Needing Some Ideas!
 

Howdy y'all :c)

OK.....let me just say right from the beginning that this project is on the back burner for now, but I'm working on ideas for it NOW so I'll be ready to start once the rush of Christmas/birthdays (we have SIX birthdays AND Christmas in my family in a five week period!) is over. A very, VERY special lady has adopted two very special little boys. The oldest one is autistic and is obsessed with John Deere. Since I'm the Mom of an autistic daughter, I know how to work with obsessions. LOL! The other little boy is 4 years old, and is a survivor of Shaken Baby Syndrome. As a result of the SBS, he has limited mobility and is mostly blind, but once in a while seems to focus in on something.

I want this quilt to be just as special as this little boy is! I want to make "pictures" on it of various textures, but everything MUST be washable since kids get things dirty. I don't want to just haphazardly slap different textures onto the quilt top, but would like to actually put things on there he might be able to recognize by touch. I've thought of a sheep made of faux sheepskin, and also thought about a campfire shape with cellophane under it so it crackles like a fire when he touches it.

So does anyone have any ideas at all about things I can use to form a picture, that won't be abrasive to him, AND would be washable? It doesn't even have to be fabric, as long as I have the ability to sew it onto the fabric without it coming off. I've even thought of putting loops with snaps on there to hold different things that can be taken off when the quilt is washed, but haven't come up with anything in particular to attach to the loops. Any and all ideas would be just incredibly awesome! I don't just want this quilt to provide enjoyment to the little boy.....I want it to be the PERFECT quilt for him! Thanks in advance y'all! :c)

Donna

A tree with cotton velvet greenery & a corduroy trunk.
Polyester satin clouds.
Minkee teddy bear.
Buttons.

Faux fur for animals, leather for shoes.chenille just to feel texture. You can also get very colourful with pictures waterproof material. I don't know the name but had bright blue with transporters on and pink forgot what.
Could put zips on and Velcro. Those squeegee insides of dogs toys.

I found a cute John Deere quilt. Even though it’s made from a panel, you could do it in applique. The tires could be vinyl. Use rickrack for the barn siding. Make the tree like PaperPrincess suggested. http://baby-quilt-queen.blogspot.com...ohn-deere.html

Check out the baby quilt at the bottom of this blog. She added a 3-D border. http://oneforawish.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html

Animals made of yo-yos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhg0xOj25fM

Other ideas:
soccer ball/football made of faux leather

tree trunks/branches of rickrack

mustache of fake fur

owl with sew-on wiggly eyes

No ideas, but what a wonderful gesture!

Picture of a boy, with yarn or fake fur hair, crocheted or knitted sweater, denim jeans, and canvas shoes

A shirt, with buttons

A jacket, with plastic zipper

You can also make raised pictures, by doing applique' over a bit of stuffing.

There are many shaped buttons available, also. I've seen lots of cute ones, at Hobby Lobby. You might be able to work some of them, into a scene.

build in a 3D flap to resemble a garage door and put a car in the garage attached with velcro...the back of the quilt might be a panel with roads where the boy could "drive" the car.

You could make an athletic shoe in one block with the rubber shelf liner for the sole of the shoe and with small grommets and a shoelace that he can tie and untie.

I remember once seeing a sensory quilt that had something crinkly sewn into one corner. I don't know what it was, but it was pretty cool. When you grabbed that part of the quilt, it made crinkly noises. I was told it was also washable. Hopefully someone will come along who knows what I'm talking about and can tell you where to get some of this substance.

Your idea for this quilt has me intrigued, so I kept searching for ideas for you. You need to do a search for "fidget quilts". Lots and lots of ideas pop up!

Also, this has been discussed here on the board. Here's the link: http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...t-t147462.html

The 7th post mentions using mylar foil for the crinkly effect Peggi mentioned.