Ash's Car mat

So My baby Ash is turning 2. Can you believe it? not me! I really like making my kids presents if you haven't noticed. I had a tough time deciding what to make Ash, Chloe got THIS for her last birthday, so I couldn't just make her another doll or something. I know I know how am I going to top the felt playhouse?? but I am seriously in LOVE with this one! 

Ash is pretty girly, not nearly as girly as Chloe, but who is??  The boys that I babysit have a little car caddy in their bag that Ash pulls out every day and plays with, and she LOVES cars and trains and anything that moves. So I thought maybe I would make her one of those, but then I saw THIS on one of my favorite blogs. and I knew thats what I wanted to make her! I had been really busy and before I started I thought, 'oh I won't make it as detailed as hers so it will be easier" But who am I kidding when have I ever done anything halfway??

So I present to you MY piece de resistance! Ash's Car playmat:

To Say that this playmat was a lot of work is an understatement. It was an insane amount of work, every building took me at least an hour and that is just the small ones. My math isn't that great but if I had to guess I would say it took me approximately a million hours. Well it comes pretty close to that I am sure of it. I have been working on it during naps and when they are in bed for a month and i am SO happy to finally have it finished!!

I totally admit to completey copying homemade by Jill's playmat almost exactly. When I went to draw out mine, I was REALLY tired. so I ended up just using hers as a pattern, it was so easy cause everything she makes is SO cute! Chloe's playhouse was made patterned after her playhouse too. What can I say I am a huge copy cat, but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right?? But seriously I am in love with her blog, everything she makes is AMAZING!

It has all of our favorite places to go, Nana and Papa Holt's house:

Gramma Dixie and Papa Steve's house:

(complete with hill in the backyard)

It really was so much fun to make. But those roads. OH those stinking roads. I dont know if any of you have done alot of the "satin stitch" but it is the SLOWEST stitch. it took me more than 4 hours to stitch around those damn roads. my sewing machine thanked me when I was finished. 

On Jill's playmat she has the beach, I think they live in California or somwhere by the ocean obviously. but we have wally's beach....still cool right? 

Tina insisted we have a ballet studio, and I am very glad, cause I love it! and so does Chloe she has been DYING to play with it. since she doesn't nap anymore she was my sewing helper.

The train station, we dont actually have one of these. well we probably do but I dont  know where it is or what it looks like so I just copied hers! 

 This has been called the 3 hour train track, cause it took me yes 3 painstaking hours to stitch. totally worth it! 

For our 2 Papa's who are on the Raymond Fire Dept. one of who is the fire chief, We had to have a fire station:

And probably MY favorite is the school, complete with playground of course :) 

And cross walks, so the kids can get home safe! 

Of course our little drivers need to eat, they can get all their grocery needs at Safeway, or go get a delicious treat from Crazy cakes:

The other thing was that the fabric I had chosen as the background had a little too much stretch to it so when I sewing one direction it went all bubbly, you can see it on the road. REALLY frustrating. i tried to interface the back, but I didn't have any heavy duty stuff and was way too lazy to go buy some. oh well. they will still like it! 

Or they can go through the drive through for a Happy Meal:

We have our church:

And Gas station, with car wash:

The Back has this cute car fabric on the back we got at Joannes. 

And of course we had to have Toys R US. and I have no idea how to turn this picture. sorry about that. aaaand looks like I didn't clean off all the extra threads did I. oops. 

Oh and just the "residential" area of the mat: 

Anyway I am pretty happy that it is done and really proud of it! I am hoping they will play for it for a LONG time and someday appreciate all the work that went into it. 

Happy Birthday to my Smash!