Wheelchair Quilts

[Peggy F.]

Need to make several lap quilts for use by people in wheelchairs. What size do they need to be? Any tips and help will be appreciated.

[Peggy F.]

I just read this on the Sherwood Park Quilt Guild's website "They should not be much larger than 36x48, as any wider and they are prone to get caught in the wheels of the wheelchair".

[Hannelore N.]

Depends on the size of the wheelchair and the size of the wheelchair user. Both come in all shapes and sizes. The quilts should ideally be appropriate for the individual. 36x48 sounds like a good average.

[Annette R.]

I agree with the size and the only thing I can add is that if the person who is recieving this quilt lives in a nursing home or other facility where the facility does the laundry, you need to clearly label the quilt to identify it for the person who you give it to. My Mom lives in a nursing home for about three years. I had made her a "wall hanging" that she really loved and when she went to the home she took it along as a lap robe. So did I care-absolutely not, I knew she didn't have wall space and she loved my little quilt. When she died, I was the one responsible for getting her things. I didn't really care about the clothes, etc. but I really wanted that little quilt. Fortunately it had a very distictive pattern. When we picked up her belongings, it was no where to be found (and the nurses and I searched) so I was resigned to having lost it forever. A couple of weeks later, my brother got a package from the nursing home with my silly little raccoon quilt. I was really happy and it still has a place of honor in my house. But in retrospect, I know that we would have never gotten back except for the fact that the nursing home was in my home town and everyone knew my brother and me and wanted to please us. Next time I make that kind of quilt, I will be sure it is very well marked and has a reference to who to return it to if the unthinkable happens. (Since I made it as a wall hanging when Mom was still at home and healthy, I do not feel too bad but once again, I have learned the value of lables.) Ann (currently in Illinois and planning to see Bridget tomorrow)

[Betty J.]

Ann, very good point! One can also add a new label if needed on an older quilt. I did a lot of label adding to anything and everything when my Mom had to go to the nursing home for the last month of her life. It's an excellent idea, and if you get that printable fabric with the iron on backing, you can make your labels in your printer, putting several on a sheet, and cut them out and iron them on. The iron-on backing for those is real secure and washes well. In fact, once ironed, I think they are entirely permanently bonded to the fabrics, so make sure they're in the right place. Cheers, BJ