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Flamingo Bolster Cushion Tutorial by Sarah Holliman at SJStitchery Quick and easy project to make a beautiful bolster cushion for your home. Pretty decor project for Spring You will need: Two half metre pieces of coordinating Chambray fabric Two metres of trim A bolster cushion inserts (I used a 17-inch feather filled insert) Two metres of Cord piping (1/4 inch) Two Self covering buttons Fabric featured is the cotton oxford chambray by The Craft Cotton Company. Please contact us for your local stockists. Alternatively you can purchase this online at Hobbycraft I love this new Chambray Fabric from Craft Cotton Company. It is perfect for a Spring project. I used two slightly different shades of fabric to make my cushion and the result is so pretty. To make your Bolster Cushion Dimensions in this tutorial are based on a 17-inch bolster cushion insert. 1.  First, cut out the central panel. You will need to cut one piece of fabric measuring 18 inches wide by 27 inches long. Also, cut two side pieces measuring 4.5 inches wide by 27 inches long (these end pieces can either be cut from the same fabric or a coordinating fabric like mine). You will also need to cut two strips of fabric measuring 2 inches wide by 30 inches in length for the piping. 2.  Make your piping strips by placing the piping inside the 2-inch strip of fabric.  Tack the piping cord firmly inside the fabric. 3. Take the front panel, right side facing upwards and place your piping strip along one edge with the raw edge facing outwards.  Then place your 4.5 inch side panel on top of the piping piece to form a three layer sandwich of fabric. 4.  Position the machine foot so it is flush to the cord and sew down the panel to secure the piping. 5.  Repeat for the opposite side of the central panel. You will now have one central panel with two end panels attached. 6. Press all three panels with an iron, making sure to press the seams inwards towards the centre of the cushion (this will help the pleated ends of the cushion stay neat and ensure the piping fits neatly around the cushion ends). 7. If you wish to add a trim to your cushion, it is a good idea to do it at this stage before constructing the cushion.  For my flamingo trim, I initially machine stitched this to my panel but found the design was very intricate and needed hand stitching to secure all the outlines of the flamingos. 8. With right sides together, place the top and bottom sides of the cushion panel together, matching the seams carefully.  Pin together. 9.Sew along the edge to form a tube.  I also over stitched the edges of the hems to prevent any fraying. 10. Turn the tube out the right way.  Insert your bolster inner, taking time to smooth out the fabric and pull into place. Make sure the piping seams sit neatly around the cushion inner. Your bolster is now starting to take form. 11.  To form the pleated ends of the cushion, take one end piece and using very strong cotton thread, carefully sew a row of running stitches approx. 1 inch from the edge of the fabric. 12.  Pull the running threads carefully as tight as possible to form the pleated end of the cushion. There will be a small gap, but this will be covered by the button detail. Repeat for the opposite end of the cushion. 13. Make a covered button as per the manufacturer’s instructions, I used the Sew Hemline 29mm Self Cover Buttons. They were very easy to make a gave a great finish. 14. Sew the button to the cushion, covering the gathered hole. Repeat for the opposite end and your bolster is finished.

By Alex Holt To mark the company’s 75th Birthday, we commissioned a special portrait Quilt by the very talented Laura Graham. The quilt immortalises the founder of Visage Textiles, Mr. Levy, in Make + Believe premium solids. Not only is the late Mr. Levy the founder of Visage Textiles but he was also the grandfather of the current owner, Aarran. To make the quilt even more personal, he is positioned in front of our original premises with a map depicting our current location in the top right corner. I was fortunate enough to visit Laura Graham at her beautiful home in Perth, Scotland, where she gave me a tour around her fascinating quilting studio. I then sat down with Laura and had a chat about the process of creating the quilt, as well as her artistic journey so far. 'I typically start by taking an image and converting it to black and white' I asked Laura about the process of making a portrait quilt. I typically start by taking an image and converting it to black and white. This makes the change in tone easier to see, which is very important when you start adding colours later. On the black and white sketch, I draw around these tonal sections to map out the placement of the different colours. I also printed off a new image of Mr. Levy and painted the portrait to plan potential colour placements. Before proceeding I cut out swatches of all the Make + Believe solid colours and created a colour palette like a traditional painter would use. The colours were ordered from light to dark to create a tonal colour palette, these tones could then be used to replicate the tones in the black and white image. When constructing the portrait, I used a large foam board and mounted a thin piece of fabric, such as a bed sheet, on top. You want a thin layer of fabric to pin the coloured fabric to, so the finished portrait isn’t too thick to stitch together once you are finished. Beginning from the most intricate areas first such as the eyes, I slowly worked my way outwards checking the colours I selected were the correct tones by using my phone camera in a black and white setting. The wrong tone could throw off the whole face, so it was important to check that the colours blended correctly as I went. I normally use a lot of patterned fabrics in my work, which is an advantage when blending the tones and colours. This piece however used plain dyed fabrics so the emphasis on getting the tones right was higher, as there is no pattern to help blend the highlights and shadows. Also patterned fabrics typically encourage you to cut out more interesting shapes, as you can use the pattern repeat as a guide. You want to avoid straight lines in portrait quilts as the eye is drawn to them. When creating a face, you want the eye to see the image as a whole, rather than be drawn to one area. How long did the quilt take to make? In total, the piece took four months. The portrait alone took three months and the remaining background elements and quilting one month. This wasn’t just the first adult I had created but the first mature adult, so it was a challenge to create an accurate representation of Mr. Levy’s face and age. It was also the first time I had worked from a sketch of a person. Certain features like hair colour couldn’t be discerned from the sketch so I based my colour selections on the tones in the hair. That is why Mr. Levy has blue eyebrows in this quilt! How did you get into Quilting and the speciality of Portrait Quilts? I started by creating and selling children’s costumes on Etsy. I really enjoyed working on custom orders which included requests such as a 4ft beard that could be rolled up. I also enjoyed going against traditional rules when creating my own patterns for costumes. That same enjoyment for problem solving has transferred to my work with collage. The first quilts I made in 2020 and 2021 were of my daughters. I completed the City & Guilds Diploma in Patchwork and Quilting where I was encouraged to try lots of different styles and techniques. I don’t like to pigeonhole my work, there are many sides to me that I would like to show. What equipment and machines do you use? I have a Pfaff Powerquilter machine which I used to stitch all the layers together. It’s great for these types of portraits, as you can stitch through a high number of layers. I like to use Aleene’s Tacky glue and Karen Kay Buckley scissors. A tip for the glue is to smear it straight away to avoid it seeping through the fabric. I also used a non-woven plastic net that acts like paper to draw the sketch of the original building. This was then cut out and applied as a separate layer in the background. The material doesn’t tear and isn’t noticeable on the final quilt. I then built up the background with dense stitching to add texture and keep the portrait together. Where do you get inspiration for your designs? I was largely inspired by the experiences I had while completing the City and Guilds diploma, where I now teach new students. I have a great interest in architectural urban environments and decay. I find landscapes with evidence of human influence really interesting, and I would like to delve into that idea more with my work. I want to create quilts that you don’t normally see. The juxtaposition of using the soft medium of quilting to depict hard landscapes through collage is a topic I want to explore What were your favourite and least favourite parts in this process? My favourite part is when the quilt starts to come together. I find it a very mindful and zen process where I forget everything else and focus on nailing the shapes and tones in the piece. My least favourite part was quilting the map section, as there are no feed dogs on my long arm machine so creating the straight lines was very tricky! 'Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or make things up as you go along' I asked Laura if she had any tips for beginner quilters. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or make things up as you go along. Combine mediums and experiment. There’s no need to limit yourself to certain styles or rules. When it comes to creating portraits, I am very precise but the same cannot be said for traditional quilt patterns. If you would like to keep up to date with Laura and her work, you can find her on Instagram @LauraGrahamQuilts or on Facebook at Laura Graham Art Quilts and Textiles. Be sure to keep up to date with Laura to find out about her Exhibition in February 2025! If you're feeling inspired to dive into a new sewing project, you can shop the Make + Believe Solids range at Hobby Craft plus all the extras and accessories you may need to continue your quilting journey. You can shop wholesale all the Make + Believe solid colours here at Visage Textiles

Project by Nicola Hills You will need: A pack of Fat Quarters Some backing fabric A small amount of stuffing, fish tank grit Tools Required: Iron Basic sewing kit Sewing machine How to: Create a template in your required size using this shape (my sofa arms are quite shallow so I measured and made mine to fit. I chose to use 4 different Simplicity pattern fabrics for the base. Neatly iron your fabrics ready. As shown in the picture below, the middle piece of fabric creates the pin cushion. First sew the pin cushion section onto the middle fabric, keeping 1 end open for stuffing. Join the upper and lower sections. This is what the underneath will look like. Stuff with a small amount of fish tank grit (this gives it weight) then stuffing to hold the pins. For the hanging section I thought about which tools I would need to hand, so using the same fabric I did for the pin cushion I took a piece approx. half the size of the lower section and folded it in half. Pinned it to secure then drew my lines with a heat erasable pen. Starting at the bottom of the line, sew up, pivot the fabric when you get to the top, then sew back down. Do this for each section you need. I then just sewed some lines above the sections for decorative purposes (it also gives a little structure). Press flat with your iron, and using the whole section as a template, cut a piece of backing fabric. Pin or clip to secure together. I used some of the fat quarter fabrics to make my own binding, to neaten the edges. Cut 2” strips enough to go round your whole project, join them together. R/S together, place one strip on top of another (as below) where the corners meet sew a diagonal line. Press out and continue with as many strips as you require to bind your project. Now your sofa tidy is ready to use! No more sticking pins in the arms of the sofa or forgetting where you put your scissors! I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. To see more from Nicola, follow her on Instagram @bobbincottagebodkin. Written by Nicola Hills, for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Nicola Hills If you are wanting some pumpkin ideas to decorate your home, these velvet pumpkins are very easy to make and require little or no sewing experience or kit, they can be hand sewn. The length you chose is halved for the height i.e. 18” across by 9” high. Fold in Right sides together on the shorter edge. Sew down. Use a tacking stitch - - - - - - - - - - around the bottom, pull to gather and tie off. Fill with toy stuffing, tack stitch around the top to gather, tie off. Using embroidery thread or strong cotton, create the ‘pumpkin effect’ by putting a long needle in the bottom, out through the top then pull the thread taught around the pumpkin and back down through the top, repeat this until you have 5 or 6 sections. Take the needle back through the bottom and tie off to secure. Use a twig to create a stalk. Pumpkins come in many shapes, colours & sizes make a whole bunch and use them to decorate for an Autumn Display. To see more from Nicola, follow her on Instagram @bobbincottagebodkin. Written by Nicola Hills, for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Angela Harkness Supplies: A selection of tonal fabrics for the pumpkins Background Fabric - 1.5m Backing Fabric - 1.25m Green Fabric - 0.5m Wadding - 1.25m Temporary Fabric Spray Adhesive Celebrate all things pumpkin with this autumnal patchwork lap quilt. If you’d like to make it as a table topper, reduce the size of your squares, or supersize them and make a patchwork quilt to snuggle under. Step 1: Cut out your fabrics as required: Pumpkin Fabric a - 28 pieces 2.5” x 2.5” Pumpkin Fabric b - 30 pieces 2.5” x 2.5” Pumpkin Fabric c - 40 pieces 2.5” x 2.5” Pumpkin Fabric d - 25 pieces 2.5” x 2.5” Green Fabric - 4 pieces 2.5” x 2.5” 5 pieces 2.5” x WOF Cream Fabric - 235 pieces 2.5” x 2.5” Directions: Step 2: Creating half square triangles: To determine which pieces get stitched together, refer to the layout chart Place two squares of fabric right sides together Check positioning if fabric is a directional print Draw a line diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner Sew along the drawn line Cut ¼” from the line Open up the seam and press the seam open and flat Trim down the pieces to give the correct size square (2.5” in this case) **chain piecing here saves time and thread** Step 3: Sew the square pieces together in rows, pressing seams open and flat as you go. Step 4: Keep referring to your layout and return pieces to your board to keep them in order. Step 5: Continue sewing the pieces together to create each row: Step 6: Continue sewing until all the rows are sewed together. Keep referring to your layout and return pieces to your board to keep them in order. Step 7: Layer up the quilt front with wadding and backing. Spray baste these pieces together then quilt the front of the quilt as desired...as simple or as complex as you wish! I used the serpentine stitch on my Bernina and stitched across and down each intersection. Step 8: Adding the quilt binding: Make the binding by stitching each of the fabric strips together at a 45 degree angle and attach to the quilt, mitring each corner as you go. Join the ends together to finish. Flip over to the back and hand stitch in place. Then get ready for being cosy on the sofa with a pumpkin spice latte! Layout Diagram: To see more from Angela, follow her on Instagram @angerellas_crafts. Written by Angela Harkness for The Craft Cotton CO 2022.

Project by Kimberley Hind The release of the highly anticipated Barbie movie is just around the corner, so what better way to be immersed in the world of fashion and creativity than by sewing a Barbie-themed dress! This fabric is from the new Barbie collection by The Craft Cotton Company and the design I’ve used is called ‘Better Together’. It has the classic baby pink background with images of different Barbie dolls in trendy outfits. This 100% cotton is wonderful for kids clothing as its long-lasting, soft, and breathable. The fabric is great for garments that require a little more structure and shape such as shirts, shorts, and some styles of dresses. (Do be aware, this fabric is NOT suitable for children’s sleepwear.) A dress is a must for summer and this smock dress pattern from Tiny Design is a perfect Barbie sewing patterns and is ideal for sunny days. It’s simple to make with no zips or lining, and the floaty, oversized style is great for playing in and keeping cool on those warmer days. The dress has a gathered waist and a has a button at the back so it’s easy and comfortable to wear. It could even be layered in autumn and winter with a long sleeve top and tights making it a versatile piece in your child’s wardrobe. The pattern is for kids aged between 0-6 years old and is a PDF download with 6 pages to print at home. Vienna is about to turn 6 years old, and I made her the dress in a size 6 which I think will last her the year! You can find the sewing pattern here The arm holes and neck are finished using bias binding which mean that there isn’t any extra fabric for required lining the dress. I used a pre-made cotton bias tape in black for this dress. Next time I make this dress I would try to use a binding from the same fabric as the outer, that way it won’t be as visible while it's being worn, especially around the armholes where it gapes slightly due to its oversized style. There are step by step instructions which are easy to follow with illustrations to help, making this Barbie sewing patterns great for beginner sewists. Vienna's review - Although she isn't usually a Barbie Girl, she appreciated the doll print fabric and really enjoyed wearing this dress! She wore it during the heat wave we had at the end of June and loved how breezy and cool the dress kept her. She loved twirling in the garden and even played football wearing it, so a big thumbs up from her! This is a pattern I would definitely make over and over again because it’s simple to sew and my daughter Vienna loves this easy style of dress for summer. Happy sewing! Kim x To see more from Kim, follow her on Instagram @whatkimberleymakes, Facebook @whatkimberleymakes and don't forget to visit her website whatkimberelymakes.com. Made by Kimberley Hind for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Jo Eldred Have you got any Minions crazy kids in your family? Unless they have been under a rock I'm sure you have! Follow this simple sewing tutorial and create a Bob the Minion reading cushion. THE best gift for any little Minion. I used: 4 main fabrics (including 2 from the new Minions Fat Quarter collection) Yellow Homespun Blue Homespun Clear PVC Instructions 1. Make the Eyes- For accuracy I used a plate as a stencil for the eyes. I placed it on the black and white fabrics and the clear PVC, and drew a circle around it. As I am making two eyes, I placed the plate side by side to make a large 8. I then cut out a smaller circle from the black and stitched the rings together, and turned it. On this side I added the white fabric, a large button and the PVC (the button will move around). I then snipped small cuts into the inner ring, turned it under and stitched. 2. Make the Front- Take the yellow and blue homespun fabric and cut them so they are 16" x 16". The blue homespun fabric will be used for the book pocket, so you will need to fold it in half, and place it on top of the front piece. I added a black velvet band to the blue pocket 3. Make the Envelope Back- I took 2 Minion Fat Quarters and cut both 16" x 12". I then found a lovely technique to use Bias Binding instead of folding over the raw edge. 4. Attaching the eyes- I placed the black eye on the front pocket and stitched a half circle around the bottom half of the eye to attach it to the blue. For the white I stitched under the bottom half of the eyes and then did a zigzag stitch between the two eyes. 5. Final steps- I lay the front pocket onto the front fabric and the back piece on top (right sides together). I then stitched ¼ seam allowance around all 4 sides. I snipped the points from the corners so that when you turn them out you get a nice crisp corner (the eyes once stitched will appear just over the top of the pocket). If you wish to not have a pocket the whole process can be made and stitched to the front of the cushion in an applique style. To see more from Jo follow her on Instagram @jojewelsoutoftime or Facebook Jewels Out Of Time. Written by JoAnne Eldred for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Lesley Connelly Keep all your fabrics and sewing supplies organised with these handy hanging storage baskets - you can also choose not include the hanging loop and make some standing storage baskets too. Want a bigger basket? Just increase the size of the fabric pieces used for the bag. To start this Simplicity Vintage sewing tutorial you will need the following: Materials: Simplicity Vintage Sewing fat quarter set by The Craft Cotton Company Scissors Pins Needle Thread Ruler/tape measure To make one fabric basket: 1. Choose two of the fat quarters from Simplicity Vintage Sewing collection. One will form the outer fabric (fabric 1) and one will be the lining (fabric 2). 2. Cut out your fabric: 3. In fabric 1 and 2 cut out a piece of fabric 20x52cm (this will be the basket outer fabric and lining piece). 4. In fabric 2 cut out a piece of fabric 4x52cm (this will be the hanging loop). 5. Take the basket outer fabric piece and fold in half (right sides together) to create a piece 20x26cm, ensure folded seam is at the bottom. Draw a 4x4cm square in the bottom left and right hand corner of the fabric, cut out these squares. Repeat with the lining piece. 6. Taking the basket outer fabric piece (right sides still together) sew down each side to join. Next to make the base of the basket flatten out and place together the side and top edge of the cut out square (folded line on the bottom edge of the bag will line up with the side seam of the bag) then sew along to secure. Repeat with the lining piece. 7. Make the hanging loop by taking the 4x52cm piece of fabric, place right sides together and sew down the 2 sides to secure. Turn out the right way. Fold in half to create a loop. 8. Turn the basket outer Simplicity fabric piece out the right way then place inside the lining (still wrong sides together). Take the folded hanging loop and place in the middle of the back of the basket in-between the lining and outer basket fabric with the raw edges of the loop against the raw edges of the top edge of the bag. Pin around the top edge to secure then leaving a 8cm gap for turning sew around the top edge. Turn out the right way and slip stitch to close. 9. Fold over the top edge of the basket by 4cm, fold the hanging loop back over the folded basket top and sew to secure. And there you have it! Your Simplicity Vintage Sewing hanging storage baskets are complete. We hope you found this sewing tutorial useful. To see more from Lesley, follow her on Instagram @hookstitchsew or visit her website hookstitchsew.com. Made by Lesley Connelly for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Lucy Picksley Oh hey there Snoopy, I hear the circus is in town. I have a love hate relationship with the Circus which I suspect many of you might well relate to? Growing up we would head to the Campion Hills where the circus would pitch up alongside the fair. I’m not sure if it was all the lights and noise or if it was the fear that someone was going to be making a sharp exit from a canon. We only went occasionally, the fear was far too big in my eyes and I can’t say that I’ve hurried to take my children either. Of course they have had the experience of the clowns in town, but nowadays its less about the Big Top and more about stunts on motorbikes. Turns out its not for my boys either – phew! The Snoopy in Circus collection is reminiscent of a childhood ideal with the big red tent and the promise of a slow moving Ferris wheel. The print is perfect with little images of Snoopy and his pals at the Circus with all the bright colours of the balloons that look like they might take Snoopy for a sky high ride if he doesn’t keep safely grounded. The colours in the prints are so adorable, they are bold and solid without being over bearing to the eye so I felt that the blend of fat quarters would do for a child (or adult) of either gender meaning whatever you make can be passed through the children in a family quite nicely. I had 4 fat quarters to use along with a fat quarter of calico which I added to make the base of for the sweet drawstring bag. I had some lovely red macramé rope in my stash so I added this to draw the bag in at the top. To the front of the bag are 3 different sized hearts but it would look equally great if I’d cut out a butterfly or aeroplane! I fussy cut one of the fat quarters to combine with a strip of red oilcloth to make a sharp looking pencil case. Again, I pinched the ‘Circus Peanuts’ slogan from another of the fat quarters and fused it to the fabric to create a smart looking pencil case label. Finally I made a book cushion where I pulled all of the remnants of fabrics together to make a very smart travel cushion with an envelope style back. In all this fabric really sets off a cute kids collection that I truly feel anyone would love. To see more from Lucy, follow her on Instagram @sew_pretty_sew_mindful and check out her Youtube channel! Made by Lucy Picksley for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Emma Taylor Now I don’t know about you but I have a massive stash of fat quarters. They are all beautiful and I love each one. But it got me to thinking of all the possibilities with them. So this blog makes one hell of a cute bag if I do say so myself. I hope you try to make one to, it is really simple and if you are trying to build your confidence sewing this is a project for you. Now on with the project. Things you will need : One pack of fat quarters Sewing machine Basic sewing kit Buttons & Ribbon (If you wish to embellish) How to construct the bag Step One – Making the handles: Cut two 4” x 18” pieces. Fold and iron the pieces longways, then open up and iron the edges of the fabric to the crease line. Then fold and press so that the seams are enclosed. After a good press stitch down the side of handle. If you wish to give the handle a little more strength then stitch down the other side too. Step two – Cutting the pieces for the bag: Cut two 11” x 18” pieces one will be the lining one will be the outside of the bag. Step three – Constructing the bag: Pin both handles onto the lining of the fabric, I like to place them about 2”-3” from the seams. Lay the outer fabric right side down onto the bag and sew down the short sides with a 1/4” seam. Press the seams open from the short side. Now move your fabric so the seams are in the middle of your project. Sew all down the long sides of the bag leaving one 3” gap on one side. Pull the bag through the gap. Then top stitch the 3” opening. Neatly press the bag and top stitch the opening of the bag. Step four – Boxing the corners (this is an optional stage): Turn the bag inside-out and line up the side seams perpendicular to the bottom edge, creating two triangles at either end of the bag. Measure down 1″ from the point and draw a line perpendicular to the side seam. Sew directly on the line, back stitching at both ends. Repeat the same process with the bottom corner on the other side of the bag. You could hand-tack down the gusset flaps if you’re picky, but don’t have to worry if you’re not as they will be hidden in the bag. To see more from Emma, follow her on Instagram @taylormademisfit. Made by Emma Taylor for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Stephanie Marsh Fabric used: Minions (3209) Taggy You will need: 1 Cotton fat quarter Dimple fleece, at least 13” square Various ribbons/rickrack Matching thread Instructions: 1. With the cotton fat quarter and the dimple fleece cut a 13” square in each. 2. From the ribbons and rickrack cut 20 x 5” lengths. 3. Fold the ribbons/ric-rack in half, matching the cut edges. Place at regular intervals around the cotton square. Stitch them in place by sewing all around using a ¼” seam allowance. 4. Place the dimple fleece on top of the cotton fabric, right sides together, matching all the edges. 5. Stitch all around using a ½” seam allowance, leaving a 2” gap for turning. 6. Trim the corners to reduce bulk, be careful not to cut through the stitching. 7. Turn right sides out, lightly press the seam, do not use a hot iron, as the fleece will melt. 8. Pin the gap closed, then top stitch all around, ¼” from the edge, this will stitch the gap closed. 9. Lightly press, from the cotton side and trim away any thread ends. Teething Ring You will need: Small amount cotton fabric Small amount of dimple fleece Wood Teething Ring (ensure it is a one for new-born babies) Matching thread Paper and pencil, or a rabbit ear shape template Instructions: 1. Using the paper and pencil (or download a template from the internet) draw a rabbits ear shape, approximately 9” tall and 4 inches wide. 2. Cut 1, on the fold (short straight edge) in cotton and 2 in dimple fleece, extending the long edges by ½”. 3. Pin and tack to the wrong side of the fleece the ½”extention as shown below. 4. With right sides together matching raw edges pin fleece to cotton fabric; you may need to use many pins as the dimple fleece has a slight stretch. 5. Using a ¼” seam allowance sew all around the outer edge. Trim the corner and either clips the curves or trim the seam allowance using pinking shears. 6. Turn right sides out through the gap in the fleece, finger press the seams, carefully poking out the point of the ears. You can either now slip stitch the gap closed or machine stitch through all the layers so the raw edges are enclosed. Topstitch all around, ¼ from the edge. 7. Fold the ears in half and thread through the ring, as below. 8. Take the ear ends and feed them through the loop that you have made on the other side of the ring, pull through and make neat. Bibs You will need: Small amount cotton fabric Small amount of towelling (I used a towel from Primark, washed) Matching or contrasting thread Popper, 1 set per bib Instructions: 1. For the pattern I downloaded a bandana bib pattern from the internet and cut out 1 in cotton and one in towelling. 2. Place right sides together, matching raw edges, stitch all around using a ½ “ seam allowance, leaving a 2” gap for turning. Trim seam allowances using pinking shears, or clips corners if you do not have any pinking shears, apart from where opening is. 3. Turn right side out, lightly press, you can use a hotter iron as towelling is cotton and does not melt as the fleece would. Pin the gap closed. 4. Slip Stitch the gap closed. 5. Top stitch around all the edges. 6. You can either use a sewn on popper or a plastic one as the closure. I use the plastic ones which come with a tool to attach them, which involves making a hole in the fabric, pairing a back and front together, then squeezing them together with the tool provided. Booties There are many free booty patterns available on the internet, I used https://www.handmadeintheheartland.com/how-to-sew-baby-booties-free-pattern and https://sewcraftyme.com/free-baby-booties-sewing-pattern.html These had easy to follow instructions, although they can be a bit fiddly as they are small. Hat I used a free pattern from the internet for my sun hat, I used the smallest size. The pattern I used was by Oliver and S, https://oliverands.com/shop/oliver-s-reversible-bucket-hat-sewing-pattern.html. This was free at the time I made the hat, but there is a charge for it now. Similar ones can be found on the links below: https://www.applegreencottage.com/tutorial-cute-bucket-hat/ https://www.applegreencottage.com/tutorial-cute-bucket-hat/ https://startsewing.org/accessories/hat/bucket-hat-free-sewing-pattern/ There are quiet a few also available on Pinterest. The pattern I used took 2 fat quarters. The instructions were clear with pictures that made construction easy. The hat can be made in a few hours. If you have directional fabric be careful when cutting out the brim and side, you don’t want an upside down minion. Keep the top stitching neat on both sides, especially if you intend to use the hat as a reversible one. Remember to iron in between every sewing step, this will make the hat look more professional. To see more from Stephanie follow her on Instagram @stephanie_j_marsh. Made by Stephanie Marsh for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.

Project by Sarah Holliman Do you want to start sewing your Summer Wardrobe ? Try out this gorgeous Boho Patchwork Skirt. You will need: Approx 4 metres of fabric (I used 4, 1m lengths of coordinating fabrics for a patchwork design) Skirt Pattern - I based my pattern on the McCalls Pattern M8066 and then adapted it with my own variations to suit 1 Inch wide elastic and a small amount of lightweight Interfacing for waistband Scissors/ Ruler/ Pins/Thread/Needle Do you ever find that a fabric determines what you want to make? As soon as I saw this new Sunflower Range from Craft Cotton Co, I could imagine a pretty summer Boho Skirt. You know the kind – a swirly, dancing around in the field kind of skirt! I found a pattern, McCalls M8066 for a Boho tiered summer skirt. I used this as a base, although I wanted all my pieces to be patchwork, so I adapted the pieces as I found necessary. I’ve added some photos of my construction process, but it really is up to you how you want to design your skirt, just have fun! How To: 1. Take your pattern and read all the instructions carefully. Decide on the skirt variation you are going to make and cut out all the pattern pieces ( I chose the long, tiered Version C). 2. Make the waistband, according to the instructions and apply interfacing. 3. Take the pattern piece for the first tier section. You will need to cut two pieces on the fold. My panels measured approx. 35 inches by 12 inches each. For my patchwork design I make two panels to fit the template. The patchwork was made up of various pieces of fabric 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. I rearranged the pieces and cut some into smaller pieces to make a panel. 4. Join your top panel pieces together and run a gathering stitch around the top to make a gathered panel. 5. Attach the front and back panels to your waistband pieces, according to the pattern instructions and sew into place. 6. Encase the elastic into the back of the waistband and sew the waistband into the first tier of the skirt. 7. Take the pattern piece for the middle tier. You will need to make three panels for this piece. I used larger fabric pieces for this panel, so I made several 8 by 12 inch patchwork panels to fit the pattern template. 8. When your three panels are complete, sew the pieces together and gather at the top. Attach this piece to the top tier of the skirt. 9. Repeat this process for the lower tier. You will need four panels for this tier. I used four pieces of fabric approx. 10 inches by 40 inches wide. The panels were sewn together, gathered along the top and attached to the middle tier of the skirt. 10. Hem the bottom of the skirt and neaten to finish. Your skirt is now ready for the summer months or just pair it up with a comfy jumpy and chunky boots for the ultimate Boho Chic! To see more from Sarah, follow her on Instagram @sjstitchery, and check out her website sjstitchery.com! Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Co 2023.