For the Community
2023 Linus Quilt Project
Project Linus UK is a familiar charity to most of us at IQ, it’s mission is ‘to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are sick, disabled, disadvantaged or distressed by donating gifts of new, homemade, washable quilts and blankets lovingly made by UK volunteer knitters and quilters.’ The quilts are distributed by a team of volunteer co-ordinators to local hospitals, children’s hospices, women’s refuges, foster carers, special schools, bereavement services and many other places where support is given to children ‘in need of a hug.’ IQ members are invited to make quilts for Project Linus UK and packs of fabric have been organised to help you get started.
Guidelines for sizes are set out below.
Project Linus UK is a familiar charity to most of us at IQ, it’s mission is ‘to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are sick, disabled, disadvantaged or distressed by donating gifts of new, homemade, washable quilts and blankets lovingly made by UK volunteer knitters and quilters.’ The quilts are distributed by a team of volunteer co-ordinators to local hospitals, children’s hospices, women’s refuges, foster carers, special schools, bereavement services and many other places where support is given to children ‘in need of a hug.’ IQ members are invited to make quilts for Project Linus UK and packs of fabric have been organised to help you get started.
Guidelines for sizes are set out below.
Baby Quilts: approx 24”-30” square or 24” x 30”
Children’s Quilts: approx 36” – 42” square or 36” x 42”
Teenagers Quilts: approx 42” square or 42” x 48”
Please note that quilts should have no embellishments such as ribbons, buttons or beads
because of possible choking, or little fingers being damaged.
Fabric and wadding should be machine washable and be able to be tumble dried. Cotton and
polycotton fabrics are suitable.
Children’s Quilts: approx 36” – 42” square or 36” x 42”
Teenagers Quilts: approx 42” square or 42” x 48”
Please note that quilts should have no embellishments such as ribbons, buttons or beads
because of possible choking, or little fingers being damaged.
Fabric and wadding should be machine washable and be able to be tumble dried. Cotton and
polycotton fabrics are suitable.
Icknield Quilters members work hard to help in the community
They do this by:-
Making Heart Cushions and Post Operative Drain Bags /Post operative Drain Bags be passed on to the local Breast Clinic, please contact Sue Rainbow.
Making Baby Quilts, Bonding Squares/Hearts, Small Memory bags and Incubator Covers (you will find the instructions for these below) for Lister Hospital Neonatal Unit. They provided over 30 large incubator covers in 2020, a great lockdown project.
The wonderful baby-quilt project has been running for over six years now and has the generous quilters and stitchers of Icknield Quilters members and friends in North Hertfordshire making delightful small baby quilts for every baby admitted to the special care unit. A quilt is given to every baby and its family, to keep and for them to know that there are many people thinking of them while they are in the Neonatal Unit at Lister Hospital.
Each quilt is made with love and has a label stitched onto the back saying:-
‘Made by Icknield Quilters and Friends in North Herts’.
Some people can sew but don’t have the fabric; some have the fabric but don’t have the time to make these small quilts. Together we are all working as one to bring these quilts to the babies and mothers who will hopefully delight in them. If you would like to know more, would like to make a comment or take part in any way, do please contact me. You can download a pattern for the baby quilt HERE.
Stephanie Pettengell - [email protected]
They do this by:-
Making Heart Cushions and Post Operative Drain Bags /Post operative Drain Bags be passed on to the local Breast Clinic, please contact Sue Rainbow.
Making Baby Quilts, Bonding Squares/Hearts, Small Memory bags and Incubator Covers (you will find the instructions for these below) for Lister Hospital Neonatal Unit. They provided over 30 large incubator covers in 2020, a great lockdown project.
The wonderful baby-quilt project has been running for over six years now and has the generous quilters and stitchers of Icknield Quilters members and friends in North Hertfordshire making delightful small baby quilts for every baby admitted to the special care unit. A quilt is given to every baby and its family, to keep and for them to know that there are many people thinking of them while they are in the Neonatal Unit at Lister Hospital.
Each quilt is made with love and has a label stitched onto the back saying:-
‘Made by Icknield Quilters and Friends in North Herts’.
Some people can sew but don’t have the fabric; some have the fabric but don’t have the time to make these small quilts. Together we are all working as one to bring these quilts to the babies and mothers who will hopefully delight in them. If you would like to know more, would like to make a comment or take part in any way, do please contact me. You can download a pattern for the baby quilt HERE.
Stephanie Pettengell - [email protected]
We have delivered over 3,000 baby quilts to the unit so far including special Christmas and Easter themed quilts. Members of our quilting group make baby quilts and other stitched items for the babies all year and we have been joined by members of other groups and friends that sew the baby items for these little newborn babies. This year, again, we are making Christmas stockings for the babies to have on Christmas morning.
Below is a special story from one of the amazing Mum's that received a quilt at the unit in Stevenage.
Below is a special story from one of the amazing Mum's that received a quilt at the unit in Stevenage.
Felicity's Story :
Baby Felicity was born at the Lister, Stevenage in the summer this year after a complicated labour resulting in an emergency C-section. She was admitted to the Neo-Natal Unit while Mum was recovering.
Mum say’s “The quilt and blanket are very precious to us and we are so grateful to them as they definitely helped soften the sterile environment and worrying time. The Nurses and Drs on Neo-Natal were wonderful and really cared for our little love. They kindly gave us the quilt and blanket to take home. We went home after a week and we have used both the quilt and blanket in her cot to help her settle and I also used the blanket every day for amazing cuddles and skin to skin which helped me bond with my miracle girl - a rainbow baby. We still use the blanket now for pram trips!
We would like to say a big thank you to the person that made our daughter's beautiful quilt and cosy knitted blanket with such care and love I will always be grateful to them.
The first photo is with Felicity and her tubes at a few hours old in Neo-Natal and the second, Felicity at two days old. The last picture is at almost 16wks old - you can see how much she has grown as I've laid her on the ‘Peter Rabbit and friends’ blanket.”
Baby Felicity was born at the Lister, Stevenage in the summer this year after a complicated labour resulting in an emergency C-section. She was admitted to the Neo-Natal Unit while Mum was recovering.
Mum say’s “The quilt and blanket are very precious to us and we are so grateful to them as they definitely helped soften the sterile environment and worrying time. The Nurses and Drs on Neo-Natal were wonderful and really cared for our little love. They kindly gave us the quilt and blanket to take home. We went home after a week and we have used both the quilt and blanket in her cot to help her settle and I also used the blanket every day for amazing cuddles and skin to skin which helped me bond with my miracle girl - a rainbow baby. We still use the blanket now for pram trips!
We would like to say a big thank you to the person that made our daughter's beautiful quilt and cosy knitted blanket with such care and love I will always be grateful to them.
The first photo is with Felicity and her tubes at a few hours old in Neo-Natal and the second, Felicity at two days old. The last picture is at almost 16wks old - you can see how much she has grown as I've laid her on the ‘Peter Rabbit and friends’ blanket.”
Felicity - a few hours old
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Felicity - two days old
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Felicity - sixteen weeks old
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A huge pile of baby quilts
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Christmas quilts
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Bonding Hearts And Bonding Squares are used in special care baby units when Mum/Dad and baby are unable to go ‘skin to skin’ and ‘bond’. One of the hearts is left on the baby and is impregnated with the ‘scent’ of the baby and the second heart is worn next to the skin by the Mum/Dad. These hearts are then swapped over regularly so bonding can be achieved. These are easy to make, need no wadding but must be made of 100% cotton fabric, as they will be next to the baby’s skin. Bonding hearts need to be in pairs for mother and baby so please stitch two of the same colour/design. You can find the instructions for the Bonding Hearts HERE and the template Here. We also make bonding squares which use up your scrap fabrics. These are made with four cut squares, 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" joined together into matching pairs, turned and stitched around the edge and are given to each mother and baby. Pattern.
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We are also still spending time making Heart Cushions and Post Operative Drain Bags /Post operative Drain Bags be passed on to the local Breast Clinic, please contact Sue Rainbow
We had a special request from the Neonatal Unit at Lister Maternity Unit to supply them with 30 Christmas Stockings - one for each incubator. To get a template for the stockings please get in touch with Stephanie P -[email protected] The instructions for making the Stocking can be downloaded here.
It would be wonderful if we can do this each year so if you have the time you could join us in making one.
Thank you, Stephanie
It would be wonderful if we can do this each year so if you have the time you could join us in making one.
Thank you, Stephanie
A Few of the Christmas stockings for Lister NICU
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Christmas Eve at the Neonatal Unit
Getting ready for the big day. |
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Hand over of the Christmas quilts and stockings.
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A message from the Sister in charge of the Unit:-
Dear Quilters, Many thanks again for the beautiful Christmas stockings and quilts, they were truly amazing and the parents on Christmas morning were so thrilled with them. Such a wonderful keepsake too. Please pass on our gratitude to all your team.
Thank you all, your kindness is really appreciated.
Best wishes for 2019.Kind regards, Lister NICU
Dear Quilters, Many thanks again for the beautiful Christmas stockings and quilts, they were truly amazing and the parents on Christmas morning were so thrilled with them. Such a wonderful keepsake too. Please pass on our gratitude to all your team.
Thank you all, your kindness is really appreciated.
Best wishes for 2019.Kind regards, Lister NICU
For the incubator covers please find the instructions here. Please pass the finished Incubator Cover on to Stephanie and she will do the finishing touches so it can fix onto the Incubators.
Baby Memory Bags are our latest project, we have responded with a request from the unit by making these small bags, a simple project for most stitchers. The instructions are here.
