Baby Play Mat

This was a project that K and I made for a co-workers new granddaughter. We started with a rough idea and took inspiration from several pictures online, but our mat ended coming together through a variety of twists and turns. Once we settled on incorporating flip-up tabs with pictures, we had fun cutting out pieces from both of our fabric stashes.  We decided to make all of the tops of the flaps with an assortment of pink fabrics that complemented each other and then the pictures underneath the flaps included a wide variety of logos, cartoons, writing, etc. The letters for spelling the new baby's name are also mixed in among fish, flowers, food, animals, Cubs fabric, and my favorite--a typewriter--because that might be the only typewriter she sees in her lifetime :)

The ribbon that secures all of the flaps is blue as that was what we had available.  I used my 201 to sew through the multiple layers of fabric, denim, and ribbon---it handled everything with no problems.

Originally, the background for the flaps was going to be a patterned fabric, but a trip to mom's house turned up a fantastic stash of denim that could be repurposed. I ended up cutting and piecing together a background from three pairs of jeans. We really liked the softness of the worn denim and the durability it provided. This mat will be easy to throw in the washing machine whenever that is needed.

Patchwork denim

For the backing we used fabric that had the alphabet and corresponding pictures. I basted the mat at home and then handed it off to K who did all of the quilting at her house.

Lainie helped with the basting

She did a free-hand squiggle and it added such a great texture. The flaps are not quilted, nor is the blue ribbon. K also left the little pocket in the background that I pieced in there.

Look at that fabulous quilting

For the binding, the mat came back to me and I made the binding from scraps of the pink fabrics we used for the flaps. Again, I used my 201 to sew on the binding and then finished it by hand.

Trimmed and reading for binding

Finishing the binding

After a good washing, the blanket was wrapped up and delivered to the baby's grandmother who would share it later.  K and I were so happy with how this project turned out. We made a great team throughout the process. Whether we met and were working on a step together or moved things along at our own houses, we communicated regularly and combined skills and creativity for top-notch results. I could definitely see us working together again.  I hope baby enjoys playing on the mat as much as we enjoyed making it.

Finished back