Second Guessing

Many of my projects are from scratch – based on an idea, but without step by step instructions. This can be both freeing and daunting. What if I make the wrong choices? The article in the June/July 2014 issue of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine about Fidget Quilts for Alzheimer’s patients, stuck a chord, as my MIL is suffering from the disease. The follow up issue of QNM had some feedback from quilters who had followed the guidelines of the original article, and their mats had been rejected by caregivers. Small items such as keys or buttons could be chewed or pulled off . Before starting my mat, I contacted the head of the facility where my MIL is and asked about these concerns, and whether they would be interested in a fidget mat. The feedback was “yes please, red and pink are favorite colors of several of the residents, and a size of 1 ft. by 3 ft. would work well on their dining table.”

Having a color scheme and size helped me choose fabrics and designs. I began to over think the design, and finally took a step back and chose to keep it simple. After looking for squeaker inserts (now only available as dog chew replacements – not baby craft items), I decided to focus on textures. Red velour made nice hearts; white plush fur became kitty faces. A piece of wide satin pink ribbon made triangles to give windmill blocks some dimension. Continuous zippers made circles that open to a small cat print hidden inside. Floppy petals on flowers give movement. A simple pocket can be explored. Each side of the mat has six blocks and they repeat, both horizontally and vertically, so each end or each side have six unique blocks. Feedback has been positive.