busy fingers

I made what I call a "touchy feely playmat" completely out of scraps from all different types of fabrics as can be seen below.

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Each square was 12" finished and I used wool, satin, chenille, suede, ribbon, fleece, ribbing etc which gave bub the experience of putting her hands on different textures and was a good size for her to sit on and explore when the time came.

I hope that the above helps with some ideas.

cheryl222

Wow, thanks for all the feedback. I am now enlightened! The picture of the quilt by Busy Fingers is awesome!

panderz

I would think it would depend on how old the child is.

If it was for an infant I would think you would want some kind of water resistant material or something that could be easily cleaned. For a toddler I would think something more suited to actually playing on. Maybe like a picnic blanket style. Whatever you or mom decided I think it would surely have to be sturdy enough to be washed more often than a regular quilt.

<3 Mandi <3

DOTTYMO

Over here in UK we are taught that all quilts for babies are for them to play on or sleep on but not sleep under in a cot etc. reason they are not checked by. Health and safety therefore not fit for purpose. In the UK H&S as gone mad even concerns are banned, playgrounds rubber and swings checked.
Mine are dragged around the rooms and toddlers snuggle up with them at nap time.not been caught yet by H&S.

Maire

I make an I Spy quilt for babies, the moms love them, lots of bright colors, objects, animals etc. But I always tell them it is too heavy (approx 42x52, cotton batting) for a new baby so just use it for a play mat, tummy time until baby becomes a toddler, then it can be used on a bed. Many of them have become the toddler's blankie or a ritual to name the things in it before they go to sleep.

kathidahl

Lots of cute play mats here...I did not like the ones that had cords attached...if you turn your back, baby is wrapped up in those cords..

MargeD

To me, I don't think there is much of a difference. When I first began quilting (I'm pretty much self-taught), my daughter wanted a "blanket" for outside so she could play with her Barbie dolls without having sticks and rocks coming through. My sister gave me a cheater panel, roughly 45" square, then I added two layers of batting along with two, yes two, layers of an old mattress pad that was fairly thin, plus a backing. Let's just say that I was happy that my Sears Kenmore sewing machine "loved" to sew on heavier fabrics, so she just breezed through the squares on the cheater panel, no problem. Granted, her "play quilt" was somewhat heavy, even with 2 layers of thin poly batting, but it was perfect for her to take outside and play with, and I didn't have to worry about rocks poking through. You can go ahead and laugh at me, but I will say I learned a lot making that quilt, as I have every quilt since, although there was no one to tell me I couldn't do it, so I just did.

k_jupiter

Made a log cabin barn raising on one side, a paneled solar system print on the other. Echo quilted pretty heavy and the results were a 60x60 Play Mat for the baby of a friend. Would not have made a good quilt. Way too stiff. So that's my story and I am sticking to it. tim in san jose

k_jupiter

A pitcher of it.

Lee in Richmond

If I use a poly batting that is more than 1/4" thick I think the resulting quilt is too "stiff" to be a quilt, and call it a play mat instead. It is a cushion on the floor.