Isolette blankets
 

Hi - My sister in law is the manager of the hospital nursery and NICU in the city where she lives. She's asked me to make isolette blankets that will be sturdy enough to withstand the hospital's laundry process.

She will be providing the dimensions to me shortly and has asked that the bottom of the blankets be black or dark brown, blue, green, etc to block out light so the babies can sleep undisturbed. The tops can be baby designs and any cheerful and fun fabric that will work in the laundry.

Does anyone here have any experience with these types of isolette blankets? What have been your general observations? What fabric works best? Type of quilting used? Fabrics? Did you have the fabric already or was it donated? She said she would pay me to make them, but if I can get the fabric donated then I would make them for free, of course. She said the manufacturer she buys them from now charges $250 each!!! That's just plain ridiculous!

I have done a bit of research on the internet for isolette blankets and some are very simple designs to very elaborate with separate panels that flip up and tie at the ends to prevent the blankets from slipping off the isolette. I will know more about what she wants when she sends the name of the isolette manufacturer and the dimensions.

Any ideas and information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. This will definitely be a true labor of love and an honor for me.


Thanks,
Stitch124

If your sister can give you one that has seen better days as a pattern, it would help you see if it needs any special features.

I think the hospital is getting robbed by this supplier...but without seeing one can't tell.

I think that a good quality flannel or quality cotton is your best bet...don't use anything but quilt shop quality on these...you need the better weave of the fabric. You may need to test for colorfast with her wanting a dark fabric as the bottom. I don't think it is necessary if you figure 2 layers of fabric plus a batting should block out the light. Maybe if you use "soft and Bright" poly batting...it is pretty dense.

I googled for "isolette blankets" and there are pictures on some of the sites. Looks like the use everything for covers.

I volunteer in the sewing room of childrens hospital, and I have seen what the hospital laundry does to fabric. It is really hard on fabric, it will fade very quickly, even top quality fabric.

Also, we cannot sew with fleece - it melts in the dryer. I don't know what would happen to poly batting.

Of all the things I've sewn for the hospital, I've never made an isolette blanket. Now I'm curious about what they use. I'm going to have to ask.

I've had three babies in the NICU, I don't care for them so I wouldn't make them too heavy. Babies at home are not incased in darkness to sleep and a NICU is a stepping stone to getting a baby home. They treat them like birds, put a blanket on them and its time to sleep. That's just my parental point of view...I had a set of preemie twins and a single in the unit. Cotton would be my suggestion and hopefully the babies are looking at the designs and not the dark side. Jmho

I am deeply involved in our local Linus Project as my friend is the chairperson for our area. Our Chapter provides at least 650 quilts to local hospitals each month. I will ask her what they request for their NICU. I know that we provide that unit at The University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore.

I used to make quilts/blankets for several of the NICUs in the St. Louis area. At the time, the nurses said they liked the ones with the flannel backing. I used the nicest quality flannel I could find and cotton batting. They seemed to hold up pretty well. $250! Waaayy too much!

I'm wondering what the $250 blankets are made of. Are they using some sort of special black-out fabric?

I know a woman who makes those for Project Linus. One side is solid and calm, the other (which faces up) can be anything. I don't think she uses batting since the blankets are just set over the isolette. These blankets go home with the babies, so she doesn't have to worry about it standing up to the hospital's washing machines.

From what I have heard (I don't have personal knowledge) some of the hospitals give the blankets to the family when the baby goes home. For a keepsake I guess. I don't know if this is true or not. If not true, the blankets will get hard use and the hospital laundry is very hard on things. I wouldn't use fleece for the backing and would only use cotton batting. JMHO
Sue