My mother in law is 89 and not doing so well. I would like to make her a lap quilt to cuddle under. She is so appreciative of everything I make for her and I feel this may be the last thing I am able to give her so I want it to be really special. I'm thinking maybe 1930's reproduction prints. I have to ship this clear to Plymouth, MA so I don't want to make too big of quilt. What is a good size lap quilt for an elderly person?

Thanks for your help!

56 x 80 would be 12" blocks in a 4 x 6 layout with a 4" border all around. This is our go-to size for lap quilts. If your DMIL is not very tall you wouldn't need it so long. You could always make a few blocks and just eyeball it for size. Hope this helps.

Darren

I like them that size too. You can wrap your feet and be covered to your chin :D:D:D

The one group I belong to wants their lap blankets 30 x 60 just to lay over them and not too long .

Here is an article that explains sizes :

http://quilting.suite101.com/article...for_your_quilt

I guess it just depends on how much you want it to cover and how big she is

I think of a nap/lap quilt as being approx. 45 x 60.

I usually do the width around 50 +/- The length is determined by the height of the person making it for. Say someone is 6ft (72") the I would add 8-10" to make sure they could lay under it w/o toes sticking out. :-D

This is really one of those "it depends" questions. Will it be just for sitting or also for lying down? What size is your MIL, height and lap? Is she frail? Does she have help?

Wheelchair lap quilts are usually not much bigger than 35 x 45 or so. If she's frail, something too big (and heavy) might be hard for her to manage comfortably.

A lot of mine end up being about 48 x 60, if the blocks are 12 inches. Make a 5 x 4 and that should be good.

You may also consider the type batting to use. Many elderly people suffer from being cold most of the time and you may want to use a heavier batting. I like to use cotton (Warm and Natural, perhaps). Just a suggestion.

Thanks to all! I have a good idea now of what size to lean towards. She is pretty tiny so it won't have to be really big. And I always use the warm and natural batting. I love how it looks after it has been washed.

Now I just need to find a pattern! That is always the hard part for me. I don't want anything too complicated or she will be gone before I get it done! Of course her mother lived to be 102 so I may have plenty of time.

Off to browse through my quilt mags to find an idea :)