Making a playmat for daughters room

[Callmecordelia]

I used to sew a lot in childhood and early teens - my Mum used to let me play on the sewing machine a lot - but I haven't done anything in years.

My daughter is going to be having her own room after being squashed in a corner of the spare room, and there are lots of things I'd like to make for her (duvet cover, curtains and cushions). Nothing too taxing, providing I can remember how to do things!

However, what I really want to make is something that I dreamed about as a child. A large playmat with green one side, and blue the other so that I could set out my dolls house, barbies, boats, trainset or whatever and it would look perfect. Ideally, I'd also make some smaller mats, also green/blue/sand colour to be islands, beaches, ponds etc.

I have found some grass and sea fabric, and I'm thinking how I'd put it together. I've never quilted before, but I'm not sure wadding is needed here - some sort of stiffness might be desirable though.

How do you think I should make this?

search playmat tutorial on pinterest, theres lots!

here's one example

fiftyfourstitches.typepad.com/fifty-four-stitches/2009/10/fabric-playmat.html

I made a farm one similar to the one linked. I just used a bit of fleece instead of wadding. I didn't want it to be too think but I did want a bit of padding for little knees. I actually used an Ikea fleece blanket which was only 1.50! I quilted it slightly by stitching along the fabric joins using a walking foot on the machine but you could probably get away with a normal foot if its not too thick.

I would also suggest a fleece... but beware of the fluff - clean out the bobbin area regularly whilst sewing it (and I mean every half hour or so if you are sewing a lot)