Teeny Tears

About a month ago, I was poking through to see if anyone really does pay attention to this blog.  I found a blog that had a link to one of my blog posts about making eye mask for babies in the NICU.  Poking around her site, I found this site: http://teenytears.blogspot.com/ .

"Teeny Tears is a service organization that provides tiny flannel bereavement diapers to hospitals and bereavement support organizations at no charge for families that have suffered the loss of a preemie or micropreemie child through stillbirth or NICU loss. "  The goal is that there is one diaper for the baby and another as a keepsake for the family.

Oh....my.....goodness.....I was blown away.  And of course, had to add this to my list of things to do as I have been looking for some way to honor my son who would be 10 this September 1st if that terrible birth defect, Congential Diaphragmatic Hernia, had not take him from me.  But what a better way to honor his memory than to donate to the hospital where he was born.  I decided to set myself a personal goal of 100 diapers ready to donate by September 1.

To make it easier on myself, rather than use a paper pattern, I took quilters plastic template and cut out the patterns on that.

Then all I have to do is trace the template with a fabric pen and then cut them out.  I have averaged 6 micropreemie diapers and 6 preemie diapers per yard of fabric.

As of today, I have 46 cut out.

Only 54 more away from my goal

Then will come the sewing.  I figure to do it in shifts.  Get them all cut out.  Sew a stack at a time.
 

I am still waiting to see if Women and Infants needs these.   Project Sweet Peas partners with them for other supplies and was starting this but that is part of Project Gabriel.  And I already donate to CHERUBS HOPE Totebag project so adding to Project Sweet Peas may be too much.

I do not know the hospital's needs or requirements.  I hope to hear from Project Sweet Peas soon or I will reach back to Teeny Tears to have them make contact with the hospital.  I would love to able to help them meet a need. 

NICU Eye Masks

I make these for CHERUBS but any preemie charity could use these.  They are meant to protect a baby's eyes while in the NICU.


NICU EYE MASK

Need two pieces of flannel fabric and a darkening fabric(Denim or corduroy), pins, template, sewing machine, needle, thread, scissors

Cut out Template

1. Layer the three pieces of material as following: Flannel 1 face up, Flannel 2 face down so that the two right sides face each other and then place the darkening material on top.

Here I am using two very different fabrics to show the difference.

2. Place the template on top of all three fabrics and cut them all out at the same time. I cut multiple eye masks at once.
3. Pin around so that the pieces will stay together.

Cut out

Separated to show different layers

Placed together

4. Go to the sewing machine and sew around the mask about 4/8ths (the line between 3/8 and 5/8) this doesn't have to be so precise just even. make sure to leave a space open at the top so that you can turn the whole thing right side out later on.

5. Trim so that you have about 1/4 inch left all around. and clip the curves so that they turn better.

6. Turn right side out and shape. Iron your mask flat. Turn in open edge and hand sew with a hidden stitch. I used a ladder stitch..