bunny nap roll

I got the idea that it might be fun to propose a craft project for a magazine last winter, so I did. It was for a magazine that has a call for submissions and the parameters are kind of like the Pillsbury bake-off in that it is more of a design-for-the-parameters project than a submit-your-best-recipe gambit.  (did you know that the Pillsbury bake-off has these strict requirements, like including two Pillsbury ingredients in your recipe?  I don't have many recipe ideas that include crescent rolls and frozen waffles as it turns out.) 

so I had this idea to submit a nap roll for a preschooler for their back-to-school category.  since my nap mat in preschool was a bathroom rug, a little quilt version with a pillow sounded fun.  and why not make it look like an animal?

so if you want to learn how to make your very own nap roll, check out the fall 2012 issue of Stitch magazine!

here's the picture from the magazine:


and my picture of the final product:


you can roll it up starting at the pillow end and then use the ears as straps to secure it.


as it turns out, the best part of publishing was not getting the magazine in the mail, but the action shot my coworker sent of her adorable four year old reading a book on this nap roll and covered up with the baby blanket I made for her when she was born.


a tiny suggestion:
one thing I didn't think to do when I made it was to topstitch the velcro down, because the iron-on velcro will peel up otherwise. they caught it in editing, but they do suggest to do it at the end, and if you do it then, it will show up on the other side (the face side).  if you are OCD about this, you might attach the Velcro much earlier in the process, and sew it down when you piece the back panel (only for the Velcro on the back - the ears you can topstitch at the end.)  You could handstitch it on to secure it as well, but it can be tricky with Velcro.