Lostn51

Okay everyone pretty much knows that we had to put my FIL in a nursing home a few weeks ago. Well this place is in a small town and feels more like your grandmas home than what it really is. The place is full of love and caring folks and everyone just love living there including my FIL.

I was talking to the director and was asking if they have a quilting bee per se but they do not. Then my wife suggested that I start one for them and the director thought it was a brilliant idea. SO I am going to bring a couple of my treadles up there (Lord knows I have plenty) and I am going to work with the ladies and men who want to participate in it.

Now there is the thing that I am having a difficult time with......what are we going to make.

Now I know there are ladies up there that know so much about quilting and I am really looking forward to learning from them and I am also looking forward to seeing them use my treadles and bring back wonderful memories. :)

Other than this group I have never been in a quilting group much less taken a class a day in my life. I am like Eddie I just looked at a quilt one day and said "it cant be that hard" and there I go!!

So how would you guys handle something like this? I am not sure how many ladies will be participating but I plan on buying all of the materials and supplies and I am looking forward to reliving the good old days. This will also give me a chance to have an active role in the home and I can see Paw Paw more often than just once or twice a week. ;)

Billy

Pam Pollock

I think it would probably be good to keep it simple. Baby quilts for hospital donations?? It mainly depends on the abilities and capabilities of the people you will be working with. Maybe someone else here could add to that? :-D

purplemem

I was a chaplain at a retirement center (chaplains do many things), and we made lap quilts. I like the idea of baby quilts. Some of your quilters will be well experienced and some will just be starting. The treadles will help with memory association. So would material of different textures. Maybe mix squares of minkee with regular cotton, or make flannel quilts? The men might like making "rugged" quilts of flannel shirts, plaids, etc.

Are you thinking of placing a frame and a quilt that needs quilting in the room? That would be a great community conversation/friendship starter. If you get those stab/stitch double needles that just go up and down it should be better on arthritic hands.

no1jan

I'm sorry to here your FIL had to go to a nursing home but glad you found such a quaint, caring one! And happier still that you are doing such a wonderful project that will benefit so many people!

Baby quilts are a nice idea, but I was also thinking of having them make lap quilts for the members of the nursing home. As everyone knows, older people feel the cold more.

By making lap quilts they would be able to use their treasures, plus be able to see them all the time. Once they have made one for themselves, they could make additional ones and "raffle" them off to other members of the nursing home.

My suggestion here would be to draw names in a type of contest, however once a person wins, their name is removed until all have received a quilt.

I can just picture a couple of months from now, hundreds of lap quilts as you walk down halls and into the common rooms!
:-P :-P :-P

This would allow all the members to see their quilts daily and give a more homey atmosphere to the place.

This is just like you Billy doing such a caring thing for others. Your shoulders must weigh a ton with all of those angel wings you have collected!

God Bless You and all your new friends at the nursing home!

:-D :-D :-D :thumbup:

zennia

I am a retired nursing home activity director. My residents loved sewing projects. The first thing i thought of was bags. They love carring them around with them. here is an idea of what I mean http://www.psiquilt.com/2009/08/frie...-tutorial.html
Working with several colors and fabrics ,the scrappy look, is fun for them.
One year for Valentines we made pillows . I brought in pre cut 2" squares and they made heart pillows. For Thanksgiving we made Turkeys for the tables. For a Christmas gift one year we made stockings. E.Burns has a nice pattern for these. We made 100 of them and passed them out on Christmas filled with homemade cookies. I always tried making something for each season. They just loved the idea of sewing and making something.

zennia

here is a pattern for the turkey centerpieces we made. We used fabrics instead of felt. It is not quilting but a fun sewing project and when someone would comment on them they could proudly say they had made it.
http://sewing.org/html/grand_gobbler.html
Instead of doing the blanket stitch around the feathers we used the sewing machine but if someone is able to do the blanket stitch it sure would give them something to do during quiet times.

SuziC

What an awaesome idea!!!! Maybe start with a small project until you see who has what experience, then maybe ask them what they would like to make.

Yarn or Fabric

For a nursing home. I would make lap quilts, maybe some walker bags as well.

raptureready

If there's a Crisis Nursery or childrens home in your area I would imagine that these elderly people would love to make things for them. They might even make blankets for shelters.

ckcowl

our residents in an assisted living place here really like making placemats/table toppers, they can usually accomplish something each time they get together and they have gifts to give their loved ones during the holidays. also 'lap-robes' (wheel chair lap blankets) book covers, aprons. the residents themselves will tell you what they would like to do :)
what a great thing to do!!! it is wonderful that you are willing to put in the time for this!