Weighted vests can be highly beneficial to some children with autism, ADHD and other sensory processing disorders by providing a comfortable calming effect.
Create your pattern template by placing your child’s folded T-shirt on top of a folded pattern paper or extra piece of fabric. Line the longest straight edge up with the fold. Trace and cut all but the folded edge. Using a T-shirt that fits a little loose will work best.
Lay the yard of fabric for the inside of the vest on a table with right side facing up and salvages to the left and right. Place the yard of fabric for the outside of the vest on top with the wrong side facing up and fold all of the salvage edges from each side of the fabrics into the center.
Lay the template on top of the fabric aligned at the bottom. Trace and cut only the top section of vest template, leaving the sides alone. Set aside.
Separate the two left over pieces of fabric and fold each in half, with salvages together. Cut one 7” strip out of one piece of fabric for the weighted pockets and one 1” strip out of the other piece of fabric for the ties.
For ties: Take the 1” strip of fabric and cut into 4 equal size strips. With wrong side facing up fold both top and bottom edges into center and iron. Fold in again, iron and pin. Stitch down the center. Repeat with other three strips. Set aside.
For pockets: Take the 7” wide piece of fabric with wrong side facing up and fold over top edge ¼ inch and iron. Fold top over ¼” again. Iron, pin and sew.
Place 7” strip on top of inside vest fabric with right sides facing up making sure the raw edge is lined up with the bottom of the vest fabric and the hemmed side is up. Pin in place. Sew across the strip top to bottom every 6 inches to create the pocket sides. Pin two ties to each side of vest. Set aside.
Lay the batting on the table and place the outside vest fabric right side up on batting. Carefully cut the batting using the vest fabric as your template. Place the inside of vest right side facing down over the fabric and batting. Make sure you tuck in the ties. Pin in place.
Sew along edges using ¼” seam allowance EXCEPT: Leave tops of all shoulders open and leave a 4” opening on bottom.
Mark around all curved areas in one inch intervals and clip making sure not to clip edges.
Turn vest right side out through bottom opening. Fold over edges of bottom opening and sew closed.
Fold vest inside out and pin at shoulders. Sew using ¼” seam allowance. Turn right side out.
To make the pocket weights:
1) Cut leftover material into 9” x 6” pieces.
2) Fold pieces in half. Pin and sew around three sides using ¼” seam allowance.
3) Fill with ¾ cup of Poly-Pellets®. Fold in edges of open end and sew closed.
Note: ¾ cup of Poly-Pellets® equals ¼ lb.
