Weighted blanket

When you sew, sometimes people approach you out of the blue with a

"Hey, can you make me a ________" kind of request. 

And honestly, often they overestimate my skills, which is very easy to do!

But sometimes!  Sometimes it's something I can do.  Or figure out.

I love those times.

A friend asked me last week if I could make a weighted blanket for her son.

He has an autism spectrum disorder and (I have now learned) that weighted blankets can be helpful for children and adults that deal with sensory integration disorders or autism spectrum disorders.

Slightly more information here  and also here

I asked LOTS of questions.

I read a lot.

I learned some things I never knew!

 I researched suppliers of polystyrene pellets.

And I agreed to give it my best try.

Here's the result.

I'm pleased with it.

It's large enough to cover the top of a twin sized bed.

And it's made out of very awesome alien monster fleece.

And it houses 6 pounds of polystyrene pellets, carefully distributed across the blanket.

See, here they are. Rather fascinating, eh?

It was a fun project, and I am hoping to make more to sell.

Just one more note....

if you are considering making one, feel free to contact me for pointers.  

I learned a lot in making the first one, and I'd be glad to share.  

I'm not planning to write a tutorial on it, but I'd be happy to help you if I can.