Need Advice for a Lap quilt.

Thank you for your suggestions. I just returned from TSWLTH (Joann's) I
bought a lovely fleece that looks like animal fur in beiges and browns. I
have several Giraffe embroidery designs to put on it. She is a dear person
and I just want her to have some extra (((hugs))).

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Sugar & Spice Quilts by Linda E
http://community.webshots.com/user/frame242

Thank you Kate. The idea of tieing the quilt is a good one. The designs I
want to put on are a bit dense so that will help. I appreciate your
prayers for Adrianne.

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Sugar & Spice Quilts by Linda E
http://community.webshots.com/user/frame242

I think some of the sizes suggested here may have been overgenerous.
Remember, whatever you make she'll either have to leave at home or carry
around (down long hallways) along with her.

36" square will cover the lap and legs while sitting in a wheelchair.
Make it 48" or 50" long and she can pull it almost up to her neck, while
still being fairly easy to compact into a shopping bag to carry with her.

Also, make sure it's easy to wash over and over and over again. Most
fleece I've seen loses its nap fairly quickly. Even if you go with the
animal fleece just to get something to her quickly, I'd start working on
a quilt make with regular cotton (which gets softer the more it's
washed) to have it ready to give her when the fleece falls apart.

Finally, only use natural fiber (soft) thread, cotton batting, and I'd
really hesitate to embroider it. Monofilament and other artificial
fibers can be scratchy and irritating even to normal skin, and most
chemos seem to produce dry, itchy, and sensitive skin. (The first time
a patient told me how Bag Balm had helped her, I thought she was pulling
my leg. Udder cream? It took hearing the same recommendation from
several more patients before I realized they were serious.) If you
really want the embroidery, try it on a sample square first and wash it
a few times to see how the embroidery feels against the most sensitive
skin you have. If it is at ALL irritating, I guarantee it will irritate
your friend more.

What you want to do is laudable, and will carry your love and support to
your friend while she goes through a difficult time in her life. I just
hope my experience can help you make the best selections for your
friend's comfort.