How to make a nap mat

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one mat, 70 × 120 cm)

• Outer (double gauze or sheeting) — about 110 cm wide × 130 cm (43 × 51 in)
• Lining (the same) — about 110 cm wide × 130 cm
• Wadding (thin, low-loft) — about 90 cm wide × 130 cm
• Bias binding, 12.7 mm folded — about 4 m
• Fabric for the tie — about 55 × 9 cm

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Baby” → “Nap mat” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the width, the length and the corner radius. Presets cover newborn, standard and nursery size.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace the cutting line. It is large — spreading it on the floor is easier.
2. Cut the pieces
   One outer, one lining, one wadding. Cut the wadding on the finished line, with no allowance.
3. Cut the tie
   One tie.
4. Transfer the notches
   Mark the two tie positions on the left edge.

4. Sewing

4-1. Stack the layers

1. Lay the lining wrong side up, then the wadding, then the outer right side up.
2. Smooth from the center outwards so no wrinkles get trapped.
3. Baste the whole thing with long stitches, or pin every 20 cm. If the layers shift, the edges will not match at the end.

4-2. Quilt it

1. Stitch a grid across the mat from the right side, about 20 cm apart.
2. Work from the center outwards. Starting at an edge pushes the fabric ahead of the foot.
3. You can skip this, but the wadding will shift in the wash. Quilting makes it last.

4-3. Attach the tie

1. Fold the tie in four and topstitch.
2. Stitch its middle to the two notches on the left edge.
3. Keep it inside the seam allowance — the binding will catch it next.

4-4. Bind the edge

1. Bind all round with bias tape and stitch.
2. Easing the tape slightly as you go makes it sit flat on the rounded corners.
3. Overlap the start and finish by 1.5 cm.
4. Roll it up and tie.

✏️ Secure the three layers before you sew anything. Skip the basting and they creep as you stitch, leaving an edge that does not match at the end. This is the one step not worth saving time on — it costs more later.

5. Tips & variations

• Nursery sizes: many nurseries specify one. The presets are common sizes; follow the nursery's if it differs.
• Keep the wadding thin: thick wadding is bulky to roll and slow to dry. Low-loft is easiest to handle.
• Label it: if it goes to nursery, stitch a name tape into a back corner.