Project by Sarah Holliman- SJ Stitches
A gorgeous interactive Play Mat project
Finished size approx. 34x38 inches
You Will Need:
One Fat quarter Pack Fisher Price fabrics
Scrap fabric pieces for making sensory quilt accessories
1m fabric for quilt backing
0.5m fabric for quilt binding and quilt accessories
Quilt batting of your choice (I used Bosal Acadia Autumn 80/20)
Bosal In R Form
Toy Stuffing
Selection of sensory accessories for the playmat, ie; mirrors, squeakers, teethers, wooden rings and ribbons
Rotary cutter and Ruler
Pencil/Scissors/Quilting Safety Pins/Thread/Needle
Method:
There is no right or wrong way of making this play mat, it is a very personal project and easily adapted for your child’s needs and interests.
You will need to collect a variety of sensory objects, ie; mirrors, squeakers, rings, crinkle fabric and ribbons. There are many different suppliers available.
You will also need to decide on a theme for your play mat. I chose the Planet/ Environment but really it is up to your imagination. You can find lots of free downloadable templates on the internet – these are great starting points for your design.
I have shown some of my templates below;
For my theme I chose to make the following;
A Planet
Fish
Flower and Butterflies
Birds
Rainbow and Sunshine
Moon and Stars
Firstly you will need to make your play mat base. I made the top quilt first and then sewed on all the attachments. This will give you a better idea of where to place the attachments and give you an idea of the size of the attachments you need to make. I then added batting and backing fabric to form the quilt mat. This is in the same format as a basic quilt.
1. To make your top quilt, take a rotary cutter and ruler and cut a total of 16 panels, measuring 9 x 11 inches each. I cut four panels from each of the four designs.
2. Decide on the pattern layout for your quilt mat – lay out all the blocks as they are going to be placed. I take a photo at this point so I could be sure the blocks are sewn in the correct order.
3. Using ¼ inch seam allowance sew all your blocks together to form your quilt top.
4. Press with an iron.
Your quilt top is now finished.
5. Start to make your attachments. There is no right or wrong way to do this, it is simply up to your imagination. You may find some pieces work better than others but as you work through, you will find your play mat begins to take shape and develops its own character.
I have shown some photos below of the attachments I made. For some pieces I have used Bosal to give the shape structure whilst on others I have simply used batting.
6. When you feel you have enough accessories, try placing them on the quilt top – I use quilting safety pins to hold them in place. It is also a good idea to take a photo to see how the quilt works together.
Keep working in this way until you are satisfied your play mat top is complete.
7. When you are happy, start to stitch your accessories into place. Some will need fully stitching onto the quilt top whilst others may be better hanging from a loop or ring.
When you are happy with your play mat top, you will need to quilt the rest of the play mat.
8. Decide on your quilt batting.
I used a Bosal Acadia Autumn 80/20.
9. Smooth your quilt backing over the batting, taking time to ensure the layers are completely flat and baste or pin into place.
10. Take the completed play mat top, place it right side facing up and smooth over the other two layers. Pin and secure into place.
You should now have your 3 layers of quilt.
11. Quilt in place as you prefer. I decided to keep mine in simple blocks as the quilt is quilt difficult to manoeuvre at this stage.
12. When you have completed quilting your quilt, trim the quilt and remove an excess batting or backing fabric.
13. Decide on the bias binding you want for your mat.
14. Cut length long strips of 2.25 inch wide fabric. Sew strips together and press with an iron and fold to make a bias binding
15. Sew one fold of the bias binding to the front edges of the quilt, mitring the corners as you go.
16. Fold the bias binding over the back of the playmat and slip stitch into place.
Your play mat is now complete and ready to enjoy
Why not try making my matching sensory Quiet Book to add to your collection
To see more from Sarah follow her on Instagram @sjstitchery
Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Co 2022