Fidget quilts for dementia patients
 

I saw this idea on the refashionista's blog and thought I would share. What a fantastic reuse of scraps.

http://refashionista.net/2016/01/31/...#comment-39470

If you use shirts to make quilts you can save button bands, and pockets with flaps to incorporate into these quilts. I've also heard the crinkly paper inserts are great "fiddlers" for anxious hands. Not sure what that paper is, but it's the same stuff they use in cat toys. It makes a crunchy, crinkly sound when touched. Bits of 'minkie' would be nice too... something soft to "pet".

What a wonderful idea. Do you know where we can donate fidget quilts?

~ Cindy

I make them for an assisted living near me that has a dementia unit. They've asked me not to use zippers because fragile skin could get caught in them. I would not use buttons either, they could be swallowed. Picture below of one of mine. I triple stitch each seam because I expect these get treated rough in the laundry. They tell me they are holding up well. I have lace attached on one side only to "finger", a cord which is knotted on the end and can go in a pocket, corduroy to touch, more lace which can be moved from side to side, textured ribbon securely sewn and a plastic ring on a cord. The entire quilt is about 18" square. I didn't put batting so it would be cool in the summer. The back has a fleece like fabric. I'm very careful about what I attach because I'd hate for someone to swallow something they should not. For my next batch they've requested I put some fabric with pictures of recognizable items like animals or foods. Can do!!

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KenmoreGal, your is the best fidget quilt I have seen!! Great design, thanks for posting!!

Wow, that's quite a compliment coming from you Jeanne. I really admire your work.

Our guild makes these. We have had a sewing bee to do them, made over 50 that day with around 20 people working, and also do them individually. One member recently made 30 to donate. We donate them to a hospice group that serves nursing homes in the area. They take and distribute them. One of the things we often use for a base are place mats. We can find them in thrift stores. Another good source for the mats are fabric samples from upholstery. We had some donated to our guild by a local furniture store. They are just the right size and all you need is some backing which we do birthing style and then put your stuff on for the completed mat. Someone donated a whole bunch of beanie babies and we've been putting them on the mats as well. Pants zippers are good as well. Just cut them out of a pair of old pants with enough fabric around them to sew on the mat. Voila! a working zipper to run up and down. Pockets are good to add to. Just cut them off shirts and pants and sew on. Plackets of buttons of the front of shirts to button and unbutton are also used. Whatever you put on make sure it is secure. We either use a double stitch on our machine or do a lot of backstitching. We have also used the back and forth stitch that sews on button to sew things on. The beannie babies are sewn on with a cord around their neck so they dangle and can be held. Zippers are fine for where we donate but it is good to check. Google fidget mats and there are a lot of ideas out there.

Our guild did these too this last fall and my 7yr. old GD had great fun helping me pick items and she carefully filed colored wooden beads that had rough holes in them. I have a set of small rasps and she did an excellent job of making their centers smooth as could be. I then put them on a strong cord that was well anchored on each end. Also used pockets, small button rows and zippers.

A neat idea. Our Woman's Club makes fidget aprons and attach multiple items in the waistband and on the apron. This is a good idea because they can't drop the apron. We give them to nursing homes in our area and there is always a demand.

Does anyone know where I could get a fidget pattern