Odd the Things You Discover Online.........

[Hound dog]

I have 2 baby dolls to make clothes for.......well crochet or knit clothes for, I'm not dragging out my sewing machine until at least after xmas. Any sewn clothing the girls will have to get for bdays as it is a major PITA to do. lol

Kayla's doll is 0-3 month size so hers is easy. Aubrey has the bitty baby from american girls. Nichole has the original bitty baby (1st edition) mother in law bought it for her when she was about aubrey's age. Well she was so disappointed that there was only the one doll and honestly it looked nothing like dark complected dark haired nichole. So when they came out with following additions of bitty baby she bought Nichole another one that looks more like her. Only problem was that Nichole was firmly attached (the doll went everywhere with her) to her original and the 2nd bitty baby never got played with. So now that aubrey is almost 5 she has given that 2nd edition doll to her and aubrey is over the moon. lol (soooo like her mommy)

Nichole has all of the original items for bitty baby. But since they're all 1st editions and most aren't even made anymore......she doesn't want to give them to aubrey at this age. So aubrey has nothing but 2 doll outfits I'd made for nichole's bitty baby years ago to change her baby into. And since I'd already planned to make kayla an outfit or two for her doll, I figured aubrey would love that too.

Problem.........the doll is only 15 inches and most doll patterns look nothing like baby clothes. In truth most are hideous at best. So someone tipped me off to look for premie baby patterns as they're usually the same size.

So I start searching. And thanks to the world wide web.......I have quite a few things I can make.

But I discovered something else. Hospitals have huge demands for premie clothes, hats, blankets, booties, and burial gowns, and blankets. When my kids got big enough that mom crocheting or knitting them things was embarrassing.........I stopped because I had no one to make them for so it seemed a waste. Then there was the 4 yrs of school that I simply didn't have time for such things even when I wanted to do them. Now suddenly the grands all want something made by Nana. lol And I plan to take advantage of it because I know from experience it doesn't usually last long........although styles are leaning toward homemade stuff.

I thought wow. I'd always wanted to do the premie clothing but I never knew who to contact to donate to the hospitals, and lord knows I didn't have patterns small enough to do little knit or crocheted outfits. So now I've found both and I've decided it's pretty darn cool. Also seems to be a huge demand for the clothing for the premies going home as the very small babies the store premie clothes are still too big and not warm enough, so could even make some cash on the side while enjoying something I love to do.

Made me think of Nichole's bff N and the premie she lost. The hospital donated the outfit for him to be buried in because he was much too small for anything they had and the kids didn't have the money to go buy something nice for him. It was such a nice thing for the parents who were already going through the toughest moment of their young lives, I know how much that donation was appreciated.

Amazing where some online searches can lead you.

 

[HaoZi]

I recall some parents of preemies buying the Cabbage Patch Dolls outfits for their kids (both regular and preemie doll, depending on size). Might be another search string you can put in for patterns.

 

[Mamaof5]

If it weren't for the people who sewed and crocheted preemie hats, blankets and clothing my two preemies (particularly my micro preemie born 3 months early) wouldn't have had warmth and something to wear. I still have those clothes and baby blankets and hats. Even footies (booties) matching the hats.

It was a gift received in big gratitude. I had no words for my gratitude to the ladies who ran the program for the NICU and preemie babies. It's a special gift to do something like that for a preemie family. I'm twice over a NICU mom and it always warms my heart to see people passing the torch for the booties for babies programs.

 

[Mamaof5]

That is my micro preemie (first born) at the age of almost 6 months old uncorrected age!!! (he's how turning 10 this Sunday)

Here's my other preemie at 2 months old (now turning 4 in March):

What he's wearing there is a preemie outfit.

 

[skeeter]

My mom knits and I crochet prayer shawls for the cancer patients at our local hospital. My mom also knits hats for babies and premies (I'm not good with doing round crochet). The hospital provides the yarn, we just have to provide the labor.

 

[Shari]

that's awesome.

 

[mom_to_3]

I did this several years ago. I can't begin to count the blankets, eye covers, incubater covers, positioning aides, gowns, and burial clothing / hats that I made and donated to our hospitals. The nurses were very happy to receive these items and I felt great joy creating and donating.

If you contact the child life specialist at the nicu, they can tell you what they need, supply patterns, and put you in contact with other volunteers doing this. There are also yahoo groups dedicated to this cause.