Sunday, December 15, 2013

Adelaide's Angel Wrap



In memory of our angel Adelaide.  To download a pattern for this wrap click HERE
(this pattern and any items made using it are to be used for bereavement support purposes only and are not to be sold)

After learning that our sweet Adelaide's heart had stopped beating (at 20 weeks gestation), I began searching for SOMETHING for her to wear when she was born.  In my search I found a lot of different options for burial envelopes or buntings.  I ended up pulling components from a angel baby crafters Jen and Shirley to make my own wrap for my angel.  Shirley's beautiful Annie Blanket has the sweetest hood.  She shares her tutorial for the Annie Blanket HERE.  I extended the edges of her pattern to enable the exterior of Adelaide's wrap to overlap.  I knew our angel's body would be very fragile and I needed her to have more coverage and support.  I loved the way that Jen's tri-fold bunting (posted HERE) provided a blanket that would fold up and over our angel, so I added that feature to my wrap.  Jen gave me the idea of including a support pillow and offered suggestions to help me make one.  I am so grateful for these women and their willingness to share their talents to bless the lives of others.  Thank you Shirley and Jen!

Making Adelaide's Wrap:  


Materials:

  • Flannel Fabric (1/2 yard) 
  • 1/8" ribbon (4 feet)
  • coordinating thread
Fold fabric and place Adelaide's Angel Wrap pattern on fabric with the top of the pattern on the fold of fabric.

Trace pattern and cut out (2).  I used a white flannel for the inside and a pattern for the outside.  




Cut out the material for the blanket and support pillow.

Trace pattern for the exterior of the support pillow on fabric and cut out 2.

Place pattern of inner "blanket" on fold of fabric (this creates a super soft edge for the portion of the blanket that will be closest to the baby), trace and cut out.  Then make sure the fabric is folded with right sides together.




Place ribbons (2 pieces, 5 inches in length) inside the blanket and pin into into place about 3/4 inch down from the folded edge of the blanket on each side (as marked on pattern).

Sew down both sides of the inner blanket using 1/4 inch seam.  Leave bottom open.






Trim seams (to 1/8 inch) but DO NOT trim ribbon.  Turn inner blanket inside out, make sure corners are out and press.


Fold exterior pieces of Adelaide's angel wrap so that right sides are together, and pin along edge as shown:


Sew with 1/4 inch seam down pinned edge.  

Trim the seam of both pieces and press seams open.

  
Place inner blanket in between the two exterior wrap pieces, centered over the seam
(tuck the ribbon behind the inner blanket piece to keep it out of the way).


Place pressed pieces with right sides together (with inner blanket in place as seen in the picture above).


Pin ribbon (2 pieces 6 inches in length) in place on right edge of wrap
(ribbon should be pinned about 3/4 to 1 inch from bottom and top, see markings on pattern)







Pin around outer edges of wrap, including hood section.  












Use pins to mark a 2" or larger space that you will leave open for turning the wrap right side out. 












Sew around edges of wrap (making sure to leave an opening to flip the wrap right side out).  
Trim corners and seams.  DO NOT trim the ribbon and DO NOT trim the open section. 


Turn right side out.


Make sure corners are fully turned out, fold fabric of opening in, then press
(I also fold the inner blanket up and press it).


Now you are ready for top-stitching.  Sew 1/8 inch all the way around the wrap (with the inner blanket folded upward as pictured above). This step will close the opening and give the wrap a nice finishing touch.

Next you will need to hand stitch the ribbons in place on the inside of the wrap to allow you to tie the inner blanket in place.  Ribbon should be 5 inches in length (use the same color ribbon you sewed into the seams of the inner blanket).  I measured 4 inches from the top-stitching, folded my blanket over to make sure the placement was correct, and hand stitched the ribbon in place.
(TIP: fold the end of the ribbon over a couple times before stitching to make it more secure)


Then you will need to do the same for the ribbons on the exterior of the wrap
to enable you to tie the wrap closed around the angel baby.

Fold the wrap closed to be able to see the best placement for the ribbons on the other wing of the wrap.  I found that, for me, it was 3 and 3/4 inches from the edge of the wrap (as pictured below).  My ribbons matched up with the ribbons already sewn into place at about 3/4 inch from the bottom for the lower ribbon and then 4 and 3/4 inches from the bottom of the wrap for the upper ribbon.  Again fold the edges of the ribbons over a couple of times before stitching them in place.


Now the exterior of the wrap is finished and all you need to do is sew the support pillow.  Cut your fill material (choose something absorbent - old towels, cloth diapers, and flannel all work well).
  You want the fill material to be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  I used 8 layers of flannel.


.

Sew your fill material together
to keep the layers in place.

I just stitched all the layers together with my machine about an inch from the edge.

Sew exterior ("pillow case") of support pillow using 1/4 inch seam.  Leave bottom open (the straight edge).

Trim seams, turn right side out and place filling inside.

Fold bottom edge in and stitch closed (I used my machine and just stitched it closed about 1/8 inch from the edge).


Place pillow in wrap and tie inner blanket in place.




Adelaide's Angel Wrap
with Support Pillow

I made Adelaide's wrap for our daughter who's heart stopped beating at 20 weeks gestation.  I carried her for 20 additional weeks following her death.  It was perfect for her tiny body.  It is 8 inches from the bottom of the wrap to the tip of the hood.  It would probably be a good fit for babies from 14 to 17 weeks, and / or for twin babies who are carried for several weeks after their death.

Janet has created a similar wrap and made her pattern available in various (larger) sizes.
Find her Caring Hands Cocoon based on Adelaide's Angel Wrap here: http://7pinedesign.com/charity-sewing-for-the-angel-babies/

To learn how to make one of the sweet hats pictured (with the blue wrap) go to this No-Sew Stockinette Hat Tutorial.

And here is an organization that makes truly beautiful tiny flannel diapers for angels from 18 to 30+ weeks:  Teeny Tears Bereavement Diapers

If you feel comfortable sharing please comment below if you make Adelaide's wrap for your own angel or to donate to a hospital or bereavement organization.

Pattern, or items made using this pattern, are not to be sold.  They are to be used / made solely for the purpose of bereavement support.  If you wish to share this pattern, please share the link to this tutorial.  Thank you!




32 comments:

  1. Keira, thank you for sharing Adelaide's beautiful wrap! I think it's wonderful!

    Love to you and your angel <3

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  2. Beautiful!
    Love to you and your baby girls,
    Jen

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  3. I make Wee Care Gowns for a couple of hospitals but there is a need for something smaller and more suitable for a tiny fragile angel. Thank you for the time and effort you took to create this tutorial.
    Deb

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for your comment Deb! Thank you for the work you do for angel babies! I know it means so much to the families who receive your gifts of love! <3

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  4. Hello Keira,
    I am sewing in a group for premies and baby angels in Germany. Could you please context me by email? That would be very nice!
    Blockhase@gmail.com
    Thank you very much
    Susanne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reaching out to me Susanne! I would love to see pictures of what you make if you are willing to share!
      Keira

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  5. Hi Keira, thank you for sharing your angels bunting pattern, I sew for angels, and have made several, would you mind if I make it bigger
    to fit a eight or nine inch angel.
    Thank You
    Ruby Dressed for Heaven Angel Gowns
    A


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ruby, I apologize for not responding earlier to your request (blogger didn't email me letting me know there was a new comment). I fully support you making it bigger to fit larger angel babies. If you would be willing to share your work I think it could benefit a lot of people!

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  6. Thank you for sharing!! I crochet angel burial wraps for a chapter of Newborns in Need, where I volunteer. I'm trying your pattern because it is so sweet. It will be nice to give the area hospitals a choice for their grieving moms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing the work you are doing with Newborns in Need! I love hearing about the good that people are doing all over the world to meet this need! Thank you for what you are doing for angel families!

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  7. Wish I could share a picture of how beautiful your design is when made from a donated wedding dress! Simply stunning and makes me so proud to be able to perform this service for a wonderful local charity, Rachel's Gift. Inc. Thank you for permitting us to serve families in need of these sweet garments. God Bless!

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    Replies
    1. Rebecca, I would LOVE to see pictures!!! If you will email a picture to me at craftingwithpurpose@gmail.com I would be happy to add it to the blog. Thank you for your comment. It does my heart good to hear about people making Adelaide's wraps! Thank you for what you are doing for angel families!

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  8. Hi Keira, May I link your post with the Adelaide's Angel Wrap on my sewing blog? I am planning to make these for a hospital in Rochester NY through the group Caring Hands for Angels. My blog is 7pinedesign.com
    Many thanks, best regards, Janet Vandermeulen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Janet,
      Sorry for my delay in responding. I would be honored to have you post a link to this tutorial on your sewing blog. I love that you are sharing these with the hospital in Rochester. Thank you for the work you do for angels!
      Keira

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    2. Janet, I just saw your work on your blog (sorry it took so long for me to respond - I didn't receive a notification of your comment). Beautiful work. Thank you for making patterns available for larger wraps, I've posted a link to your blog for other seamstresses interested in making various sizes of wraps for angels. Your cocoon made from a wedding gown is lovely!
      Keira

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  9. HI Kiera, I am sewing these for a hospital in Lancaster County, PA. I was wondering if you have the pattern in other sizes to share?
    Thank-you very much.
    Jen

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jen,
      I don't have the pattern in other sizes but you can adjust your printer settings and print the pattern at different percentages to enlarge it, or make your own adjustments.
      Keira

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    2. Janet modified the pattern and made patterns available for different sized wraps on her blog here: http://7pinedesign.com/charity-sewing-for-the-angel-babies/

      Delete
  10. hi Kiera was trying to get no sew pattern for hat but it won't let me in it says for bloggers only by invite only can you help thanks Lynette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lynette,
      Thank you for letting me know. Angel Outfitters retired as an organization. You can find a tutorial for those sweet hats at Teeny Tears Bereavement Diapers: http://teenytears.blogspot.com/2015/10/stockinette-hats.html
      I'll edit the post with the new link. Thank you again for bringing it to my attention!
      Keira

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  11. Hi Keira,
    The Pregnancy Loss Midwife at a nearby hospital (In UK!) found your pattern and Ive now made over 50 of these for her. Ive adapted the pattern slightly as my machine kept sticking on the topstitching at the corners so I have rounded them off (using a coin!) and this works much better. Im on a Facebook page of women making things for charity -a lot of stuff goes to preemie unit -and several have access the link to your page too
    So you have made a difference to people thousands of miles away -what a legacy for your daughter!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for sharing that with me! Blogger doesn't notify me of new comments and I don't check it frequently, but your message brought me a lot of joy today during a difficult month (the anniversary of our angel's death). Thank you for the work you are doing and for sharing it with me! <3

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  12. I have made several of these for a local L&D unit in Columbus, Ohio. The Chaplin(s) absolutely LOVE them! One Chaplin did ask these to be in gender neutral colors; she said the angels this fits often are too small to know boy or girl. Thank you so much for sharing the pattern!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing with me the work you are doing! <3

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  13. Hi Keira
    I have just had another friend called Keira who lost her baby at 30 weeks, a beautiful little girl who we were very honoured to have spent 10hrs with before saying our goodbyes. I made her a beautiful gown, from my daughters wedding dress, beanie, nappy, booties and blanket from a thermal stretch blanket i purchased specially for this purpose. She looked beautiful. Now i want to make them for others and was hoping to use your pattern for angels to small to dress.......
    The little angel baby was also a twin and her name also started with an A... A for angel......

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    Replies
    1. I'm so sorry for your friend's loss. Thank you for sharing a bit of your heart for her with me. I love the work you are doing for others and appreciate you sharing it with me <3

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  14. I browsed high and low and your pattern/tutorial is by far the best out there!!! I am making some for our hospital as we live in a bit more of a remote location and things like these are hard to find. They are simple to make and look beautiful thank You!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I'm so glad that you are finding them useful and that you are sharing them with others in need!

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  15. I'm extremely pleased to find your pattern. THANK YOU for Sharing. I wanted to make something SPECIAL for my little grandson who we know will not survive. Your pattern reminds me of a little cocoon which I find peaceful and comforting. This will hold him while mom & dad have time to say their goodbyes. I'm also making a beautiful formal tiny baby blanket from remnants of her wedding dress.

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    1. I am so sorry for the loss you are experiencing and the pain that accompanies it. Thank you for sharing a bit of your journey with me. It brings comfort to my mama heart to know our angel is blessing others. Sending so much love to you and your children as you grieve <3

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