A Play Mat for Timmy

Here is the first of my handmade gifts for the year.

Timmy and his sisters checking out his new play mat and cars.

For my nephew Timmy's second birthday, I made a play mat from a fabric panel that featured a town, with roads, shops, a petrol station and car wash, school and police station.

I have to admit that I didn't follow a tutorial or a book or even something I'd seen on Pinterest this time. It all came from my imagination - and what I could find in the craft shop!

Essentially, I sandwiched some batting between the panel and a back I made by inserting a strip of fabric in some denim. Then I machine quilted by following the lines on the road, and sewing around the large road signs featured on the panel. (Thank you to my mum for the loan of her sewing machine).

Finished view - front.

Finished view - back.

I had to look up some instructions online about how to bind the quilt, and especially how to do the mitred corners. As my other quilt isn't finished yet, this was my first time doing anything like this. But I thought it came out alright.

The mitred corners weren't perfect, but not too bad for my first time!

I had purchased a few little cars to go with the mat, so decided to make a drawstring bag to house them all securely. I appliqued onto the bag a little piece of fabric with a car on it, as well as a little tag on which I quickly stitched a personal message.

The mat and cars on the drawstring bag.

All packed up in it's own bag.

You can tell I did this in a hurry!

The highlight for me was when my niece Sarah (almost nine) came and told me it was a really cool present!

Sarah, Timmy and Laura playing with the cars.

When you're two, you can drive two cars at once!

It certainly was rewarding to see them playing with something I had created. 

But I'd better keep at it. There are plenty more gifts to be made!