Can you guess what purpose these 7″ x 8″ panels are for? These are almost the perfect mug rug, but a newborn doesn’t need that! Too small for a blanket or a diaper…
Sam, when I see you today, I’m bringing these along for you to have for Skittle!
This is my fabric version of a newborn’s first book, and the high-contrast baby look-at toy I promised Sam. I think of them as little art quilts, even though 7 of the 8 sides of these particular ones are a simple piece of fabric. (The ties above are temporary, just for storing them until they get put into use!)
These particular panels serve a very specific purpose: they will help develop eyes and brainpower in the first 0-4 months.
Newborns don’t really see color yet, but their attention is attracted by contrast. Their brains develop through any and all sensory input. By providing some interesting high-contrast patterns for their eyes to land on, it feeds that tiny growing brain.
The more you can feed that brain during the first 3 years of life, the more potential a child has for learning later.
Off my little child-development soapbox now, and onto the fun!
I will be making more as the months roll by, probably much more complex and lots of fun to create!
These panels are small enough for an older baby to hold and wave around, but large enough to be safe and manageable.
There are buttonholes along one edge spaced just the right distance for a Discovery Toys Boomering Link to fit, for attaching to a crib slat or a stroller bar. The buttonholes are large enough that little fingers can’t get stuck, and a strap with Velcro or a tie (either to be made upon request) to fit through for attaching to other items.
Tip: Velcro comes in “Soft & Flexible” which is really nice for babies and pets.
Safety Tip: any strap, ribbon, string, etc for young children should be no longer than 12″.
One face of each panel is a black and white fabric, including a wonky checkerboard I put together. Not my finest moments of follwing a plan there — notice the checkerboard is made of rectangles instead of squares. But it still serves the purpose! Photo shows the panels ready to have their opening (used for turning right side out) stitched closed.
The reverse of each panel is a high-contrast print featuring reds — the first color that babies start seeing — and yellows. Strong pinks count as reds :)
After stitching these panels closed, I topstitched around the edges and put in the buttonholes shown above, 1 1/6″ eyelet style, so there is room for the plastic chain links mentioned above.
If you are interested in making the checkerboard panel, a visual tutorial will be my post tomorrow — come on back!
You might notice in the picture with my selected fabrics (photo near top) I already have another panel under way — hot pink and bold yellow triangles on one side, and a lime/teal on white print for the other side. After all, babies do start seeing all the colors eventually!
They’re all machine washable :) and custom made with an extra measure grandma love.
Hmm. Still getting used to that whole grandma label ;) but totally ready to cuddle a grandbaby!
Gail, still stitching for Skittle…
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