We made "touch blankets" a few years ago for nursing homes. Everyone found touchy-feelie things they had and we just sewed them together however they might fit. We used cottons, plush, faux-fur, corduroy, denim, satin, strong lace, rick-rack; anything you can think of that had a different feel. I had a cut-out of a plush teddy bear, so I appliqued that in one square with button-hole stitch. If a blind person felt around the outside, they could recognize it as a teddy bear. The nursing homes were happy to get them.