Sun Mat and Toys

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• 3 1/2yds minky solid yellow
• 1/4yd each of minky solid coral, grey, violet, white, blue
• Crib-size cotton batting
• Polyfil® natural cotton thread
• Butcher paper
• Straight pins
• Pencil
• Chalk
• 4' string
• Yardstick
• Needle

DIRECTIONS:

Sun Play Mat
1. Create a 42" circle on your butcher paper to use as your template.
2. To find a circle, cut a 42"x 42" square and fold it in half. Then fold that rectangle in half so that you have a square again. Fold the two opposite corners together (not the corner that makes up the center of the square).
3. Fold the two new opposite corners together again. Your paper should now be folded into sixteenths.
4. Tie your 4' string to a pencil on one end and a piece of chalk on the other so that the distance between the two is 43".
5. Place the pencil on the corner of your paper that makes up the center of the square and place the chalk end 43" away from it on the paper.
6. Use it like a compass to chalk out the outline of your circle. Cut along your chalk outline through all layers of your folded paper. Unfold.
7. Use this 43" paper circle as your template to cut out two circular pieces from your minky solid.
8. To create the sun rays, cut a 8 1/4"x 7" piece of butcher paper. Fold it in half so that it stays 8 1/4" tall and make a crease. Unfold. Use a ruler to trace a line from the top of the fold to each corner at the bottom. Cut along each line to get an equilateral triangle.
9. Use this paper template to cut out 32" triangles from your minky solid.
10. Pin two triangles with right sides facing and stitch the two long sides together. Trim corner and turn right side out. Stuff with a fist sized amount of Polyfil and stitch opening closed with 1/4" seam allowance. Repeat for 15 more sun rays.
11. Place stuffed sun rays along the edge of one minky circle with the points facing inward. Pin them in place after double checking that they are all evenly spaced. Stitch the sun rays onto the minky solid circle with a 1/4" seam allowance and remove pins.
12. Place two layers of cotton batting underneath the minky circle
13. Place the second minky circle on top with the right side facing down. Pin all layers together with the sun rays still pointing towards the center in between the two minky layers. Trim the edges of the cotton batting.
14. Stitch the four circles together along the perimeter with a 1/2" seam allowance. Make sure you are stitching inside of the stitches on your sun rays so that they won't show when it's turned right side out. Leave a 12" opening along the perimeter. Remove pins.
15. Turn right side out. Ladder stitch the opening closed.

Toys for Play Gym
1. Print out templates for each shape and use them to cut out two pieces for each fabric toy in preferred colors.
2. To make the cloud, pin two cloud pieces of fabric together with right sides facing. Stitch along the perimeter but leave a 2" opening at the bottom. Turn right side out, fill with Polyfil and stitch closed with a ladder stitch. Repeat with rain drops.
3. To make the rainbow, stitch the outside edge of the smallest arch to the inside edge of the next biggest arch with right sides facing. You can pin this together before making or maneuver by hand but it might be a little tricky. Repeat until all arches on one side are stitched together. Once the second set of arches are stitched together, stitch the two parts of the rainbow together with right sides facing. Leave an opening along one of the sides, fill and stitch close.