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What fabric & design to cushion forearms? (Moderated by Deepika, Sharon1952)
Posted on: 10/8/06 10:04 AM ET
My elderly dad, tho' still spry, bruises easily now as do many older folks. He asked me to make him some sort of protective cushioning for his forearms that he can wear with his long sleeved shirt. I was thinking of polartec with elastic at the elbow and wrist but that would probably be too warm. Any ideas about a fabric that would cushion but not have too much bulk? I'm also wondering if elastic might be a problem because of his delicate skin. Perhaps velcro would be better and adjustable. Your suggestions would be very helpful.
Thanks....Mina
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Thanks....Mina
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Mina
Posted on: 10/8/06 11:43 AM ET
In reply to mClones
Mina,
My DM has the same problem. It's the LITTLE nicks and such that they get that causes them problems.
How about a quilted shirt-those insulated shirts for guys for hunting? Or just the sleeves? You could probably buy an old shirt at Goodwill and cut the sleeves off and do like you said with velcro.
Your DDad doesn't need alot of protection. But something a little thicker than his own shirts.
HTH,
Donna
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My DM has the same problem. It's the LITTLE nicks and such that they get that causes them problems.
How about a quilted shirt-those insulated shirts for guys for hunting? Or just the sleeves? You could probably buy an old shirt at Goodwill and cut the sleeves off and do like you said with velcro.
Your DDad doesn't need alot of protection. But something a little thicker than his own shirts.
HTH,
Donna
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Posted on: 10/8/06 11:56 AM ET
It seems to me that padding doesn't necessarily protect from bruising. I would think that something that protects from the blow itself might be helpful. More like kevlar, you know? Kevlar plus a thin layer of padding, with velcro straps. Also you might analyse where the injury occurs most often and make the protective pads for that particular spot, floating the pad in a mesh band. I am referring mentally to those carpal tunnel syndrome wrist guards that strap on and have hardened support in certain areas. Stretch mesh band, plus padded kevlar pads, with stretch lycra binding around the outside edge with nylon back pack style straps tipped with velcro. I will look for a photo of the "watchband " straps that I made for a kilt skirt for DD as a reference for the straps.
I can see it being all black, washable, very cool!
-- Edited on 10/8/06 4:40 PM --
I can see it being all black, washable, very cool!
-- Edited on 10/8/06 4:40 PM --
Posted on: 10/8/06 12:13 PM ET
I hope you can see some detail here. I found narrow soft nylon webbing straps. I used the webbing to fix one side of the square hardware to the fabric. For the other longer strap I put Velcro at the end and covered it with a tab of leather to keep it from being pokey and rough feeling. That tab loops thru the hardware and fastens to the other half of the Velcro on the front of the band, giving some ability to loosen or tighten. I found this detail on a watchstrap sold at a five and dime type store - you could check it out if you are interested in the concept.
-- Edited on 10/8/06 4:41 PM --
Posted on: 10/8/06 4:48 PM ET
Interesting suggestion, Georgene. I wonder how comfortable it would be? Those wrist supports are a bit of a bother, but that is at least partially because they prevent you from bending your wrist.
Mina, does your DF wear undershirts with his long-sleve shirts? Many older gents do. If so, a thin undershirt with thicker sleeves or just forearms, would probably be unobtrusive. Make the sleeves just a litle short so that they don't show when he moves around.
Or perhaps (again, if he wears undershirts) you could make a little "sleeve", or casing, lengthwise along the forearm and slip some stiff plastic (or Kevlar?) into it, similar to where Georgene was going.
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Mina, does your DF wear undershirts with his long-sleve shirts? Many older gents do. If so, a thin undershirt with thicker sleeves or just forearms, would probably be unobtrusive. Make the sleeves just a litle short so that they don't show when he moves around.
Or perhaps (again, if he wears undershirts) you could make a little "sleeve", or casing, lengthwise along the forearm and slip some stiff plastic (or Kevlar?) into it, similar to where Georgene was going.
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With a great wardrobe that's still in the flat-fabric stage.
Posted on: 10/8/06 10:03 PM ET
Those are great ideas, which led me to further investigate online. He does wear undershirts, short-sleeved, but I'm sure he'd be ok with long sleeves. As I looked into where to purchase and handle kevlar to make the inserts, I came across a new material being developed specifically to cushion elderly arms and legs from bruising. It's a combo of Merino wool and lycra, but it is not available yet: article on Merino Wool & lycra I think I'll buy some wool and slip it into a casing I add to the sleeve, so it can be removed for washing. Thanks Georgene, Donna and Anne!
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Mina
Posted on: 10/8/06 10:12 PM ET
We copied some available through a catalog featuring clothing for the elderly (can't remember the name--was a surname type of company name...). Theirs were heavy polar fleece 1/2 sleeves (wrist to elbow), with soft ribbing cuffs at top and bottom; soft velcro to open flat. The warmth was not an issue, as Granny was very coldblooded. Just the extra fleece made a big difference for us (think falling off a bike with jeans covering your knees vs. shorts)...
Posted on: 10/9/06 2:05 PM ET
The company is Buck & Buck, and they specialize in clothing for the elderly and handicapped. I ordered the polar fleece arm protectors from their website, and they saved my mother-in-law from many skin tears. I recommend you order a pair to see exactly how their made and then you can duplicate them if you wish.
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No sewing project is ever a complete success nor a total failure.
Posted on: 10/9/06 9:02 PM ET
In reply to nancy2001
Yes!! That's the company...
Posted on: 10/10/06 0:41 AM ET
All this investigation has led me to think about making simple sleeves, wrist to elbow, out of t-shirt material and adding polartec inside. I'll try it out to see if it might be too bulky. Thanks again for all the ideas.
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Mina
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