Fleur de Lis Quilts Best of 2016

Oh my goodness! Earlier in the week I wrote a "look back and evaluate" post for 2016. But when I decided to add it to the Meadow Mist Designs linky party, I discovered that this party is for your five best posts. Well, I didn't do that! It that just like me? So I'm writing another post and this time I've read the instructions!

My choices for top five in 2016 and why I chose each one:

5. a wave of little finishes:  Ford sun visors / studio chair / hundreds lots garment repairs / just a bunch of little things

4.  The Quarry / Quilty 365 / pretty impressed / stuck to one project for a long time (not 365 days) / circles and circles

The Quarry

3.  scrap projects / scrap control / this scrap quilt / using lots of scraps / attention grabbing popular post 

Scrap Quilt

2.  learn to paint / my ideas / combine painting and quilting / my favorite project / working on a third piece

Blue Cotton on the Stalk

1. For the second year in a row: Most viewed tutorial / best tutorial / most good for the world / number one post for 2016 and all time / updated version of the pattern and tutorial for the preemie gowns / Children's Miracle Network hospital / find the original post on my tutorials page / why these little gowns are important to my family / why I make them (too many words but okay somehow)

And there you have it: my top five posts for 2016. If you happened here from the Meadow Mist party, thanks for visiting and please leave a comment. If you found me some other way, please click on over and visit a few more of the 80+ blogs (as of Thursday night) that are participating in the party. Lots of fun seeing which posts others chose and why.  And even more fun for me is finding out who comes by...leave a note and I'll visit your blog.

Updated NICU Gown Pattern

One of my most popular posts since I started this blog in 2010 has been the NICU pattern that I wrote about after our grandbaby was born weighing only 2 lbs. 4 ozs. This week I am washing and delivering 24 gowns to Cabrini's Women's and Children's NICU ward. 

the old version

While I am happy that so many people have been interested in making NICU gowns, I haven't necessarily been happy about the look of the pattern itself. So I finally got around to cleaning it up.

newer, updated version

To print the pattern simply click on the picture and copy it. Then go to MS Word (or whatever program you normally use) and paste it there. Enlarge the pattern so that it just fits inside of a regular 8½ X 11 sheet of copy paper. Nothing is exact--if you get close it will be fine, but remember that the pattern is half of the gown. (I print one but cut out two and tape them together at the center back.) You have a pattern that easily. One of the reasons that size is not terribly important is that the gowns aren't necessarily clothing the way we think of it. 

In the NICU, still not wearing clothes

Preemies are all sizes (generally 1-6 lbs) but most weight 4-5 pounds before the nurses put clothing on them. This is because when tiny babies are irritated, they fidget and cry, and any irritation slows down their weight gain and development. 

Christmas (almost two months in NICU)
wearing a gown I made

We couldn't touch or hold Catherine for the first few weeks. It's devastating to think that just your touch can delay her progress. Because the gowns are designed to cover the baby rather than fit tiny bodies, there's a little wiggle room . 

Catherine at 5 years old

NICU babies are kept at an exact temperature, so the gowns aren't even meant to keep them warm. Their job is to help the parents cope with having a preemie in such delicate condition. 

Catherine now at six years old.

Young moms and dads come into the NICU and, seeing the baby with clothing, begin to see her differently. There's a renewed hope that the baby will survive. They've been touching and holding her for a few days, and this is one more advancement. They eventually practice putting clothing on her, changing her diaper, nursing or giving her a bottle--all while a nurse is close by to help them. Even parents who have older children are afraid to handle their frail, tiny infant. A two pound baby can be frightening! 

If you are interested in making NICU gowns for your local hospital, first call and ask if they prefer a particular pattern be used. If this pattern is acceptable, you can find the tutorial here. 

Small finishes: NICU Gowns

I've been quietly working on more NICU gowns to donate to St. Francis Cabrini Hospital. It's the closest hospital that addresses the needs of neonatal babies and is a Children's Miracle Network hospital. 

I'm not sure how many are ready to go, but there are quite a few. I've sewn these on and off for the last few years as a simple way to make the world better. Catholics believe that we should give of our talent, time and treasure during the Lenten season. Making these tiny gowns is a way to live the life of a Christian. 

Because I try to work on lots of gowns at a time, I make them in assembly line fashion. I cut out about 25 or so gowns for step one. In step two, I sew the lining and fabric pieces together leaving only the neck open for turning and clip the threads. Then comes step three: turning the gown right side out. 

Cut, sewn, turned, ready for neck closure

Step four is consists of sewing the neck opening, which is perhaps the most difficult part because there's a slight curve to deal with. Adding the Velcro is step five. Pressing is step six. Sometimes I mix it up a little, but really this is my best procedure when making 20+ gowns.  

Next step: sew on the Velcro pieces

I'm adding another step after pressing. That is to sew a fast top-stitch to the body of the gown after pressing. I find that the cotton wrinkles and requires so much pressing after washing that I just need to try a new approach. If top-stitching saves me from having to pick the seam out of a wrinkle inch by inch, it will be worth the few seconds of sewing. 

I've top-stitched a few gowns and will wash and dry them to see whether the stitching helps. Either way, ironing is the last step because I always wash, dry and press before I deliver the gowns.  

If you're interested in making some of these NICU gowns, you can find the tutorial and pattern here.  Someone asked the size of the gown, but I don't think it matters so much. I drew the pattern on a sheet of 8½ X 11 paper and just filled the entire sheet. 

I've never measured the gown, but babies come in all sizes. They may weight only four pounds when they first wear clothing, so even if the gowns seem really small, don't fret. If the pattern is too big for the paper, it's too big for NICU babies, and you'll need to resize it.

Much more important is that you use small pieces of hook and loop tape (Velcro) for closures--I use about ¾ to 1 inch--and remember to wash in mild detergent. I always use two rinses to make sure I remove all of the detergent (even though I use All Free). I want the babies to look cute and cuddly, not have an allergic reaction.

Linking up with 

Crazy Mom Quilts (go check out her cute pixie basket)

Fleur de Lis Quilts Best of 2015

I decided to join the crew at Meadow Mist Designs and link up to

These are my picks for best of 2015 in no particular order (because who can say one child is the favorite?) and the reasons that I think they are the best.  It was difficult choosing only five, but I didn't allow myself to overthink, which means that I mostly picked recent posts.  I did realize that I've learned so very much from my year of quilting and making.  Goodness, I've grown in so many ways. 

5.  My first bee quilt / my first online anything, ie. learn trust / my first sense of how crazy and fun and talented some modern quilters are / my first real sense that I have to step up my game
Louisiana Traveling Quilt

4.  First totally modern, totally improv, totally what now? quilt 
Math Is an Expletive

3.  Play off of someone else's idea and make it my own / jump in the deep end / use color (and contrast-gasp!) in quilting / Oh WOW

Modern Cross

2.  Most viewed quilt / most challenging tee-shirt quilt
Gavin's Memories

1.  Most viewed tutorial / best tutorial / most good for the world 

Preemie Gown Tutorial

The pattern is free.  FREE.  You can find it here.  Please make these little gowns for the babies in your local NICU.  You'll never know what it means to the parents and grandparents who see their babies dressed in clothing for the very first time.  It's good karma. 

Pin It Weekly #91

REASONS TO BE THANKFUL

FAITH

FREEDOM

FAMILY

SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN

LOVE

HOPE

KIDS AND PETS

LAUGHTER

MIRACLES

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A HAPPY, 

BLESSED THANKSGIVING