blocks
3 dimensional flying geese blocks
3 dimensional rose buds appliqued onto a block
different textured fabrics appliqued onto the outside border of the quilt
06-30-2009, 10:21 AM
#7
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Athens Ga
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Maybe plaace some pockets on it with small stuffed animals or a ball or something like that. these could be attached with cord and they could be washable also.
I grew up with a blind cousin, and he had a bag of things that he felt , when he was little , dried fruit, toys. Also terri cloth has a great feel. You could tie it instead of quilting it, and he could feel the knots. You can get cotton with raised polka dots.
Or you could quilt different shapes in it and use a deep pile batting , so the different shapes would stand up!
Just a few, hope this helps some.
I grew up with a blind cousin, and he had a bag of things that he felt , when he was little , dried fruit, toys. Also terri cloth has a great feel. You could tie it instead of quilting it, and he could feel the knots. You can get cotton with raised polka dots.
Or you could quilt different shapes in it and use a deep pile batting , so the different shapes would stand up!
Just a few, hope this helps some.
06-30-2009, 10:27 AM
#8
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Location: Out searching for some sunshine :-)
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Even though it is going to be washed often, different fabrics could be used if all are prewashed and dried beforehand. Some I may even wash and dry a couple of times...If they hold up well after this, I would use them. Using the heaviest weight quilting thread you can, he could also trace these designs easily with his fingers, too.
06-30-2009, 10:44 AM
#9
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Ireland
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You could make textured fabric using twin needles, sewing across fabric in lines, checks etc. Make fine pleats in another piece, add coarse lace on another (Men wore lace in history), woven strips of fabric or ribbon over a background. There is a book called Tucks Textures, and Pleats , by Jenny Rayment that has great ideas.
06-30-2009, 10:44 AM
#10
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Menominee, Michigan
Posts: 914
Could you sort of sew something right into it- like a few of those glass marbles? For instance: take 2 squares the same size and lay one top of the other, sew seams straight down them making 4 strips, and put one marble inside each strip. Then when you sew the square into the quilt the marbles will be caught inside. But he could move them around from the outside. I think they would wash ok.
Does that make sense?
Does that make sense?
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