ruby2shoes

I made some fiddle mats for residents in my Dementia Unit......I sewed grids into a couple of my fiddle mats and then inserted into each grid pocket before sewing it shut with the next seam, something to feel...for the men...eg, flat nickel (no rusting) washers, screws, bolts etc so the men could fiddle and feel each item. An added advantage of sewing/hiding objects in the grids is that it gives the mats a bit of weight which makes it a more pleasurable feel when placed on the lap. I used a triple stitch throughout to make sure stitching couldn't be fiddled loose, and also, all items inside the pockets were of a size that would be difficult to swallow....just in case....scary thought! Another trick is to sew a gardening glove onto the side seam so they can put their hand into and out of the glove and scrunch their fingers in it. I tended to use palin fabric like cenim for the men..something nice and masculine and for the women, whilst using bright colours made sure they were just the one colour....no patterns as this confuses the eye and impedes them focussing on the items attached to the mat. Of course the fiddle mats had to be approved by my supervisor before I was allowed to introduce them to the residents and of course, were always used under supervision from staff.