I made this play mat for Lucy when she was a baby. I wanted it to have lots of interest to encourage her to reach out to the different pictures. So the ladybird is 3D with wiggly legs, raised spots etc. A pillow has a squeaker in and teddy has a bag with a bell inside. The kite’s tail is left loose to fiddle with.The doors of the lighthouse and thatched cottage really open. The idea behind this play mat was to picture lots of local interest and things for her to visit as a child, hence the castle (National Trust!), bluebells (in full bloom when she was born), cats and dogs as pets, Cheddar strawberries, cornish lighthouse, steam train, zoo animals, bucket and spade for the beach, grey squirrel, and the numbers 1-5. There are 30 different squares. I designed many of the pictures myself. To finish it off, I made a knitted bag with a postbox on one side and telephone box on the other - who knows when they will not be commonplace on the streets.
I LOVED making this x x x