When a fabric collection is named after one of your favourite past-times then it would simply be rude not to make something picnic related with it! The Summer Picnic collection has been designed by Melissa Mortenson for Riley Blake Designs.

I thought it would be fun to make something for the smallest member of our family.

This fun mat measures at 20″ x 20″, perfect for a little bottom!

The idea was to make something that can easily fit in our bag to take out when we need a pit stop, and if you’ve ever walked any distance with a small child you will know there are a few of these needed! Of course it doesn’t have to be used just for walks, maybe even setting up a mini picnic camp in the garden.

I started off with 4 x 10.5″ square pieces of plain fabric, using that as a foundation I simply added strips of fabric on a diagonal. This style was inspired by my lovely friend Rosie and her Tubby Box Pattern, a pattern which I highly recommend you check out! Anyway I had no set design with these, I just tried to keep it improvised and random. It was fun!

Well I tried to keep it random, but it seems once all 4 squares were joined together there was a little bit of matching! Although my maths geek husband would say if something is truly random then 2 of the same would find themselves next to each other..

I decided not to quilt this, but I did still give it a layer of wadding for comfort. For the backing I used some waterproof fabric I purchased on Ebay. I was hoping it would be a heavy duty waterproof fabric but this was more shower curtain material. To compensate I used two layers. I’m sure it will still serve a suitable purpose.

This slippery fabric was not as fiddly as you would imagine, thanks to my trusty Teflon foot – a wonderful investment! To save having to bind it I placed the waterproof fabric on top of the right side of the mat, sewed around the outside leaving a gap to turn. Then pressed (carefully!) and topstitched around the edge.

Now that’s the smallest member sorted, I am off to make another 2 for my husband and I! Although I better make ours a little bigger! These will be super handy if we come across a soggy bench!

Summer Picnic will be shipping to stores this month! For more information please check the Riley Blake Designs website.