A Homage to "Red letter Day"!

My second quilt is finally complete!

Just when I was beginning to feel like I would never find the time to get it finished, half term came and somehow with the boys occupying each other and #3 napping, a little sewing got done, and I'm extremely happy with the results.

I must say I've made mistakes, some of which irritate me, especially because as soon as I had made them I realised what I'd done wrong. I guess this is what happens when you teach yourself something so that's ok as its a learning curve, I just need to remember to learn from my mistakes!

I've also learnt about wadding. I followed the advice I got from your very useful comments and bought Hobbs batting. It feels like a lovely wadding but after sandwiching the layers together and reminding myself that I was making a play mat rather than a quilt and it was puffiness that I was after I changed my mind and decided to use 4oz polyester instead.

Why the word polyester makes me shiver I don't know, after all the polyester is sandwiched by cotton. I didn't find it that easy to quilt but that is probably due to my lack of experience rather than the wadding itself. I am pleased with the end result. It's not as puffy as I had thought it would be, but it is a nice weight and I think it offers enough protection to soften #3's falls even on our wooden floors.
 

After a lot of umming and ahhing over a fabric for the back I decided to stick with "red letter day" and the duck theme and choose "Sitting ducks" in tangerine. I also used her "pink and lilac" stripe for the binding. So I really feel this play mat has turned into a homage to Lizzy House's Red letter Day.

With #3 sat on her "ducks" as I type I feel very happy that I can finally cross this project off my to make list.
I already have plans for another quilt it would be naughty of me not to! I mean I can't just buy the hobbs wadding and not use it, now that would be a waste!