April 11, 2007

• Hmmm. Interesting. Our son got a Project Linus blanket when he spent the first two months of his life in the hospital. I didn't know anything about it until now, he just had the blanket in the crib with him when we came in one morning.
• Huh - how did you know it was a Project Linus blanket? Was there a tag on the blanket or did one of the nurses say? I remember taking a blanket to the hospital when I had to go. They just figured if I had the blanket I'd feel better about going, and I did. And that was just a few months ago.
• The night my dad died, I (age 10) remember three things: huddling with my 4 siblings on the bed, the flashing red lights, and rubbing the "silky' blanket--the quilt that was normally on my mother's bed. Oddly enough, I never gave my kids silkys, they had stuffed toys they dragged everywhere, but I did make silky "buppy" blankets for my grand-daughters. My daughters occasionally growl about it, but you can tell the kids get an immeasurable amount of comfort from them. Buppys are much better than a stuffed toy, because the toys get gross when dirty. It causes major stress when they go in the washing machine at the best of times, let alone when they're puke-stinky. Before you could buy $30 scraps of nylon at the stores, I made them out of old silky-feeling lingerie. It's machine washable, strokable, comes in great colors and prints--what kid wouldn't want fire engine red or swirly paisley?--and you don't confuse it at the day care because every kid's got the yellow one that mom bought at Wal-Mart. I make a couple of them about two foot square, and, oddly enough, the kids don't mind that they're different colors and patterns. The only downside is that one of the darlings might develop a penchant for getting into mom's dresser and snuggling with the undies. But then, it's not like you guys don't do that anyway, right? Buppies! Get your kids hooked on one today! *GramMa continues to spread her wisdom with a wax-on, wax-off motion
• Nicely wised-on there GramMa :) Maybe the security blanket is the "towel" of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame. You're born, and issued a towel, blanket. Good luck, kid!
• Oh BlueHorse, you made me cry. Nobody should have to lose their father at 10. It's tough enough at 38. *gives BlueHorse soft silky blanket and hug*
• I don't suppose you have any directions or a pattern for making such blankets, do you GrandMa? I'd willingly trade a crochet baby blanket pattern for one! /hopeless at sewing, but trying to learn
• Petebest: Yup, there was a Project Linus tag on the blanket. A nice blue hand-knitted one (or maybe crotcheted . . . I can't tell the difference). He was also given a little hand-made quilt from the Ottawa Quilter's Guild, which he still gets tucked in with every time he goes to bed. They make quilts for all the kids in the Intensive Care Nursery.
• Everyone needs their blanky... I miss mine! but- one of my local cat rescue places has taken this idea on as well- when I adopted my Kanga from them, they not only gave me a blanky for her to curl up with, they gave me one for Keefie, so she wouldn't be jealous!
• Thanks for the post, petey. My brother makes the most incredible quilted cotton blankets (smaller sized for the kiddies, they're incredibley soft, snuggly, and colorful) - perhaps I will direct him to this site in case he feels the need to donate some. My great-grandmother made me a full-size blankie when I was a year old; quilted and sewn with great care. It was a source of great comfort when I was very young. I thought it was long-gone, when out-of-the-blue my brother mentioned that he had it in a cedar chest. He mailed it to me a couple months ago, and I was happy to see it. Though it's not in the greatest of condition (some of the outer layer of cotton has started to break down), I was excited to pass it along to my little guy. It brought back many memories just from looking at it - the blood stain from a bloody nose, ink stain from when I spilled a pen set, etc... My son hasn't taken to it yet (as he is quite comfortable with his existing blankie). Last night, I found myself curled up, using this old blankie as a make-shift pillow of sorts (the kids swiped every last pillow for themselves). I noted that same familar smell... and I drifted off into a very peaceful sleep. GramMa, my Grandma always used to give me the "innards" of her broken-down girdles (long pieces of bendy plastic) to play with. I don't know why, but I was always amused with that. Funny.
• Meredithea: Easy peasy! Take a piece of silky-satiny fabric about 36-48in long and 18-24in wide and fold it in half lengthwise, with the print side in. Sew up all but two inches on three sides, either with a double zigzag or three rows of straight stitch. Turn inside out thru the unstitched hole, and hand stitch closed. Doesn't matter if your handstitching is uneven or if the fabric puckers a bit, because kiddlings don't care. Even adults don't notice much except the print has rich color and has a vibrant design. It doesn't cost much for two feet of material, even when the fabric is pricy--take advantage of remainders or sales. Make it a gorgeous print or vibrant color--print shows less grunge. You'll get sick of baby ducks or whatever, and if it's a beautiful print, you won't mind looking at it. (And you will, oh yes, you will) Might as well give the kiddling good taste from the git go. Don't make it any larger than about 2x2ft. This is not a blankie, this is a "buppy" to haul around and comfort with. The less dragging on the ground, the better. If you don't mind thrift store or yard sale shopping, you can get a pretty silk/satin nightie to cut down, or even get lucky and find an expensive heavy silky scarf the right size. Presto! No sew. Won't be as silky on both sides, most likely, but will suffice. Wash, rinse. Go. And Project Linus is a good thing!
• Thank you, Kinnakeet
• I have a quilt my grandma made me. She made them for all of us kids. It's patchwork, and she made every other square patterned, every other square plain. In the plain squares, she used fabric paint to write the names of all my family, extended and near. It's very comforting. The back has started to wear, and I've talked her into helping me fix it. She has terminal cancer, she's 85, and the mention of quilting again lit her eyes up. Quite a bundle of memories, my quilt.
• Good stuff, thanks Lara. Happy quilt repair :)
• Good job, Lara.
• Thanks, GramMa! Would you like the crochet pattern? (It's easy, too -- I don't have the patience for complicated patterns)