Specialty Dolls – Medical Learning Dolls
Medical Learning Dolls also known as surgical dolls are sent to Children Hospitals.  Doctors and nurses used them to help explain to children what to expect during and after their surgery.  My last batch of dolls were sent to John Hopkin’s Children Center in Baltimore, MD.

Specialty Dolls – Snoedel Dolls
I make Snoedels for a hospital in North Carolina.  What are Snoedels?  Here’s the explanation from www.snoedel.com. 

The very first Snoedel was created by a Dutch woman inspired by the birth of a friend’s premature infant. The Dutch word “snoedel” means “snuggle”. The body is 100% cotton flannel, the head is stuffed with pure clean and carded sheeps wool; Snoedels can be safely machine washed and dried. After being washed, a Snoedel should be re-infused with the parents’ scent.

Snoedels bring comfort as “Aromatherapy of the very best kind – the scent of a mom”. They are designed specifically to absorb and retain a mother’s (or father’s) scent. Then when held or placed near a newborn or infant the scent is slowly released to comfort the baby, thus improving sleep, aiding in bonding, and soothing a baby’s crying or distress. A parent (preferably the mother) should sleep with the soft Snoedel for a couple of nights prior to giving the Snoedel to the baby. Snoedels can be “infused” this way before the baby is born, especially if a premature birth is anticipated, so that the baby can be given the Snoedel soon after birth when taken from mom and placed in an incubator.

 

 

Tiny Baby Shoes/Slippers –
I ran across the Bitty Booties design by Heather Baily.  The pattern is found on http://www.heatherbaileydesign.com/BittyBooties.pdf.  I took the pattern and reduce it to fit preemie and micro-preemie babies.

My first knitted bootie

 

My first try at crocheting a bootie

 

 

 

Christening Bibs –
I found this pattern through Bev’s Country Cottage at  http://web.archive.org/web/20071214095957/http://www.geocities.com/bbcrafty_17/preemiebib.html and really wished I had one of these made for my nephews.  They were baptized in the hospital but they did not have anything special to wear for the occasion.  I donated all my bibs to Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, MD so that the babies at least have a baptismal bib.

 

Angel ornament –
One thing I add in my memory boxes was an angel ornament.  I can across the pattern by Beth Parsons found at http://www.angelfire.com/va3/heartfeltangels/AngelOrnament.html.  The ornament is quick to make.  I would make several of them while I am watching TV in the evening. The beaded angels I found a basic pattern online.

Baby Hats Galore –
My grandmother (Por Por) taught me how to knit and crochet when I was young.  As I got older I taught myself how to read patterns and started to make hats and more hats.  Here are some of my hat donations from last year.  Some of the hats are sewn while others are crocheted. The patterns I used are all found at Bev’s CountryCottage.

 

 

 

Memorial Bracelets for Mommy & Me –

When I was working with converting wedding gowns into burial gowns, I had a pile of beads.  I was wondering what could I make with them and low and behold I saw that other volunteers turned their pile into memory bracelets.  The bracelets I made were just basic strung on a stretchy bracelet wire and tied to a charm. 

 

 

Wedding Gowns to Burial Gowns –

In December 2011, I worked through Heavenly Angels In Need Wedding Gown program.  This is where a bride would donate her wedding gown and volunteers would take the gown and convert it into burial gowns.  Depending on the size of the gown will determine how many dresses are created.  Here are some photos of a few of the gowns I made using material from wedding gowns.

 

   

Burial Gowns for the NICU Angels –

Here are some burial gowns I’ve made and donated various hospitals throughout the U.S. These gowns are for babies in the 1 pound to 3 pounds weight range.