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DIY Baby Play Mat from an Alphabet Panel

Learn the Alphabet with Alphabits! An Alphabet and Animal Play Mat!

Hello, fellow quilters! I'm thrilled to introduce you to a delightful DIY project: the Alphabet Panel Baby Playmat, featuring the whimsical Alphabits panel from Michael Miller Fabrics.   

Baby Play Mat from a Panel Tutorial - fb

Designed with both fun and learning in mind, this child’s play mat is perfect for little ones, offering years of enjoyment starting with tummy time to cuddle time; and then proceeding to an educational exploration of finding the animals and alphabet letters on the mat.

With its charming alphabet and adorable animal designs, this playmat sparks curiosity and fosters early learning. Its simple yet versatile design can be easily adapted to various baby panels, making it a delightful project for quilters of all skill levels.

This multifaceted playmat isn't just for home use - it's also conveniently portable making it perfect for trips away from home.

For a closer look at this project, check out our YouTube video or keep reading below for a detailed guide on how to create your very own Alphabet Panel Baby Playmat!



COMPLETE VIDEO TUTORIAL AVAILABLE! The video below is a preview with no audio, to watch the whole video tutorial, click the link DIY Baby Play Mat from an Alphabet Panel to watch in Youtube.


Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. We make a small commission on sales through the affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for your purchase and your support! Please see our full Affiliate Statement for more information.

WHAT IS A FABRIC PANEL?

A fabric panel is a design printed on fabric and sold by the panel.  Quilt panels for babies and toddlers come in a variety of themes and sizes. These panels can be incorporated into a quilt in many ways.  Fabric panels make creating quilts and accessories fun, quick and easy. 

DIY Baby Play Mat Folded

WHAT YOU NEED to make the alphabet play mat:

  • Alphabet Panel or Another Panel (scroll to the end of this article for purchase link)
  • Border #1 - 3/8 yard
  • Border #2 - 3/8 yard
  • Backing Fabric - 1 1/2 yard (I used soft flannel)
  • Binding Fabric - 1/3 yard (see binding note)
  • Cotton Batting - approximately 37-38" x 41-42" (Purchase at Amazon)
  • Tape Measure
  • Cutting Mat (Purchase from Amazon or Joann)
  • Quilters Ruler (Amazon or Joann)
  • Rotary Cutter (Amazon or Joann)
  • Sewing Clips (Amazon or Joann)
  • Scissors
  • Sewing Machine
  • Thread
  • Iron and Ironing Board

Binding Note: If you decide to bind the quilt with one of the border fabrics, simply purchase 1/2 yard of the fabric which will be more than enough for the border and binding.

Finished Quilt Size: 34" x 38" (approximately)
Difficulty Level: Beginner
Seam Allowance: 1/4 inch

INSTRUCTIONS for making the DIY Child's play mat:

STEP 1: Gather Supplies

Begin by gathering all the supplies and tools needed for this project. You'll need the Alphabits panel by Michael Miller Fabrics (or a similar panel), as well as border fabrics, batting and backing material, rotary cutter, mat, ruler and basic sewing tools.

Baby Alphabeth Play Mat Panel Edge

When selecting fabric for the border, binding and backing of the playmat, bring the panel to the store.  Pull colors from the panel to complement your fabric choices.

STEP 2: cut the panel apart

The Alphabit panel is 24 1/2" x 44" and consists of a main section featuring alphabet letters, animals and words along with six animal blocks. 

Baby Animal Play Mat Panel

To ensure the playmat is adequately sized for play and growth, carefully examine this panel or your chosen panel.  For the Alphabit panel,  I decided the front of the playmat would feature the main panel section with two accent fabric borders, while the animal blocks would be used on the back.

Baby Play Mat Panel Center

Cut the Alphabit panel into the following sizes:
* Main Middle Section - 24 1/2" x 28 1/2"
* Animal Blocks - 5" x 5 1/2"

Set the animal blocks aside to use on the back of the quilt.

Note:  If using a different panel, decide which sections to use and how to cut it.

Step 3: Cut and Sew Fabric for the Inside Border

After cutting the panel to the appropriate sizes, the next step is to add borders to the panel.  Borders are strips of fabric sewn around the outside edge of a quilt. 

To make the inside border for this quilt, cut:
* 2  - 3" x 28 1/2" strip
* 2  - 3" x 29 1/2" strip

Pin and sew one  3" x 28 1/2" strip to each side of the panel.  Press the seam toward the border. Then pin and sew the other two strips (3" x 29 1/2"), one to the top and one to the bottom of the panel. Press again toward the border.

Note: If using a different panel, to determine the length of the border strips, lay the quilt on a flat surface and measure the quilt top vertically in three different places.  Take the average of those 3 measurements to figure your length. Cut two identical strips of this measurement and sew to the sides.

Lay the quilt on a flat surface. Measure the width of the quilt top with side borders in three 3 different places.  Average these three measurements to determine the length of the top and bottom border.  Cut two identical strips and sew them onto the quilt.

Step 4:  Cut and Sew the Outer Border to the PlayMat

Prepare the second border to add to the playmat.  

From the outer border fabric, cut:
* 2  - 3" x 33 1/2" strips
* 2  - 3" x 34 1/2" strips

Pin and sew one 3" x 33 1/2" strip to each side of the playmat. Pin and sew one of the 3" x 34 1/2" strips to the top and one to the bottom of the playmat.

Note: If using a different panel, determine the length of the outer border strips using the guidelines provided in step 3.

The quilt playmat top is finished.

Step 5: Preparing the playmat backing

Incorporate the six adorable animal blocks into the back of the quilt.  Use them wherever and however you wish.

Some guidelines when piecing the backing together, don't use a 1/4" seam allowance.  Use a 1/2" seam allowance and press the seams on the back open.

Baby Play Mat Back On FloorPicture of backing

Step 6: Quilt Sandwich

Before quilting, layer the quilt in a "quilt sandwich" with the backing, quilt batting and quilt top. To make the quilt sandwich, place the backing wrong side up on a table, lay the batting on top and finally place the quilt top right side up on the batting. 

Tip:  When making baby quilts you can use flannel instead of batting.  However, if you use flannel please make sure to prewash it.

Smooth out any wrinkles and pin-baste the layers together. If you want to learn how to Layer and Pin Baste a Quilt, follow the link to our tutorial on this process.

Once the layers are pin-basted together, it's ready to be quilted.

Step 7: Machine quilt the layers together

How do you quilt a panel quilt?

A fabric panel can be quilted the same way as you would for any project with one consideration.  You want the panel to stand out and not be hidden by the machine quilting.

One of the easiest ways to quilt the panel and border spaces on the playmat quilt is to fill the area with evenly spaced straight lines.

To sew the lines, a walking foot is recommended.  The walking foot helps to make sure the top and backing of the quilt move through the machine at the same rate. 

For this quilt, I decided to straight line quilt through the main panel section of the quilt using two close-together straight lines spaced 1/2" at  6" intervals.  If you look closely at the picture below you can see these quilting lines.

Baby Play Mat Closeup of Quilting

For the borders, I continued with simple straight-line machine quilting.  You can use the edge of the walking foot as a guide to evenly space the lines 1/2-inch apart in the inner border. 

For the outer border, two straight lines were machine stitched in the space by doing a little measuring to center them.

Step 8: Binding and labeling the Quilt

To finish the playmat quilt, you need to follow a few important final steps. 

First, square up the quilt to remove the extra batting and backing around the edges and to make sure the corners are as square as possible.  

Baby Play Mat On Floor

Once the quilt is squared up, you can move on to binding it. There are many binding techniques to choose from, including flanged binding, quick quilt binding, and traditional quilt binding.  

If you want the quilt binding to blend in, use the same fabric for the binding and outer quilt borders, as I did. If you want the binding to stand out, use a different fabric than the one used in the outer borders.

To make the binding, use our binding calculator to determine how many strips of fabric you'll need.  Join the binding strips together and then bind the quilt using your preferred technique.

Baby Play Mat on Sofa

Lastly, It's important to label the quilt. Visit our page Modern Quilt Labels and Tags for ideas on how to label your quilt.

Baby Play Mat Back on Sofa

The charming baby playmat quilt is now complete and ready to be cherished for years to come! 

Happy Quilting!

 Annette's Signature 

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about this project, contact us through the YouTube Video comments or our Contact Us page. We respond to questions in e-mails and YouTube comments regularly.

Here are Some Additional Ideas for Panel Quilts

Supporting Products and links: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. We make a small commission on sales through the affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for your purchase and your support! Please see our full Affiliate Statement for more information.

Alphabits Panel by Michael Miller Fabric

Alphabits Panel by Michael Miller Fabric #ad

A colorful and educational collection with charming animal characters, letters and words in a beautiful Panel. Perfect for teachers, schools, and nurseries. Affiliate Link to Etsy

Clover Wonder Clips

Clover Wonder Clips #ad

Great holding capacity for many crafts. Clips open wide for several layers of fabric. Affiliate Link to Amazon

Dritz 100-Piece Long Pearlized Pins

Dritz 100-Piece Long Pearlized Pins #ad

1-1/2-Inch, White Affiliate Link to Amazon

Dritz Ball-Head Pins 1 1/6"

Dritz Ball-Head Pins 1 1/6" #ad

350 piece package. Used for fine and lightweight fabric and lace. Stainless steel. Affiliate Link to Amazon

OLFA 18-Inch x 24-Inch Self-Healing Double-Sided Rotary Mat

OLFA 18-Inch x 24-Inch Self-Healing Double-Sided Rotary Mat #ad

Use only rotary cutters and blades,Suitable for any small to medium size project Affiliate Link to Amazon.com

Quilter's Slidelock Ruler

Quilter's Slidelock Ruler

The Quilters Slidelock is a non-slip quilting ruler for rotary cutting that solves the two biggest problems quilters face while trying to cut fabric: slippage and sliding. The Quilters Slidelock holds the fabric securely, protects fingers, and most importantly, is easy to use. Affiliate Link to Sew Be It Quilts

Rotary Cutters

Rotary Cutters #ad

Purchase rotary cutters at Amazon.com. Check out their selection. Affiliate Link to Amazon.com

Sewing Machines

Sewing Machines #ad

A large selection of sewing machines that can be purchased online. Affiliate Link to Affiliate Link at Amazon

Sewing Scissors

Sewing Scissors #ad

A huge selection of sewing scissors are available at Amazon.com. Affiliate Link to Amazon.com






Baby Play Mat from a Panel Tutorial - pin


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