Compression vest/ Weighted blanket for Autistic Kids

.: Groups .:. Search .:. About :.
User Password
Register Now! Lost Password?

Sewing Discussions - A group that is not as it seams. 

Page 1 of 5       1 2 3 > last >> Bookmark this page:  YahooMyWeb Yahoo!  Google Google  Windows Live Favorites Windows Live  del.icio.us del.icio.us  digg digg  Add to Netscape Netscape
Subject Author Date
Compression vest/ Weighted blanket for Autistic Kids Nick and Judy 02-03-2007
If you were  Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Posted by Nick and Judy on February 3, 2007, 12:08 pm
Hi everyone,
My brother-in-law called me last night. He has 3 yr old twin boys that were
diagnosed with autism last summer. The occupational therapist has suggested
compressions vest for them and using weighted blankets in their beds. I plan
on making them for the boys since they are pretty expensive to buy. At this
time they do not want the vest to be weighted since the boys are small. It
is basically a tank top with velcro on the sides to adjust pressure and
sizing. He wasn't sure of the material but thought it was dive/scuba suit
material. Polypropelene? Has anyone ever made these and if so what did you
use for fabric? I googled instructions for the weighted blanket.
http://www.myweightedblankets.com/make_your_own . Basically channels filled
with dried beans or poly beads? I thought about using drapery weights in the
squares. The weights or beads would make it washable or I could just make a
removable cover that would be washed. Any suggestions/advice would be
appreciated. I live in the north Texas area and haven't started searching
for fabric yet. I will probably have to mail order the vest fabric from the
Rain Shed or another source.
Thanks,
Judy



Posted by Lee & Cathi Thomas on February 3, 2007, 1:09 pm
No suggestions, just wanted to let you know wet suit material is called
neoprene.

Cathi
> Hi everyone,
> My brother-in-law called me last night. He has 3 yr old twin boys that
> were diagnosed with autism last summer. The occupational therapist has
> suggested compressions vest for them and using weighted blankets in their
> beds. I plan on making them for the boys since they are pretty expensive
> to buy. At this time they do not want the vest to be weighted since the
> boys are small. It is basically a tank top with velcro on the sides to
> adjust pressure and sizing. He wasn't sure of the material but thought it
> was dive/scuba suit material. Polypropelene? Has anyone ever made these
> and if so what did you use for fabric? I googled instructions for the
> weighted blanket. http://www.myweightedblankets.com/make_your_own .
> Basically channels filled with dried beans or poly beads? I thought about
> using drapery weights in the squares. The weights or beads would make it
> washable or I could just make a removable cover that would be washed. Any
> suggestions/advice would be appreciated. I live in the north Texas area
> and haven't started searching for fabric yet. I will probably have to mail
> order the vest fabric from the Rain Shed or another source.
> Thanks,
> Judy
>



Posted by Val on February 3, 2007, 4:07 pm
I don't know about making the vest but my neighbor asked Thursday if I could
make a weighted blanket. This is what I did......

Took a cotton, flat twin sheet and folded it in half, top to bottom. Sewed
up the two sides, turned it, sewn seams inside, leaving the top (the fold
was the bottom) open. I then laid it out flat and smooth and marked the
middle and then marked even channels, running top to bottom about three
inches apart, then marked lines the same width as the channels at right
angles....now looks like little square window panes. I pinned then stitched
the channels top to bottom. I used rice because I had over half a 50lb bag
left from making rice bags. I used a funnel and poured 1/4 cup rice into
each tube, shook all the kernels to the bottom and then pinned and sewed
across the marked lines side to side to form the first row of little "rice
pillows". I had my neighbor helping me hold and fill and pin before I sewed
across to enclose each row of "rice pillows". This could be done by one
person but it sure was easier with an extra set of hands, especially as the
blanket got progressively heavier. After making the entire folded sheet of
little rice filled squares I made a cover out of a twin, flat flannel
sheet....like a big pillow case.

Next problem was keeping the 'blanket' from moving around inside the
case.....solved!

We put the blanket in the cover, laid it on the floor and smoothed it all
out and then marked all four corners, one square in, on the cover and
blanket. We did this by putting a pin straight down through cover and
blanket and out the other side, then marking both sides of the cover with a
pen where the pin was and carefully folding back the cover and marking the
place on the blanket the pin went thru. We did the same thing in eight other
areas (because we had 24 matching buttons) around the center of the blanket
and cover. While I was sewing 24 button holes reinforced with heavy
stabilizer, on the cover, my neighbor was sewing buttons on the blanket. I
should mention that these buttons are in the 'crossroad' of the window pane
seamed channels, same place on both sides and a piece of stabilizer under
the button before sewing it on. The button holes are on both sides of the
cover to correspond with location of buttons on blanket.

This was a real seat of the pants project done with what we could scrounge
up that would work well to do the job she needed done. I had fleece that
would have worked for a cover but we decided that might be too warm. Both
sheets had been washed numerous times but were in very good condition so we
didn't worry about shrinkage and the flannel cover will be easy to wash and
dry. The project didn't take any out of pocket expense, I can't tell you how
much the blanket weighed because I forgot to load it on the scale before she
left with it. It was very substantial however. This blanket was for her
small 4 year old boy.

I'm sure somebody may come up with different/better ideas and she may have
me tweak things later. I'll keep you informed how it works and any changes
we make.

Val

> Hi everyone,
> My brother-in-law called me last night. He has 3 yr old twin boys that
> were diagnosed with autism last summer. The occupational therapist has
> suggested compressions vest for them and using weighted blankets in their
> beds. I plan on making them for the boys since they are pretty expensive
> to buy. At this time they do not want the vest to be weighted since the
> boys are small. It is basically a tank top with velcro on the sides to
> adjust pressure and sizing. He wasn't sure of the material but thought it
> was dive/scuba suit material. Polypropelene? Has anyone ever made these
> and if so what did you use for fabric? I googled instructions for the
> weighted blanket. http://www.myweightedblankets.com/make_your_own .
> Basically channels filled with dried beans or poly beads? I thought about
> using drapery weights in the squares. The weights or beads would make it
> washable or I could just make a removable cover that would be washed. Any
> suggestions/advice would be appreciated. I live in the north Texas area
> and haven't started searching for fabric yet. I will probably have to mail
> order the vest fabric from the Rain Shed or another source.
> Thanks,
> Judy
>



Posted by Sarah Dale on February 3, 2007, 5:38 pm
Nick and Judy wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> My brother-in-law called me last night. He has 3 yr old twin boys that were
> diagnosed with autism last summer. The occupational therapist has suggested
> compressions vest for them and using weighted blankets in their beds. I plan
> on making them for the boys since they are pretty expensive to buy. At this
> time they do not want the vest to be weighted since the boys are small. It
> is basically a tank top with velcro on the sides to adjust pressure and
> sizing. He wasn't sure of the material but thought it was dive/scuba suit
> material. Polypropelene? Has anyone ever made these and if so what did you


http://www.sensorycritters.com/products/weighted-vest/weighted-vest.html


NAYY, just something I found while googling that I thought would help
you. Washable seem to be the key!

I hope these do the trick for your nephews.

Sarah

Posted by Nick and Judy on February 4, 2007, 12:02 pm
They know all about Temple Grandin believe me. Since the diagnosis we ALL
have been researching the subject. They don't want a weighted vest, just a
compression one.
I will do the blanket with either beans or rice or the poly pellets if I can
find them at a good price. Does anyone know of a source in the US for the
poly pellets? My BIL thinks the neoprene for the vests will be too hot in
the summer, so I will have to look for some other fabric, maybe some kind of
heavy lycra used in athletic uniforms?


> Nick and Judy wrote:
>> Hi everyone,
>> My brother-in-law called me last night. He has 3 yr old twin boys that
>> were diagnosed with autism last summer. The occupational therapist has
>> suggested compressions vest for them and using weighted blankets in their
>> beds. I plan on making them for the boys since they are pretty expensive
>> to buy. At this time they do not want the vest to be weighted since the
>> boys are small. It is basically a tank top with velcro on the sides to
>> adjust pressure and sizing. He wasn't sure of the material but thought it
>> was dive/scuba suit material. Polypropelene? Has anyone ever made these
>> and if so what did you
>
>
> http://www.sensorycritters.com/products/weighted-vest/weighted-vest.html
>
>
> NAYY, just something I found while googling that I thought would help you.
> Washable seem to be the key!
>
> I hope these do the trick for your nephews.
>
> Sarah



Page 1 of 5       1 2 3 > last >>
Similar ThreadsPosted
Camp fire blanket August 17, 2008, 3:10 am
Vest is DONE! April 11, 2008, 9:55 pm
vest/doublet ? July 6, 2006, 9:27 am
embellishing a vest December 12, 2006, 1:38 pm
vest finished! June 9, 2008, 10:49 am
made a fleece vest March 23, 2006, 2:42 am
Lining a vest...is this fabric okay? February 4, 2007, 2:22 pm
Highland "Nationals" vest July 21, 2007, 12:17 am
PHOTO OF THE WEEK, Tailored Vest December 27, 2005, 10:24 pm
Ping: Teri. Bagging vest. November 26, 2006, 2:02 pm

Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Sewgirls.com XML SitemapXML Sitemap