Size picker and checker
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All the sizes in one table
Checked on each linked page in October 2026. Rules change, and local chapters and hospitals often have their own preferences, so read the source again before you cut.
| Program | Size (inches) | Key rules | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Linus | Most about 40 × 60 (“crib size”); as small as 36 × 36 | Children 0 to 18. New, handmade, washable; cotton or cotton/poly fabric; cotton or acrylic batting; new materials free of smoke, mold and mildew | Project Linus FAQ |
| Quilts for Kids | About 38 wide × 44 tall; other sizes accepted | New quilting cotton only; machine quilted with no more than about 4 in unstitched; no ties, hand quilting, fleece or monofilament; no personal label | Quilts for Kids FAQ |
| Quilts of Valor | Minimum 55 × 65, maximum 72 × 90, recommended 60 × 80 | Quality, adult-appropriate 100% cotton; not tied; label must say it is a Quilt of Valor | QOVF basic requirements |
| Binky Patrol | From 3 ft square up to twin size | New and homemade; soft, washable, able to go through a dryer on high heat | Binky Patrol |
| NICU incubator quilt (WakeMed) | 36 × 40 (for NICU mattresses); incubator covers 36 × 36 (Cary); giraffe covers 48 × 53 (Raleigh) | Check with volunteer services | WakeMed donation form, revised Aug. 2024 |
| NICU isolette quilt (Covenant HealthCare, Michigan) | About 34 × 38 | Gray fleece back, cotton top in soft baby colors, no batting; bound or turned; topstitching or scattered ties | Covenant isolette quilts |
| Children's quilts (WakeMed) | Small 36 × 36, medium 36 × 44, large (teens) 40 × 60 | Tied “taggie” blankets are a separate category in the same sizes | WakeMed donation form |
| Wheelchair lap blanket (WakeMed) | 40 × 40 | “To fit on a patient's lap while in a wheelchair” | WakeMed donation form |
| Adult quilts (WakeMed) | Medium 40 × 45, large 45 × 65 | WakeMed donation form | |
| Hospice quilt (UHD Hospice) | 65 × 40 | “A bit larger than a typical lap robe but not intended to be a bed covering.” Any design; label optional, on a back corner | UHD Hospice guidelines, June 2025 |
Why the numbers on the web disagree
Search for "NICU quilt size" and you'll find 18 × 24, 30 × 30, 36 × 36 and more, often with no source. That's because there is no national standard for hospital quilts. Each unit decides based on its own beds and incubators, and what one NICU uses to cover an isolette, another uses as a mattress quilt. The two hospital lists above differ by a few inches and in construction (Covenant wants no batting and a fleece back). The same goes for nursing homes and hospices. National programs are different: Project Linus, Quilts for Kids and Quilts of Valor publish one set of rules, though Project Linus says its chapters may have their own preferences.
So the table is a starting point. If your quilt is for a specific hospital or care home, call its volunteer services office before you sew and ask for the size, whether fleece, flannel or ties are allowed, whether it must be prewashed, and whether they accept handmade items at all.
Picking a pattern for the size
- For Quilts of Valor, the patriotic star throw and rail fence quilt both finish at 58 × 70, inside the range. The log cabin quilt is 60 × 72. The American flag quilt is 76 × 52, which is too short in one direction for the 55-inch minimum; it would need a wider border.
- For Quilts for Kids, the pinwheel baby quilt is 38 × 46, two inches longer than the kit size. Quilts for Kids doesn't take rag quilts or T-shirt quilts.
- The easy baby quilt (36 × 48) meets the 36-inch minimum for Project Linus and Binky Patrol.
- For wheelchairs and hospice, the lap quilt pattern has 40 × 40, 40 × 45 and 40 × 65 versions that match the WakeMed and UHD Hospice sizes.
- For any other size, enter it in the how many blocks calculator with your block size, and adjust the border to land on it.
Rules that apply almost everywhere
Most turned-away donation quilts fail on the same few points, whatever the program:
- Smoke, pet hair or strong scent. Project Linus asks for materials free of smoke; Quilts for Kids lists odors among the issues that can keep a quilt from being used.
- Loose bits. No buttons, beads or anything a child could pull off. Look over every quilt for pins and needles before it goes.
- Sparse or weak quilting. Hospital laundries are hard on quilts. Quilts for Kids asks for no more than about 4 inches unstitched and machine quilting only.
- Labels. Quilts of Valor requires one; Quilts for Kids asks you not to add your own; UHD Hospice makes it optional. Read before you sew one on. The label guide covers making one.
Where to send them
Each program's own page lists chapters or a mailing address; our guide to where to donate quilts has the details and the questions to ask a local hospital. The Quilts of Valor guide covers the label wording and presentation. WTCQuilt.com isn't affiliated with any of these programs.
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