Lots of questions & suggestions so I'll do my best to answer a couple; I posted the question since I've never washed a quilt in very hot water. The hospital does wash everything in hot water before it goes to any floor such as a NICU or cancer ward.
I was curious to know if anyone had pre-shrunk cotton batting before.
Thank you to everyone for the suggestions posted. I would like to emphasize I have specific guidelines by this hospital to use for materials. All hospitals are different; a different hospital will probably have different guidelines (materials, batting, sizes). As suggested, yes do check first before sewing to know the hospital will be able to use it.
It is actually not a new program, it is an ongoing project. The sewing is done by family & friends of the NICU staff. The project is new to me, not to the NICU of this hospital.
So for anyone curious, my specific requirements are:
1. Flannel fillers make great blankets (check with a local hospital first); however, the requirements for this NICU is for warmth. So a batting is a requirement; it is just my choice to use Warm n Natural as the batting
2. Only 100% cotton fabrics for the front & back of the quilt sandwich: no flannel (not even cotton flannel) & no fleece fabrics for the top & back of the quilt. Again, check your local hospital; some hospitals allow fleece & flannel to be used.
3. Sizing: not the "normal" size quilters think of as "baby quilts; my son was a preemie. These are incredibly small babies.
My little quilts are approx. 20" x 24" (again check with your own hospital ICU before sewing)
I used to make "fat quarter" quilts for my preemie son. I used a fat quarter of fabric & made it into a layered quilt.
4. Although I do make tiny pieced quilts, for these NICU "quilts" I just cut out colorful pieces of cotton quilt fabric, layer them into a quilt sandwich & finish them as if they were a full size quilt.
*Just to emphasize, these are unique requirements to just one NICU; standards are more restrictive for items sewn for any ICU or cancer ward. Nursing homes would be a great place for fleece/flannel blankets/quilts.
And animal shelters; animal shelters are always in need of blankets for cats & dogs.
There is a specific project that is very needed by NICU's across America, but I will make that a separate post
Thank you all for your support