Preemie Blankets & Incubator Covers
Preemie Blankets. All fabrics should be in colors and patterns suitable for infants. The bottom of the blanket should be made from 100% cotton flannel, but the tops can be made from either cotton flannel or cotton quilting fabric, either whole cloth or pieced. All fabrics should be pre-washed (preferable with a fragrance-free and color-free detergent) to remove excess dye and chemical coatings. then dried in a warm dryer to minimize shrinkage when the blanket is washed. All fabrics provided in NeedleChasers kits are pre-washed so you may skip this step if you are using fabric provided by the guild.
The size of the blanket is 15 inches square, so you'll need a 15.5 inch square piece of flannel for the bottom.
For the top you can use:
- A 15.5 inch square of fabric.
- A 12 inch pieced square with a 1.5 inch border (measures 15.5 inches square.)
- Any other pieced top that measures 15.5 inches square.
No batting is used in the blanket
With right sides together, sew the top and bottom pieces together, using a 1/4 inch seam and leaving a 2-3 inch opening on one side of the blanket. Clip the corners and turn the blanket inside out. Pin or baste the opening shut. Sew one row of stitching 1/16 to 1/8th of an inch from the outer edge of the blanket. Please do not sew on the interior of the blanket as the threads may actually damage the fragile skin of these newborns.
Incubator Covers. The finished size of an incubator cover is 30 inches square. Fabrics used for the top of the cover should be in patterns and colors suitable for infants. The purpose of the cover is to block light (so using batting and a medium-colored backing would be a good idea.) They must be washable. Within those constraints, you can let your imagination fly and it would be a good idea to quilt to cover to withstand multiple washings.
Return the completed blankets to either Jan Gavin or Debbie Lamb-Mechanick. Thank you!
