Blanket Guidelines

• Please sew in smoke-free, pet hair free environments, or thoroughly wash the blanket before donating it.
• Please use new materials to make a Project Linus blanket. The older the fabric is, the more fragile the fibers become and will break down and tear with each washing.

We rarely have had to deem a blanket unacceptable, but it can happen.  Blankets that are musty smelling, or smell of smoke or strong chemicals, or have pet hair on them cannot be accepted because they may produce severe allergic reactions among children whose needs we are trying to meet.

Blanket Sizes and Types

Please note that there is no specific size of blanket that we need. Below are guidelines for you, but do your own thing. We can use any size.

• Preemie and Newborn Baby Blankets – A very small blanket (30″ x 30″) can easily wrap a premature baby, but in many hospitals they prefer a (36″ x 36″) blanket used to cover the entire bassinet.
  
• Toddler Blankets – An average sized blanket is (40″ x 60″). A cut of fabric is usually 45″ inches wide — so 1 2/3 yards of a 40-42 wide fabric is perfect size for a toddler blanket.
  
• Teen Blankets – In order for a blanket to be comfortable for a teenager, it needs to be at least two yards in length. Since polar fleece is 50″ wide, a 2-yard piece of fleece makes a nice blanket for a teenager.
  
• Fleece Blankets – Pieces of polar fleece may be purchased and it takes very little work to create a blanket. Serging or hemming, or cutting a fringed edge – which takes no sewing at all, may finish off the edge. This material can be used for any size blanket. Please click here for fleece blanket guidelines.
  
• Blankets for the University of Tennessee Neonatal Units need to be approximately 45″ x 58″. 
• See the Patterns page for easy patterns and sources of fabric.

Unsuitable materials:

• denim, tapestry, polyester double knit, felt, vinyl, wool, corduroy, burlap
• wool yarn
  
• materials that aren’t cuddly & soft
• used, soiled or old materials
• materials that cannot be washed

Important Reminders:

• Batting in quilts should be securely sewn into outer seams.
• If the blanket is tied, anchor it every 4-6 inches and cut ties to 1 inch or less in length. We suggest embroidery floss.
• Do not attach buttons or similar decorative items to blankets; they can be choking hazards for children.
• Please be sure to complete the construction of your blanket.
• Please remove all pins before turning in your blanket – check, double check and triple check it. It’s better you find that pin and not the child who receives your blanket.

Pins: The incidents of PINs found in blankets has been growing across the US. One PIN is TOO MANY. Thankfully, we’ve not had any reports in our chapter in quite a few years, but we need to always be on guard to make sure we don’t. Suggestions:

• Use clips instead of pins.  (Click for image)
• If you MUST USE PINS, count out a certain number and put them in a pin cushion. Only use those in making the blanket. When you are done with the blanket, make sure all pins have been returned to your pin cushion. (Click of image)

In addition to the above, when we sew on labels at sewing days, please double check all blankets. Squish them up in your hands vertically and then do the same horizontally.

I am going to try some metal detectors, but haven’t had much luck in the past. They tend to pick up the metal from the table legs, walls in the storage unit, etc.

Please be vigilant. We don’t want to be sued by a parent and we don’t want a child and/or their medical devices to get stuck by a pin.