Small Angel Babies, Small Town Support: Unique Items

HEALING JOURNEY JOURNAL

A few people suggested writing in a journal to deal with grief, but I didn't think I needed to... I decided to make some journals for the boxes (since when we first started this project I didn't know how to sew, and this was something I could do by myself, without sending cutouts to others to sew!), and eventually was convinced to write on my own. When I finally tried it out, I found that it was healing to use an actual pen on paper instead of just typing words on a blog, so here is our Grief (later Healing) Journey Journal:

Here's a PDF file if you want to print out your own. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6luM46oAMznVHh5b1ptWUNvRms/view?usp=sharing

Laminated covers for durability, with dried flowers or leaves.

Envelopes, for a letter to the baby, and keepsakes such as a lock of hair (if the baby had hair) and cards from loved ones.

Topics from Carly Marie's "Capture Your Grief" project for the month of October- pregnancy & infant loss awareness month. I thought the topics would work well for journaling as well. http://carlymarieprojectheal.com/2013/09/capture-your-grief-october-2013.html

Scrapbook pages and lined paper for photos/drawing/pasting/writing about the topics, or whatever the parents want to write about.

And, a few poems and thoughts. I've put these photos here in case others want to make homemade journals. They are a bit time consuming, but they are nice for parents to use along the journey through grief to healing.

ANGEL POCKETS

These are for babies too small or fragile for clothes, and I think they're my favorite thing to make. They are pretty simple, and don't require any special seam lengths or trimming of edges. **Please note, patterns that are too big and happy might be difficult for parents to use, it's been suggested to use small patterns like flowers and lighter fabric colors.

Here is a Picture Tutorial: It's the first I've done, so please let me know if it is clear enough.

The PDF pattern: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B31aG0t7rCo-ZXBSQ3VHNzJRTVE/edit?usp=sharing
1. It is 10" in length, an inch less than an 8x11" paper. Just make sure the middle is 6" and you should be fine. Print and cut it out on cardstock, or a piece of paper then trace it onto cereal box cardboard.

2. Put two pieces of flannel together, and fold them about the same width as the pattern. Place the pattern on the fold of the flannel and trace with a pen, then cut it out. It might be easier if you have the right (pattern) sides together at this stage, but it's not a requirement.

3. Put right sides together (patterned sides facing the other), and sew, starting from the bottom corner around to the other corner. A 1/4" seam works well here.**

**DO NOT SEW THE BOTTOM PART YET!! It should be completely open.

4. Turn the pocket inside out, and sew around again (this time you can do a 1/8" seam so it's close to the edge), leaving the bottom open still.

Topstitch

5. Now decide which side you want to be the inside of the pocket. (You'll be flipping it over, so it might help to think that it will be opposite to what you're folding). Fold the pocket in thirds, using the top "corners" as a guide, remembering that the inside flannel at this stage will be on the outside.