More Play Mats
I bought two sets of these play mat panels almost a year ago at a shop hop. I made one set for the neighbor kids, and I finally finished the other set for my grandson.
My genius idea when I first made them, was to make two small mats, city on one side and country on the other, instead of making one giant bed-size mat. I thought it would be easier to sew and to launder, and that the kids could enjoy arranging them different ways.
Two play mats showing the city sides. These are by Deborah Edwards for Northcott.
For this set, I had to piece the “country” side out of several green fabrics. As before, I added very simple shapes for ponds and parking lots (or tar pits, if you are playing with dinosaurs). I used interfacing instead of batting, to give the mats a little body so they would lie flat, without being so puffy that toy animals would not be able to stand up. (And also because I have lots of interfacing to use up.)
Two country sides. I was happy to find a use for this grass fabric.
One country and one city side.
I fused down the edges of the curving pieces, but when I went to stitch along the raw edges, one pond piece gave me fits! I had to stop every 10 stitches or so and pull glue lumps off the needle. The only thing I could think of was that I had used Heat and Bond Lite from two different rolls, finishing up an old roll and then starting a new one, and the new one was the troublesome one. In the future, I will try fusing and sewing through a sample piece, before I use lots of fusible all over a project.
And next time I have trouble falling asleep, I am going to count the different ways these mats could be arranged!
What a great idea! 🙂 And it reminds me of a knitting book I have called “Knitted Gardens” – have you seen it? I can’t knit but had wondered about crocheting something along the same lines. Didn’t get far!
If you haven’t seen the crocheted garden on Twisted Yarn, you need to! It is adorable!
Oh, thanks for that, so lovely! I hadn’t seen it before. 🙂
I do remember the original play mats! How big are they? Great idea, city/country!
Each panel is about 42″ wide and 23″ long, so when I put two together and back them, it ends up about 41″ by 44″.
Your grandson is one very lucky boy that he picked you to be his grandmother. Love these mats!
He was clever that way! 🙂 I am very glad he picked me!
Why stop at panels? You could do a simplified map of a neighborhood or a house and yard. I feel your pain about the gummy needle. I don’t use that product, but haven’t had such issues with wonder under.
I had planned to do a neighborhood type play mat for my great-nephew, but never got around to it. And I thought these were so cute! I really try not to spend more time making something, than the recipient will spend using it. The extremely simplified countryscapes I did took so much time, I really can’t imagine how much time it would take to create my own cityscape. It would be fun, but I think the kid would be in college before I got done!
My mother made an enormous play mat based on our farm for us and now her great grandchildren play with it, so I think the time spent has been repaid. It’s a very basic interpretation of the farm but interesting to see how much has changed in the intervening 50 years. So, go for it and design your own.
Just followed the link to the crocheted garden and in my mind have made one (ignoring the fact that I can’t crochet). Isn’t it fab?
That would be a good idea, I really love maps. And I still have an idea for a project based on the walks I took in my old neighborhood, and I moved out of there 8 years ago!
And I do love that crocheted garden. Forget kids, I would play with it myself!
Someone at guild recently had teflon coated needles that are supposed to just slip through the glue, but I haven’t tried them.
That would be worth a try! And I need to try Wonder Under too. I just about swore off fusible forever!