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Project by Sarah Holliman- SJ Stitchery A beautiful little keepsake workbook project, perfect for Mothers Day, gifting or just a pretty present to yourself. You will need: One pack of fat quarters or small pieces of different fabrics. Wadding. Optional embroidery thread/ribbons/felt/Buttons. Scissors/ Pins/Thread/Needles. This make is a perfect weekend sewing project. The workbook can be made in so many different ways, a Mother’s Day workbook, a Memory Workbook, a special Workbook just for yourself. It is completely up to your own imagination and once you have created the basis of the workbook you can add anything you like to the pages, add anything that is personal to you, favourite fabrics, letters, drawings, sentimental pieces or even chocolate if you like! Here, you will find the basic instructions for the book (mine measured approx. 6x7.5 inches but you can make your book any size you wish). I made a little sewing workbook to hold my most important sewing notions to me, I included a little pincushion and needle case in my most favourite fabrics. Just have fun! Method: 1. Layout your selection of fabrics and decide which colours you will use for your workbook. You will need to cut four pieces of fabric and two pieces of wadding measuring 7 x 8.5 inches. I chose to make the front and back of my workbook (one fabric piece) in a patchwork design. For this, I simply cut out lots of 2.5 inch hexagon shapes from my different fabrics and sewed them together on the machine and then trimmed it to make a rectangular panel measuring 7x8.5 inches. 2. When you have all your four panels of fabric, place the wadding in between each set of two and tack or pin into place. Fold the panels in half – now you will be able to see how the pages are going to be placed in your workbook. 3. If you want to quilt your workbook, it is a good idea to do this now before you start to add any pocket pieces, etc. 4. With all your book pages in order, think about what accessories you would like to add to your pages. I find it is a good idea to collect together all the accessories you would like in your book at this stage, eg; ribbons, buttons, papers, photos, etc. Once you have all your accessories together, start to place them on the pages – pin them in place. You will start to see your workbook coming together and you will be able to see where you can place pockets or extra panels. 5. I made some pocket details in my workbook simply by hemming small rectangles of fabric to fit the page. I have also made a little pincushion to attach to my scissors and a needle book with felt pages. There is no right or wrong way of making these, I simply played around with the scrap fabric I had and added felt pages to make a needle book. You will find once you become immersed in your project, your imagination will become limitless. 6. When all your accessories are complete carefully unpin your pages. I like to sew some of my accessories onto the page at this stage. Sew the pocket details into place. If some of your added pieces are larger or more delicate you may wish to attach them once the workbook is actually sewn together. 7. When all your accessories are in place and you are happy with your design, place the two pairs of the pages right sides together and pin into place. 8. Sew all around the pages, leaving a large gap for turning. 9. Carefully turn your pages out through the gap, pushing out the corners as you go. Sew up the gap. 12. If you can, it is a good idea to give the pages a press with an iron at this stage. 11. I also like to top stitch all around my pages at this point as I find it helps the pages to keep their shape. 12. Your book pages are now complete. Have a look at your workbook design and add any extra embellishments as you wish. 13. Sew a couple of lines down the middle of the book to secure the pages together. 14. I have also added a little tie around the middle of the book to secure using some fabric bias binding, you could also use ribbon or Velcro for a different look. 15. Your workbook is now complete. To see more from Sarah follow her on Instagram @sjstitchery or visit her website sjstitchery.com. Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Kimberley Hind This large cushion cover uses half -square triangles to create a fun chevron design. It’s the perfect size for a floor cushion for kids to play or relax on! The fabric I've used for this cushion is the Hot Wheels Collection by The Craft Cotton Company. I’ve used a plain blue as a contract to exaggerate the chevron shapes and the back closes with an envelope back. What you’ll need: 5 Hot Wheels fabrics each measuring 10” x 10” 22” square Cushion pad 25” x 20” Contrasting plain fabric 22” x 30” Backing fabric (I used the same as the contrasting plain) cut into two 22” x 15” pieces 24” x 24” Wadding Rotary cutter and cutting mat Pins or clips Erasable fabric pen Spray glue (I’ve used Odif 505) ¼” Seam allowance Instructions: 1. Cut the printed fabrics and contrasting plain fabrics into 5” squares. You’ll need 40 squares in total. (20 plain and 4 squares of each pattern) 2. On the plain squares, draw a diagonal line from one corner to another. Pin or clip the plain right sides together to a patterned square and sew ¼” down either side of the line drawn. 3. Cut long the line so the one square becomes two and press. 4. Trim the square down to a 4” square. 5. Repeat with the rest of the squares. 6. Arrange the squares in a chevron design. You’ll have a couple of squares left over. TIP- if you’re moving the pieces from a table to your machine, or if you want to come back to the project later, use a foam board and pins to keep the small pieces in order! 7. Sew the squares right sides together in rows. Press the seams to one side on the first row, then in the opposite direction for the second row and continue alternating the direction. This helps to nest the seams when you join the rows together. 8. Sew the rows right sides together, making sure to line up where the seams meet for a neat finish. 9. Adhere wadding to the back of the panel using a glue spray (the wadding may be slightly bigger to allow for movement when quilting.) Sew quilt lines onto the panel. I’ve sewn ¼” inside each blue chevron. 10. Adhere wadding to the back of the panel using a glue spray (the wadding may be slightly bigger to allow for movement when quilting.) Sew quilt lines onto the panel. I’ve sewn ¼” inside each blue chevron. 11. Place the two backing pieces right sides together to the front of the cushion cover, making sure the 2 hemmed edges overlap in the middle of the cushion. Sew around all 4 sides. Snip off the corners inside the seams. 12. Turn the cushion right side out and insert the cushion pad! To see more from Kimberley follow her on Instagram @whatkimberleymakes. Made by KImberley Hind for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Kimberley Hind These simple scatter cushions are great for adding colour to your living room or bedroom. They have an invisible zip in the bottom so that you can use both sides, making them more versatile. This tutorial can be adapted to fit any size cushion you’d like, just increase the measurements to fit the size you’d like! I’ve used the Tropical Metallics 5-piece fat quarter pack from The Craft Cotton Company for these cushion covers. I’ve added a gold tassel trim to compliment the gold metallic prints, giving them a tropical bohemian feel. What you’ll need for one 32cm cushion: 32cm square Cushion pad 2 x Fat quarters 20cm Invisible zip Invisible zipper foot (if possible) 70cm Decorative trim (optional) Instructions: 1. Cut two squares of fabric each measuring 2cm larger than your cushion pad. Your invisible zip is sewn in before the seams are sewn. Place the zip centrally over the bottom of one piece of fabric and sew, use an invisible zipper foot on your sewing machine for best results. Start at the top of the zip, just under the stopper so that the end of the zip is left unsewn. Sew the other half of the zip to the bottom of the second fabric in the same way. TIP- use the left-over pieces for smaller projects! 2. Fold the two pieces right sides together. Sew the seam from the edges of the fabric to meet the stitch line over the zip. 3. Add your trim, if using any, to each side of the cushion cover approx. 12cm from the bottom of each piece. Making sure they are in the same position on each side so that when the cover is finished the sides match. 4. Fold the two sides right sides together again and sew all the way round with a 1cm seam allowance leaving the zip open. Snip across the corners. 5. Turn the right side out and insert your cushion pad. To see more from Kim follow her on Instagram @whatkimberleymakes Made by Kimberley Hind for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Paula Milner- The Crafty Lass You Will Need: Fabric Thread Wadding Craft Essentials: Sewing Machine Large Plate (or similar) Pen or pencil Fabric Scissors Pins Tape Measure Iron How to Make Table Mat 1. Table Mat- Select, Cut & Press Select, measure and cut out your fabrics. Press if needed. You will need the below measurements: Round Table Mats Top Fabric 35cm x 35cm - 1 piece per mat Back Fabric 35cm x 35cm - 1 piece per mat Wadding 35cm x 35cm - 1 piece per mat 2. Table Mat- Template Place your fabrics RST (Right Sides Together) and place your large plate or charger onto the fabric to draw round. Alternatively, you could use a compass to create a large circle. The one I have used is 33cm in width. Draw round and cut out. 3. Table Mat- Wadding Repeat with 1 layer of wadding. 4. Table Mat- Sew Place your wadding down and then fabrics RST on top. Sew all the way around the outside edge using a 1cm seam allowance, leaving enough room to turn out the right way. 5. Table Mat- Turn Out Turn out and push the edges out as far as you can. Press, pin the open edge into position if needed and then sew all the way around the edge in either a straight or decorative topstitch. Secure your threads. - Table Runner - 1. Table Runner- Select, Cut & Press Select, measure and cut out your fabrics. Press if needed. You will need the below measurements: Runner Top 1st (main) fabric 54cm x 45cm - 4 pieces Top 2nd (strips) fabric 5cm x 45cm - 5 pieces Back fabric 235cm x 45cm 2. Table Runner- Front Sew Using a straight running stitch with a 0.5-1cm seam allowance, start connecting each piece together alternately along the 45cm edge. Starting with a 5cm strip, then your main fabric, then a 5cm strip and onwards. As I have used a ‘directional’ print (where the Gruffalo and character friends are all stood in one direction) I have chosen to rotate the fabric in the alternate panels so that people on both sides of the table runner can see the characters correctly. Depending on your fabrics, will depend on how you want to do this. 3. Table Runner- Backing Fabric Place your now sewn together front fabrics, and your backing fabric RST. Using a straight running stitch and a 1cm seam allowance, sew all the way around leaving a gap for turning out. Press. 4. Table Runner- Turn Out Turn out, push the edges and corners out as far as you can. Press, pin the open edge into position if needed and then sew all the way around the edge in either a straight or decorative topstitch. Secure your threads. Et voila… Table mats and table runner! To see more from Paula follow her on Instagram @thecraftylass Made by Paula Milner for The Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Sally Boylett This is a really useful accessory for when you don’t need to take out your whole baby changing bag! I use it to pop to the shops, and it will hold a nappy, baby wipes, cream etc and fits into your handbag easily. You can make this bag as big or as small as you like – once you have the basic principal, it is very easily adaptable to your required size. The bag I have made measures : 9.5” long and 5¾ “ high. At the boxed base it is 3 1/2 “ wide Do not be worried about inserting a zip. It’s such a simple process and we use a zipper that is longer than the finished project to make it easier to insert. I really hope you enjoy making this as much as I did. Materials needed (for the size bag shown) Craft cotton co fat quarter pack Fusible wadding/bosal – you can use either iron on or normal 14” Zipper (use a plastic tooth zip, not metal) If using non fusible wadding, 505 temporary basting glue Clips or pins Before cutting : I always iron and starch all of my fabrics before cutting. This is an optional step. I find you get cleaner cuts this way. Cut 2 strips from each piece of fabric – measuring 2 ½” wide by 8” long NB please take into account the direction of the print. If you are copying this bag you will need to ensure that the pattern runs vertically 2 pieces of wadding 12 ½” wide x 8” high Instructions 1. Cut fabric as below. I use a ruler and rotary cutter. Measuring strips of fabric. Fat quarter is folded in half to cut 2 at a time. 2. Lay your first piece of fabric, RIGHT side up on to the wadding. If you are using fusible, iron this on. If not, use some of your temporary adhesive to keep this first piece of fabric in place. 3. Line your sewing machine foot up with the right hand side edge of the strip, and sew straight down to the bottom. Starting on the overhang avoids any potential nesting of the threads. (The over hangs will be cut off in a later step, so please don’t worry about them) 4. Sewing down first strip of fabric. Continue quilting in any way you would like. I have just quilted in straight lines, spaced at ¼” apart. I have used the ¼” foot that came with my machine and lined up the edge of the foot with the previously sewn line of quilting. Shown below: Lining up the edge of the foot to the first line of sewing, to keep quilting straight. Repeat this step until you get to the end of your first strip of fabric. 5. Lay your next strip of fabric RIGHT SIDE DOWN over the top of your quilted piece. NB : ensure that the direction of the fabric is how you want it. Second strip of fabric laid right side down over first quilted strip. 6. Sew this piece down, using a ¼” seam on the right hand side. Second strip of fabric sewn to the first quilted strip. 7. Flip the fabric over, and if using fusible wadding, iron into place. If you are not using fusible fleece, it is not necessary to use spray glue – but if you want to, you can. Second strip of fabric folded over, ready to begin quilting as before. 8. Now recommence quilting your newly added strip, as you did on the last strip. Repeat these steps for both pieces of wadding. You can see the overhang of fabric at the top and bottom, and that there may be a piece of wadding left over too. This is fine. Both wadding pieces fully quilted with strips of fabric. As you can see, I have alternated the order of my fabrics on the second piece of wadding, so that when the two pieces are eventually joined, the pattern of one peach/pink strip is followed by a white piece. 9. We are now going to trim up these pieces and cut them so that they measure the same size as each other. Quilted panel trimmed. 10. I then used the left over strips, and sewed them together to make a lining. Again I alternated the fabrics. This is totally optional – you can use one solid piece of fabric – just cut it to the size of your quilted wadding pieces. You will need 2 lining pieces. Two lining pieces before being trimmed to the same size as quilted panels. My outer panels and lining pieces ended up being 10 ½” wide by just over 7 ¼” high when trimmed. To Insert the Zipper 1. Lay one of your quilted pieces face up on the table. Put your zip, right side down, lined up against the top edge of your quilted panel. Zipper facing upside down on the right side of quilted panel. 2. Now choose one of your lining panels and place it face down over the top of the quilted panel and zip. NB. Ensure the direction of your fabric is right. Clip into place. Lining piece laid over quilted panel and zips. Right sides together. 3. Using a zipper foot, sew along the top of the panel – this will sew the zipper in and the outer quilted panel and the lining together. Sewing in the zip. Remove clips as you go. 4. Open up the two pieces of fabric, right side up and iron along the lining fabric piece and the back of the zipper. NB: ensure your iron is not set too hot. You can use steam, once you have pressed this. Pressing on the lining side, over the zip. 5. Now fold the two panels, so that the lining is behind the quilted panel and the zipper is at the top. Again, give this a press into place. Lining at the back. Press zipper along the edge of the quilted panel. 6. Now take your panel to the sewing machine, and pull the lining away, as show in the photo and top stitch closely along the edge of your zip. I find that this helps with the ends of the zip not being too distorted when turning the bag at the end of the project. Top stitching zipper into place on quilted panel only. Lining folded upwards and out of the way. 7. Now take your zipper panel to the table, fold the lining behind the quilted panel. Take your second quilted panel and place this on top of the first quilted panel with the zipper. Right sides are together. NB ensure that the direction of your fabric is right. 8. Second quilted panel laid over zipper and first quilted panel. Right sides together. Clip in place. Now turn this piece over, so that the lining which is sewed to the zipper is right side up. 9. Take your second lining piece and lay this right sides together over the first lining piece (which is attached to the zip. Lay the top of the lining piece to the top of the zipper tape. This will attach the second quilted piece and the second lining piece to the zipper. 2nd piece of lining right sides together with 1st piece of lining. 10. Take this to your machine, and again using the zipper foot sew along the top edge which will join all 4 pieces of your bag to your zipper. Sewing zipper in. 11. Once sewn, remove this from your sewing machine and open up to press the zip into place. Now top stitch as before, along the quilted piece only. You may find this easier if you undo the zipper. 12. Once done, place the bag onto your table and put the two quilted panels right sides together and the two lining pieces right sides together. Line up the sides and the bottoms as best you can. The zip will twist – you need to clip the zipper teeth so that they are facing towards the lining side of the bag. This is an important step – as it makes the zipper open more. 13. Clip around the bag – ensuring the zipper teeth are facing towards the lining – I have used 2 purple clips which I have circled around to show you the teeth facing the lining. Remember to unzip your zipper a few inches – otherwise turning will be a little awkward! The 2 green button shaped pins on the right hand side of the bag are to mark the gap for turning. It is 4”wide. 14. Sew all the way around the bag, leaving the gap for turning as marked by the 2 green button shaped pins. Zipper teeth facing towards the lining – circled in red. 4” gap left for turning. Boxing the Corners We are now going to box the corners of your bag. You do not have to do this if you choose not to. I however prefer boxed bags as they are able to hold more (always important!) 1. Leaving the bag inside out, lay it flat on your table. Line up a ruler in one corner of the bag – you are going to repeat this on all 4 corners, so it does not matter where you start. 2. Measure 1 ½” square and draw around it. Do this on all 4 corners using the same measurement. 3. Then cut the corner squares out. Your bag will look like this. 4. Now you are going to take the seam on the left hand side of the bag, and the seam on the bottom of the bag. You are going to GENTLY pull the cut square together to make a straight line – thereby boxing the corner of the bag. Clip these 2 raw edges together. Make sure that the seams line up – and you can push the excess fabric one to the left and one to the right to make the seams “nest”. Do this to both corners on the bottom of the bag – ensuring that the cut edges are pointing outwards 5. You are now going to sew across the corners using a 1/4 “ seam allowance. The corner sewn. Repeat this for all 4 corners. Your bag will still be inside out. 6. Put your hand inside the bag, from the lining piece where you left the turning gap, and unzip the rest of the zipper. Turn the bag, so that it is the right side out. Using a pokey tool – gently push out all of the corners so that they are squared. Pull the lining out towards you. 7. Pull the seams together where the gap is, and either hand or machine stitch it shut. Push the lining into your bag – and HEY PRESTO!! You did it. One QAYG zipper pouch completed. Made by Sally Boylett for the Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Michelle Roberts- Creative Blonde Fabric Used: Indigo Elements designed by Stuart Hillard. Finished Size: 14 1/2"x 35" Materials: 38” x 16” backing piece from the collection Two 12” squares from the collection 38” x 18” Bosal single sided fusible fleece batting Gutermann thread Two 12” squares, three pieces measuring 5” x 11 ¼” and two pieces measuring 3” x 36” from the Craftcotton denim fabric. Haberdashery Items: Quilter’s ruler Rotary cutter/scissors Iron Cutting mat Basic sewing supplies 6” Hexagon template Lets get sewing… Reverse applique is a simple method and makes a great alternative to raw edge applique. 1. Begin by laying a denim square and a square from the collection on top of each other - both facing up. Pin in the corners. Take your template and draw around it in the centre of your square using a fabric pen. 2. Secure the two piece of fabrics together with more pins. 3. Using a quilters ruler and your fabric pen, draw a ¼” seam allowance line inside your template marking. Then using a sharp pair of scissors, and making sure to only cut through the top layer, trim away the top hexagon, up to the seam allowance lines. Repeat this process for the remaining two 12” squares. 4. Snip into the corners. Fold under the seam allowance and press as you go. 5. Using Gutermann thread and Clover sharps needle, hand sew the raw edge under, with neat little stitches. 6. Remove the pins and press. Trim blocks to measure 11 ¼” squares. 7. With right sides together, join a denim rectangle piece to either side of each block to create your table runner. 8. Sew the two remaining strips to top and bottom of the table runner, and press. 9. Fuse your top piece to the batting, and baste your backing in place. Quilt using your preferred method. Trim table runner to measure 14 ½” x 35” (making sure to take even amounts off all round) Make your binding by cutting 1 ½” strips from the collection. 10. Machine sew to the front edge with right sides together. Press over ¼” of the raw edge and hand sew to the back of the table runner. Your table runner is complete! To see more of my tutorials, you can follow my blog www.creativeblonde.co.uk and my new website www.creativeblondegifts.com and/or Instagram page www.instagram.co.uk/michelle_creativeblonde and www.facebook.com/creativeblonde66 Stockist for Fabric www.visagetextiles.com www.hobbycraft.co.uk Project by Michelle Roberts for The Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Katie Done- The Fabric Squirrel I recently made George a pencil case roll. I wanted to make a smaller pencil case for some of his other pens and still had some fabric left over from the Natural History Museum collection by Craft Cotton Company so, I made a really simple pencil case to match. I made the two projects with one fat quarter bundle and still have some to spare. When I showed George the finished bag he said, "Is that for my rocks?!". George has an eye for pretty and shiny rocks and my mum, Nanny, has recently got a rock tumbler which is their new "thing". It hadn't crossed my mind that it would be a rock bag but with the fossil fabric, it actually couldn't be more perfect. So, you may call it a box pencil case, but George calls it his rock bag. You Will Need: Dinosaur Fat Quarters x2 10" Zip Binding Off Cut Sewing Machine with zipper foot Rotary Cutter, Ruler and Mat Iron Pins Method: 1. Cut your fabric 10" x 6". You need 2 of these in each fabric, 4 in total. 2. Place two contrasting fabrics together with the zip sandwiched on one edge, pin in place and sew. TIP: Have the zip half open, when you reach the zip pull it can be hard to sew next to it so, lift your foot and needle and close or open your zip so it is where you have already sewn, then continue sewing in a straight line. 3. Open up and repeat on the other side of the zip. 4. Open the pieces out so the matching fabrics are facing each other. Pin the two long edges together and sew. 5. Turn the pencil case to the right way so the zip is in the centre and facing inwards. Pin the short edges together. Sew, being careful not to break your needle on the zip. Make sure the zip is half open so you can turn it out. 6. This is optional, but for neatness I have added binding to exposed edges. I don't know about you, but I have loads of end pieces of binding from other projects, so this was a great excuse to use some up. This will be on the inside so, if you don't have any you can always finish the edges with a zig zag stitch or overlocker. 7. Press to create a crease, use this as a guide to help you create the box pleat. Bring the binded edge to this crease and pin. Mark a line, 1.5" from the corner. Sew along this line with the binding facing away from the zip, back stitch and tie the ends. Repeat on all four corners. 8. Trim the corners and finish them with a zig zag stitch or overlocker. Now turn your bag to the right way and fill it with pens or rocks! I would love to hear from you in the comments if you give it a go or are feeling inspired. Don't forget to tag The Fabric Squirrel in your social media pictures. To see more from Katie visit her on Instagram @thefabricsquirrel Made by Katie Done for The Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Katie Done- The Fabric Squirrel The latest Craft Cotton and Natural History Museum collaboration is out soon, I have forgotten which number collection this is now but they just keep getting stronger. When I was asked if I wanted to make anything with them, I knew exactly what to do. George has really got into drawing again over the last few months, much to my delight. For Christmas we got it him different types of pens to help encourage him, including a range of Sharpies. I decided this fabric would be perfect to make him somewhere to keep them all. You Will Need: Dinosaur Fat Quarter Bundle Rotary Cutter, Ruler and Mat Sewing Machine 1 m Ribbon Air Erasable Pen Bosal Foam Interlin ing (or your preferred wadding) Cutting: Cream - 2 – 4½ " x 21" (21" is around the width of your fat quarter) Blue Dinosaur Names - 21" x 14" Turquoise - 21" x 14" Bosal Foam Interlining - 21" x 14" Seam Allowance – ¼" Method: 1. With your two cream pieces of fabric, fold them in half length ways along the long edge. I have deliberately made them this width to make the most of the fat quarter. 2. Using an air erasable pen or chalk, mark where you want your pen pockets to be. I have done mine 1¾" apart, although in hindsight, I would probably make them a little narrower. 3. Line up the cream fabric on the long edge of the dinosaur named fabric. Baste it into place on the short edges and the raw long edge. Top stitch over the lines you have made, backstitch over the start and end points. Repeat this on the other side. 4. Layer up the wadding or foam, turquoise and the pocket piece, as shown below with the fabrics facing each other. Around 3.5" from the corner on each short edge, place a ribbon and pin to place with the ribbon sandwiched inside. I have used the ribbon from the fat quarter pack and cut it in half. Pin the fabric in place and sew all the way around leaving a 2-3" gap to turn it out. Clip the corners before you turn it out. 5. Give it a good press. The foam I have used is fusible so, I have given it a good press on both sides although this is optional. 6. Top stitch all the way around, ensuring you catch the opening on both sides. Fill with pens and you are done! To roll the case I have laid one ribbon in the inside and the other ties around the roll. Hopefully the video helps to show what I mean. To see more from Kate follow her on Instagram @thefabricsquirrel Made by Kate Done for The Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Kimberley Hind Create this handy memo board for your sewing room to keep ideas organised or as a display of inspiring images. It can be used to display photos, reminders, or even shopping lists by tucking them behind the elastic or with pins. A lovely addition to any workspace. Fabric used: Simplicity Vintage collection – Underestimate Me by The Craft Cotton Company What you’ll need: 66cm x 52cm thick Cardboard, if using corrugated cardboard, use two or three pieces and cut in opposite directions to prevent bending. 95cm x 78cm Fabric 66cm x 54xm Backing fabric 90cm x 73cm thick wadding, polyester is ideal, you may want to add more depending on the thickness of your wadding 3.5m of 6mm wide elastic 15cm cord or ribbon to hang Embroidery thread Doll needle Basting spray (I’ve used Odif 505) Drawing pins and strong tape to hold the elastic in place (I’ve used Gorilla tape) Needle and strong thread such as denim thread Hot glue gun (strong wet fabric glue would work but will take longer to dry) 20cm cord to hang 1. Wrap the wadding around the cardboard, adhere with basting spray. 2. Layer pieces of wadding cut to the same size as the board. I’ve used 3 layers to make the board extra padded. 3. Wrap your fabric over the top, again using basting spray to adhere. 4. With a needle and strong thread, sew from one side of the raw edge of the fabric to the other and pull tightly until the fabric is smoothly pulled over the cardboard. This will help to make sure that the fabric is secure when in use. 5. Cut two pieces of elastic slightly shorter than the diagonal measurement of the board. Stretch from corner to corner pinning at the back. If your drawing pins tend to pop out, use strong tape to hold them in place. 6. Repeat with four pieces of elastic, taking them halfway between the centre and the corners. 7. Pin/tape the ends of the elastic to make them secure. Don’t worry about this looking messy, it will all be covered later! 8. Take your doll needle and embroidery thread and sew straight through all layers over the crossing elastic then back again, pull tightly and knot. If the thread starts to cut through the cardboard, take it through a strip of strong tape at the back of the board. 9. Repeat in all places where the elastic crosses apart from the crossings at the very edge. 10. Turn all four of the edges of the backing fabric over once by 1cm and sew to hem. 11. Make a loop from the hanging cord and hot glue to the centre top of the back of the board. You can use tape as well if you wish. 12. Use the hot glue around the edge of the backing fabric to stick the back of the board. To see more from Kim follow her on Instagram @whatkimberleymakes Made by Kimberley Hind for The Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Sarah Holliman- SJ Stitches An imaginative quiet book, perfect for any little one You will need: One Fat quarter Pack Fisher Price fabrics Scrap fabric pieces for making extra sensory accessories Small amount of Quilt batting Toy Stuffing Bosal In R Form Selection of sensory accessories for the playmat, ie; mirrors, squeakers, teethers, wooden rings, toy stuffing and ribbons Rotary cutter and Ruler Pencil/Scissors/Quilting Safety Pins/Thread/Needle Method: 1. With a rotary cutter and ruler, measure and cut four pieces of fabric measuring 16 inches by 8 inches. These will become the eight pages of your book so I used four different fabrics, you could use four of the same colour – it just depends how you want your finished book to look. 2. Cut 2 pieces of wadding also measuring 16 inches by 8 inches. Now you have the basis for your book it is time to think about the way you want your book to look. If you have a theme, decide on the activites you want to put inside the book. I have chosen a World and Environment theme to match my play mat. There are lots of free downloadable templates to be found on the internet, so it is just up to your imagination ! You will also need some sensory supplies, ie; mirrors, squeakers, crinkle fabric, rings and ribbons. For my theme, I have chosen to include; A Planet A Moon Fish Flowers and Butterflies A Rainbow Sunshine Birds Tree 3. It takes some time to make all of these accessories and there is no right or wrong way of making them, sometimes it is just trial and error. It also depends on the sensory supplies you have but I have shown some ideas of the ones I have made below. 4. In order to think about the size of each attachment on the page you will need to work out the finished size of each page. Firstly fold each piece of fabric in half and iron a crease in the middle – this will give you your 8 inch page (finished size approx 7.5x7.5 inches). I also ironed a small hem around each side of the page (this will become my seam allowance when the book is stitched) but firstly it gives a guideline to the perimeters of the page, allowing me to centralise the design. The attachments will be stitched onto the fabric before the wadding is attached, so have a look at the page arrangement at this point and check your fabrics are in the order you want the pages to appear. 5. Start to make your attachments – you will need to work out which ones you want on each page. I used quilting pins to attach the pieces to each page as I made them so I could see how the book was progressing. 6. When you are happy with all your attachments you can start to sew them into place. I found some pieces were best hanging from the book, if they were a little heavier whilst some needed completely sewing into place. You can also add extra pieces as you go. 7. When all your pieces are sewn into place, place the two pairs of fabric, wrong sides together and pin into place. This will give you a view of how the pages work together. When you are happy with your book unpin the pages. 8. Place one set of pages face down and place the batting inside the seam allowance. Pin into place. 9. Turn the batting piece face down and pin the second page on top of the first one so that you have both of the pages facing together with all of the attachments inside the book. 10. Sew around all four sides, leaving a gap for turning. 11. Turn inside out, sew up the gap and press gently. 12. Repeat for the other two pages You should now have all your pages of your book. 13. I like to sew all around the pages to give the book extra stability. 14. Sew a couple of lines of stitching down the middle of the book to secure the pages together. 15. Add a small tab to the side of the book and stitch on a square of Velcro to secure the book together. Your book is now ready for your little one. Have fun ! To see more from Sarah follow her on Instagram @sjstitchery Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Co 2022

Project by Debbie Shore Learn how to make this simple pyramid pouch! These pouches are useful for sewing notions and hair accessories, and the pouch also makes the perfect gift bag for an extra-special gift! Make it in any size you like as long as the fabric pieces are squares. Project and instructions created by Debbie Shore. Click here to see full project

Written by Jess Unsworth Hi Flora thank you so much for taking the time to do this short Q&A with us! Firstly would you like to introduce yourself to the blog readers? My name is Flora Danso an alumnus of Manchester Metropolitan University where I studied Fashion Design and Technology. Originally from Ghana, West Africa and a Fashion Designer by profession. Raised by parents with deep understanding of fine fabrics and textiles in a creative and colourful culture in Ghana, my fascination with bold colours was born. I have my own business on the Gorton Retail Market where I design and sell African dresses, sell fabrics and offer bespoke services to clients. Responsibility and integrity are my core values, and my focus is to create wearable, timeless and high-quality garments for a wide range of body sizes that fit well, are comfortable and look good. The scope is to push the message of buy better, embrace durability and sustainable garments. I am very passionate about sustainability in fashion and try to incorporate that aspect in most of my designs. I offer an alterations and repairs service as well to be able to create awareness on sustainability and advance towards a greener future. I think by repairing and mending some of our clothing, we will all minimize waste, prevent some of our old clothing going into landfill and help the environment. So, you’re running a wellbeing workshop with Buzz Charity. Why do you feel that sewing is important for your mental health? Sewing is therapeutic. It creates a relaxed atmosphere, very engaging and fun and can draw you into a creative world of your own. What made you first start these workshops? I have had a lot of enquiries from people and some of my friends who wanted lessons on sewing over the years in my shop and realised the need in that field. My motivation for these workshops is to give back what I have studied and learned practically to my community. When did you first find your love for sewing? My love for sewing started at a very tender age when I always sat with my mum offering a helping hand when she made our pretty dresses for most occasions. My mum was my role model. I come from a family of six and the youngest amongst four sisters. Mum always made our clothes and made sure we all look beautiful in our colourful dresses for church every Sunday. The admiration and comments from people were my inspiration. I also wanted to make others feel special in what they wear. Do you feel as though sewing is something that people of all ages should get into? I believe sewing can be for all ages. Anyone who is creative and has the passion and desire in sewing can learn at any age. What would be your one piece of starting advise for someone who is struggling with their mental health and wants to maybe take up sewing? My advice will be to come out of isolation, make new friends and have a chat, engage in the lessons, develop new skills, learn something new and be proud of your achievements. And finally what is a Flora favourite when it comes to sewing? Ooh, the best part for me is the reaction of a client especially when the dress fits perfectly without any flaws. The DANCE. Everyone who looks good automatically starts to dance. That really makes my day and job worthwhile. Mental health is something that needs constant care and attention, but picking up hobbies can really help get you out of that grey space sometimes. Flora uses her passion and skills to help improve the lives and mental wellbeing of others, as well as running her own business; she is a fantastically talented woman. If you wish to find out more about Buzz Charity then please click on the link. Made by Jess Unsworth feat. Flora Danso for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.