Quilts for my mom and MIL - need some advice
 

Hi!

Both my mother and my MIL will be moving to assisted living in the next few months. I'd like to make each of them a throw-size quilt to use when they are sitting. I thought they might like the 30's - 40's reproduction fabric since each of them grew up during that time. Thought it might remind them of their moms and grandmas and snuggling up next to them under a nice quilt.

I've picked up quite a bit of the fabric in the last year or so, thinking I might make a quilt for myself, but I think I'd like to do these first. I'm wondering what pattern would be vintage-looking but easy, so I can do them before Christmas. This is in addition to all the other projects I have sitting around! I'm sure some of them can wait, though, and I don't know how long the moms will be able to wait. Some people adjust very well, but others don't, as you know. Also, my MIL is developing dementia - very mild now, but???

So, can you give me some suggestions? Also, to get them good and crinkly looking, would you suggest plain cotton batting? I was thinking 80-20 or 50-50, because they both get so cold. Or I could use wool, but I need to be sure neither is allergic (my husband is).

Speaking of hubby, he will be away for about 5 days this week (with his mom - I go see my mom next week). So, I thought I could just pound these quilts out!

Thanks for all your help!

I don't have pattern ideas for you, but I just wanted to share something. My mom moved into a senior apartment last month where the facility also has assisted living units. It seems that almost everyone has decorations on their outer door, and some of them are quilts. I have been wanting to make a quilt for my mother using some beautiful gladiola design fabric, and I think a door hanging will be fun. Door quilts can be changed with the season. They are conversation starters, which I think is helpful for new residents.

I made my DMIL a wall quilt for her door...a different one for each month. The benefit is she can easily find her room in a new setting. Puss in the corner or Irish chains are fast to produce patterns.

Door quilts are a great idea! They will have to come after the lap quilts, though. I don't know the puss in a corner block - will look it up!

I just made a quilt with 30s repro fabrics. I made it up as I went along, starting with 4-1/2" squares and it went together really fast. I was going to use red for the sashings but the recipients favorite color is blue so I used that instead.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=493278&stc=1

Cari

Just saw a great easy design on Eleanor Burns QIAD show. You can go to her website and watch it free- it's called Layer Cakes and Jellyrolls- she explained precuts, then showed this pattern in 30's repo fabrics. You can cut your own 10" squares and strips though. She tells you everything you'll need. It's large half square triangles and a piano key border from strip sets. It was finished with jumbo rick rack or you can finish with binding. If your DMIL is developing dementia a door hanging would help her, but only one- don't change it. If it has something on it she really loves, a certain flower or color or her first name this might help her know her room. Put pictures of you and your family in her room and label them with their name and relation to her. This helped my Mom. The best thing you can do is not correct her or show impatience when she forgets or her conversation doesn't make sense. It's hard not to sometimes, especially when you are answering the same question for the -10th time in 20 minutes, but keep smiling and hang in there, you will never regret it. Blessings.

Egg Money Quilts is easy 1930's patterns from Quilt In A Day. It was the first quilt I did from a pattern.

Cari, that's a really pretty quilt :)
Sometimes we overcomplicate things while a nice balanced design with a good set of fabric choices always works well.

Thank you for the inspiration; I have two charm sets that I've never used since their colours don't quite match any other ranges that I'm fond of, but they would work very well with that design.

I like the idea of door quilts too. Seasonal hangings sound like a good way to make quilts and enjoy using them when I already have too many for the beds.
What a lovely idea for the elderly in care homes too though to personalise 'their' door.


Mary

One other suggestion for whatever pattern you choose...particularly for the MIL showing early signs of dementia. If you can, incorporate some kind of texture/embellishment that can keep her fingers "busy" as she sits under that wonderful quilt. Much further into dementia, a smaller "fidget quilt"with a number of things attached/incorporated that accommodate the need to keep hands busy would be good.