The Rockin' Robot Laminate Backed Picnic Playmat

   

Not long now until my grandson, Oliver, will be with us and son, Jack and Ana have been busy planning and equipping their nursery.  A few weeks ago they sent me this pic of Jack, and my daughter, Flicky, painting the room

and when they sent this finished paintwork pic they said they were going with a space theme.

In my stash was this panel - same colours and a space theme - all robots, space ships and rockets - Blue Sky Studio "Rockets and Robots" for Benartex. 

Sending back this pic we started discussing what I could make it into - a wall hanging, play mat, picnic blanket - the final consensus a waterproof playmat/picnic blanket - softening the wooden bedroom floor and perfect for outdoor picnics.

The panel wasn't wide enough on its own so I added red rocket fabric borders, also from my stash - Out of this World by jill mcdonald for P&B Textiles.

Once the top was complete I attached fusible batting and free motion quilted it without a backing using Aurifil 40/2 #2770 - Very Light Delft.

The background and borders are stippled while I've framed and outlined each image - you can see the fmq easily here on the batting side.

Once complete I spray basted the batting with Odif 505 temporary fabric adhesive spray and attached a red and white polka dot laminate backing (Riley Blake Designs Pattern C350-80 Dots by The RBD Designers) then bound the playmat with Kona Solid - Jade Green.  Finished playmat size 39" x 48".

Time for the photo shoot.

Oh and here's a couple of robot friends that I couldn't resist buying for Oliver too.

I did the photoshoot before carrying out the part of the process I was dreading - washing the playmat.  I had no idea what would happen given it's a quilted top and non-quilted laminate backing.

I'm delighted to report the playmat washed perfectly.  Obviously the backing is now only attached to the playmat by the bound edges and no longer firmly attached to the complete top as the temporary spray glue has washed away but that doesn't affect the finished playmat at all. In fact it was better the back was no longer attached as the top crinkled and shrank in the wash - the way quilts do - and the back remained the same size and flat.

I hung the playmat over the shower rail until it was half dry and then I ironed the quilted top (not the laminate side!) twice with a nice warm iron (taking care not to stay too long on one place - didn't want to melt through the back).  The quilted top went back to size and completely flat again.

Such a relief - no point in a baby play mat that can't be machine washed!!!

And here's a pic of the washed playmat - can't make it bigger because it's a phone pic and too blurry, it's the pic I sent to Jack and Ana the moment I knew all had gone well, but trust me it's perfect!

I simply can't wait to see Oliver playing on it :D