It's February and my heart is filled with thoughts of love. Thoughts of loving and caring and well, sharing...so, here is my ongoing list of precious little angel wraps, or preemie patterns that you can make in a just a few minutes at time! Make them and donate them to your local hospital, to special programs listed at the end or for someone you might know who just now, needs something this timy for their wee one.
Angel Wraps:
When a tiny baby is born before its time, and is too fragile to survive,
usually during the second or early third trimester, there is still
birth of the baby.. A loss of this kind is huge for the grieving parents
to face, yet most of them still want to both see, and to hold, their
tiny little infants. It is a very special part of that grieving process,
of letting go of the dreams of what might have been..to hold and to
bond with their tiny little one.
What can be even harder is discovering that you have nothing to wrap or
dress your tiny loved one in, as nothing will fit ,or is appropriate for
the simplest of touches that are possible when holding, and saying
goodbye. And so to have your little one passed to you in a rough, or not
very attractive, piece of cloth only makes that awareness that much
sharper and more painful.
Babies are wrapped up in simple tiny blanket like piece of cloth that
most hospital provide. But if the hospital has them, a tiny little
quilt or blanket.... made for this purpose by volunteers... can be
wrapped around their little one for that holding, bonding, and saying
goodbye, time.

I made all twelve of these tiny little angel wraps
and preemie blankets for this very purpose. And it was a deeply moving
process for me as I made each and every one of them.
Mine are quite simple. They range from as tiny as a 9" square to as large as a 14" one. But each is special and made with love.
Many websites offer a variety of ideas for extra tiny pouches, wraps,
blankets, or simple quilts or garments for what is medically termed as
'fetal demise.' And while these words seem harsh to those who have
never heard them before, they are simply what the end of life resulting
in a still birth is often called.

The
idea of a specially made little quiltlet created and made with love and
compassion seemed like a wonderful gift to give to our local hospital,
so I had decided to spend a few days creating some in varying sizes and
making a list of other ideas.
I found an assortment of links, files, and free downloadable patterns
for a variety of blankets, quilts, pouches and wraps. But making a
simple wrap can be as easy as making a simple 9"-12" blanket or quilt
that can be tied to create a little pouch like shape for the tiniest of
the tiny ones.Some can be tucked under at the bottom for the very
tiniest and others can simply have a little half triangle pouch sewed
into one corner or be left open to cradle the littlest of babies.
I simply cut two or there squares of fabric sized from 9" to 11". A
third square can be folded in half and place as a triangle shape in one
corner and sewn in a the same time, or it can be left open as an "Angel
Cradle Wrap" as shown by mine, above. The one above is very small and I
would add the corner pocket, or cut it more like 12".
I used very thin batting in between or a little piece of flannel,
instead of batting. Several of mine are quilted, the others simply have a
heart shape quilted on to bind the pieces together. Add some ribbons at
the tying points and rosettes or other simple trims and you have sweet
little wraps for the tiniest of little angels.
For those who like to use or simply view patterns here are links to free
patterns, photos and clothing links for preemies of all stages and
sizes.
Mine are intended for little ones weighing about 1 lb and about 6"
long...a truly sad and yet endearing thought filled with compassion for
the losses that so many of us endure.
TOP: A design of your own choosing, pieced or whole cloth.
BACKING:Pre-washed 100% cotton flannel.
BATTING: Most neo-natal intensive care nurses prefer no batting, just the top and the backing layers.
BINDING:
Flannel or soft cotton fabric. The easiest option is pillowcase style
(with right sides together, sew around the perimeter leaving 5-6” unsewn for turning purposes. Turn, press and slip-stitch opening. OR with wrong sides together, turn backing to the front and topstitch. Traditional binding techniques usually accepted if you prefer.
QUILTING:
Hand or machine quilting. Most hospital prefer no tying and they see
the knots as being too hard on these babies’ tender skin. If quilts are
simply on
top of isolettes, tying is usually fine.
FINISHED
SIZE: Some programs prefer extremely small sizes...from 12"-18" for the
tiniest babies or for bereavement quilts. Other prefer 22" x 22", or
even 24” x 30” . With quilts placed on top of an isolette
unit, as many hospitals do... 30" x 30" or 36" x36" is a nice standard
size. Like all quilt size recommendations, there is great variance, so
check with your local hospital or favorite charity for preferences.
LABELS: Depends upon the program you join, the hospital requirements, and your personal preference. Some like AZBlankets4Kids, require their own label, on the FRONT of the quilt.
Free pattern links:
Basic Teddy Bear (c)
Bear Pair Teddy Bears (k)
Bertie Bear (k)
Better Bear (c)
Brenda's Bears (k)
Buttercup Bear (c)
Cashew Teddy Bear (k)
Curly Teddy Bear (c)
Heartfelt Bear (c)
Polar Bear (c)
Smart Teddy Bear (k)
Teddy Bear (k)
Teddy Lovey (c)
Two Tone Teddy (c)
Quilter's Anonymous in
Lynnwood, WA.
Grecian Square
Ohio Star
Split Rail
Irish Twist Chain
Patterns from
AZBlankets4kids:
Baby, Preemie, Double 4-Patch Quilt
Baby, Preemie, One Patch Quilt
Baby, Preemie Quilt, 1 Patch, 2 Borders
Block Party, Preemie to Teen
Baby, Preemie, 9-Patch Quilt, 18”
Baby, Preemie, Double 4-Patch Quilt, 18”
Block Party, Preemie to Teen
Charity Baby & Preemie Patterns
happy hearts quilt block...project linus
And from Project Linus:
Easy Preemie Quilt
My complete List of Preemie, Baby and Children's Quilts:
Free Babies, Child's, Preemies Quilt Patterns
Special Note:
If you would like to join in, online, with a group that does this special work,
please check out this group and think about joining in and making some tiny little donations of your own:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CaringforCooper/
OR:
Michele Bilyeu blogs
With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts,
prayer flags, and
comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to
Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join her and make and donate quilts to charitable causes.
Help us change the world, one little quilt at a time!