Sew your own weighted blanket

**Disclaimer: This tutorial uses information I picked up from several other mothers. The words and drawings are my own, the ideas are not. Thank you to all who have shared so freely.

Take 2 pieces of fabric a little longer and wider than you want your finished blanket to be because the weights fluff it up a little and make it end up a little smaller than you expect.

1. Put fabric pieces right sides together and sew 3 sides, leaving the 4th side open like a pillowcase. Turn it right side out.
   



2. Sew lines a couple inches apart from the top to the bottom, so that you have several channels to put the beads in.
   



3. Pour a handful of beads into each channel.
   
   



4. Sew a line across, enclosing those beads and making the first row of squares.
   
   



5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you get to the top. Fold the edges of the open side in and sew it closed.
   

Tips:

• How much weight? The formula I have seen used most often is 10% of body weight plus one pound. So my 35 pound daughter would need 3.5 pounds+1 pound = 4.5lb blanket
  



• If you want to be precise, figure out how many squares you will have and divide your finished blanket by that amount, so that each square has the same amount of weight.
  
  
• I learned the hard way that knit fabrics are MUCH harder for this kind of project. They tend to stretch and slide in any project but with the extra weight, it is a real trick to get lines even close to straight. I will be using wovens such as flannel from now on.
  
  
• I like the poly beads used in doll-making projects for the weight. I bought them at my local Joanns fabrics and I have seen them at Michaels crafts as well. I have heard of people using beans, rice, sand, pebbles, etc for weight, but I have heard various reasons that each is not recommended. Sand is not recommended because the silica can be bad for the lungs, rice and beans can mold over time and pebbles can poke through the fabric and be scratchy - the last thing an already sensitive child needs!
  

This document is provided mother to mother. I am simply sharing what I have learned from other mothers. I am not a medical professional. Consult your doctor or therapist if you have any questions about appropriate use of weighted blankets. Use common sense and care with any baby/child product. Feel free to share with anyone who may be able to use it, but please don't sell my work as your own!

Study finds breast feeding wards off bed-wetting - Yahoo! News

Study finds breast feeding wards off bed-wetting - Yahoo! News

Its not as big a deal as a lower risk of cancer, but I'll take it!

Diaper Patterns for Purchase - Chloe Toes

I just tried the pattern from Chloe Toes. This pattern can be sewn as a pocket, fitted or All-in-one diaper. I chose to make a size large pocket for my 23.5 pound daughter. It is advertised as a 30 minute pattern and that sounds about right (I didn't time it.) I am not a huge fan of sewing with fold over elastic (FOE), but it is getting easier with practice. The opening for the pocket is nice and big, my husband doesn't usually like elastic on the inside of pockets because he says they are harder to stuff, but this one got a thumbs up. The pattern suggests sewing the diaper and then applying snaps, but I prefer the hidden snaps method which is also described in the instructions. I was slightly concerned that the legs seemed a little loose the first time I put it on her, but she gave it the test of a lifetime. (Why do they always do that do a brand new diaper!?) It held up like a champ. I will definitely be making more of these.

Supplies needed (for pocket AIO):

• Sewing Machine with zig zag stitch, preferably 3 step zig zag
• Thread - if you are making an All in one or Pocket make sure your thread is 100% polyester - I like Gutterman thread
• Needle
• Fold over elastic (FOE) - I bought mine at www.sewzannes fabrics, but it is available many places
• Waterproof fabric - I used PUL from www.diapershop.com
• Wicking fabric - I used microfleece from Jo-An fabrics

My First Posting!

I have enjoyed others' blogs so much that I just had to start my own. I started sewing cloth diapers over two years ago when my first daughter was a toddler and I was pregnant with my second. The volume of free crafting information on the web is amazing and I have learned so much. So far I have tried cross stitch, knitting, crochet, sewing and now I am discovering loom knitting and machine knitting.