A sensory 'quilt'

This is our charity month at Higham Piecemakers and this year we have been asked to make sensory quilts for those who are suffering from Dementia or Alzheimers. We were told that these people often 'fidget' with their hands and it is useful for them to play with an apron or lap quilt.

After searching online I found this useful website that had some good ideas and I raided my bit bag, which is full of all those useless things that may come in useful one day!

I found this - 

Furry dead cat complete with tail??!!!!!

 and this -

Elasticated gold 'something' used for tying up a present!!

 and this - 

From a pack of items that I got from the RNIB

The last photo is a piece of stiff plastic that was part of a bag full of different textures that I bought at the RNIB shop in London.

I laid them all out and then decided what to do with them. I was mindful that constant fiddling with the quilt might cause them to fall off and that the quilt would need washing, probably with not too much care!

The 'dead cat' (not really - I was given it as it might come in useful one day!) could not be sewn as it is leather and I didn't think my poor sewing machine would be able to cope with it and it would also fare very badly in a washing machine, so this would need to be treated differently. Luckily it had some tape attached at the top so I widened this with another piece of webbing and then sewed on some velcro. It can be removed for washing. It is actually a lovely soft piece of fur and I enjoyed running my fingers through it.

I made a pocket from seersucker fabric trimmed with lace sewn on very securely -

Great textured seersucker

and a zip set into soft woolly type fabric - 

Everything was sewn onto the fabric including some ties so that it could be used as an apron.

If you look in my last post you will see a small buckle type 'thing' - well that was put on some webbing and sewn on. I had bought a large button and so decided to make a loop from the elasticated gold band but made the loop smaller than the button so it could be stretched over the button. Someone might enjoy pulling this giant rubber band!

Stretchy band securely attached

The webbing and 'movable buckle

I decided that the plastic panel should have a picture under it and as this was being worn as an apron the picture should be sewn on upside down so that the wearer could see it the right way up.

A 'spotty' Dalmatian dog

Here is the final apron and I am really pleased with it.

I used a backing fabric and with right side of fabric together sewed the edges, after everything was sewn on, and leaving a hole at the top and then turned it through and top stitched round the edges. I also top stitched round each of the items for extra strength.

A simple item that I hope will give pleasure to someone who needs it and I made it in a day! There were some lovely ideas at group, so please go to the website to see more.