Hello. I actually make 3-4 quilts a month for autistic children. We leave pockets at the end of the rows and use twin size sheets (you can get them used at thrift stores) and put one on every other row. I iwll try to find the pattern real quick. The hospitals love them. Sheets are cheapest way to go too.

My niece doesn't sleep with her's, but she does find great comfort wrapping up in it during the day if she gets to feeling stressed.

I would think that aquarium gravel would be washable, I boiled it and it was fine and it sits in water all of the time. I am not sure how expensive it is now.

What do you fill them with Debbie???

Thanks everyone for thinking about this for me!!!

All the patterns I've seen used rolled up sheets.

I have made these for our Head Start Centers. I put either buck wheat or rice in my blankets. I use muslin to make the part that holds the buck wheat or rice and a cover that can be removed and washed. It is amazing how well these work even for those that just can't seem to settle down for rest time. There are some online to buy but no patterns that I have found. I sewed channels and filled them them up a ways then sewed across the channels over and over until th channels were all filled. The teaching staff love them.

Try this, it's a pattern from the Project Linus site.

http://www.projectlinus.org/patterns/wb.html

That is how I was going to do it - Great thanks for the info - I think we will have to try something other than the poly beads as filler - I can't eem to locate them in bulk :)

Thank you for the pattern!

I think rice is the least expensive way to go. For buck wheat it was $30 for 10 lbs. Hope this idea works for you. Thanks virtualbernie for the patter web site. I will print it out and see how is compares to the ones I make.

You are very caring and giving to do this. I wish you well on the project. Maybe people in your family have used sheets they want to donate for the project. Good luck.