Search Results

Project by By Sarah Holliman at SarahJaneStitchery The Delilah Do dolly bed set is perfect for making sure your little friends have a good night’s sleep. Delilah Do is my rag doll made here @SJStitchery. The bed set comprises of mattress, mattress topper, sheets, pillow and a patchwork quilt. You will need; Selection of Craft Cotton Co, fabric totalling about 2 metres/ or 2 fat quarter packs. Co-ordinating scrap fabrics can also be used as many of the finished pieces are no larger than 12x16 inches. 1 Metre backing fabric 1 metre of wadding (I used 2oz wadding) or preferred quilting fibre Felt for Mattress Buttons Toy stuffing for Pillow (could also use remnants of wadding) Pins/Scissors/Ruler/Pencil/Thread Quilting safety pins for holding the panel layers together METHOD 1. Lay out all the pieces of your fabric selection and press with an iron. 2. Decide which fabrics you are going to use for each piece. You will need; Mattress 1: 2 pieces for the Mattress - top and backing Mattress topper: 2 pieces for the Topper - Top and backing Sheet 1: 2 Pieces - Top and backing Sheet 2: 2 Pieces - Top and backing Pillow: 2 Pieces and also fabric for the frill Quilt: Remnants cut into 2 inch squares (approx 80) and Backing fabric approx. 12x16 inches Depending on the size of the doll, decide how big or small you will need your bed set. For my 12 inch Delilah Do Doll, I am using pieces of fabric roughly 12x16 inches. PILLOW 1. To make the Pillow: Cut two pieces of fabric measuring 9x11 inches. For the pillow filling, I have used some excess wadding folded over several times to make a pillow shape - you could also use toy filling. 2. I have added a frill to the outside of my pillow in matching fabric (this is optional - you could leave it plain if you wish). For the frill, cut 4, 2 inch wide strips of approximately 23 inches in length. Join the strips together, fold the strip in half to make it 1 inch wide and press. Along the raw edge of the strip, run a gathering thread through the length of the fabric to form a ruffle. 5. Tack the ruffle to the right side of the fabric rectangle before sewing up the pillow seams. 6. With right sides together, sew all around the pillow seams, leaving a gap in one side for turning and stuffing the pillow. 7. Turn the pillow out and press with an iron. 8. Stuff the pillow and sew up the gap. SHEETS 9. For the sheets (I made 2 sheets in different fabrics, one for the mattress cover and one for the top sheet); For each sheet, take 2 pieces of fabric measuring approximately 11x20 inches (one for the front and a co-ordinating one for the back). 10. Lay right sides together and stitch all the way around the fabric, leaving a gap for turning. Turn out the right way, sew up the gap and press with an iron. MATTRESS 11. To make the mattress; Take two pieces of fabric approximately 11x20 inches (same as for the sheets). 12. Secure your piece of wadding (or two if you want the mattress thicker) in-between the layers. 13. With right sides together, stitch all the way around the mattress, leaving a gap for turning. 14. Turn out the right way and sew up the gap. 15. For a mattress effect, I quilted all the way through the mattress in a diamond pattern. 16. To add a ‘buttoned’ effect to the mattress, I cut out several small felt circles (about the size of a button) and stitched these into the criss crosses of the mattress. 17. Make a mattress topper in the same way using different fabrics. QUILT 18. For the quilt cut approximately 80 x 2 inch squares for the front of the quilt. 19. Sew the squares together, starting with blocks of four, with 1/4inch seam allowance. Press the seams flat throughout. 20. Decide the design of your quilt. For this quilt, I used 5 blocks of 4 squares on the side and four blocks of 4 squares along the top and bottom to make a rectangle quilt. 21. When your quilt top is complete secure the wadding to the top layer. 22. With right sides together, add the backing fabric to the quilt layers and secure in place with quilting safety pins. 23. Quilt through all the layers, I followed the straight lines of the patchwork squares. 24. Trim the excess wadding so that it is exactly the same size as your quilted panel. 25. To make the quilt binding, cut 2.25 inch width strips of fabric and sew the lengths together to make a continuous strip. Fold the strip to make a bias binding and sew the binding the front of the quilt, folding the edges neatly. 26. Slip stitch the binding to the back of the quilt, over the stitching lines. 27. Add your quilt to your bedding set. Your bed set is now complete. Depending on your time scale, you could make accessories and clothing to match. My Delilah Do Doll has a matching set of pyjamas! HAPPY SEWING X To see more from Sarah, visit her on Instagram @sjstitchery Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Co 2021

Project by Sarah Holliman An easy to follow, minimal sew, fabric project to create a beautiful keepsake Mother's Day Rosette Brooch by SJStitchery You will need; Selection of small pieces of fabric or a Fat Quarter Pack from Craft Cotton Co. Ribbon Small square of felt for backing Button Fabric glue Small amount of embroidery thread (optional)/Needle Brooch back (available from any craft store) Iron On Interfacing (optional) Scissors/Ruler/Pencil METHOD 1. Firstly, choose your fabric selection for this project. 2. Cut out some flower shape templates in fabric. You could trace the shape onto your fabric or use a die cutting machine. Cut out a selection of different sizes of the same shape - I cut 5 sizes of the same flower shape. Also cut 2 leaf shapes in fabric. 3. Add an iron-on interfacing to the back of your fabric to give extra stability to the fabric. 4. Cut out 5 matching templates in felt for the backing of the flowers. This will add extra depth to your brooch. The leaf shape does not require a felt backing. 5. Using embroidery thread, stitch the felt backing to the flower shape. I used a blanket stitch, but you could use any stitch you desire. If you didn’t want to stitch you could also use fabric glue to attach the felt backing. 6. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon for the rosette, one shorter than the other. Cut a ribbon ‘V’ shape at the bottom. 7. To attach the ribbon and leaf, secure with a couple of small stitches (or use fabric glue) - this will all become hidden under the flower formation. 8. Arrange your fabric flower shapes in size order and secure together. I used a thread to sew all the way through the shapes and added a little button detail to the centre. 9. Attach your brooch to the back of the largest flower shape. Your brooch is now finished. Now you can experiment with lots of other different shapes and designs to create your own beautiful keepsake for a special occasion. KEEP CRAFTING X To see more from Sarah, visit her on Instagram @sjstitchery Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Company 2021

Project by Sarah Holliman A fun, easy to follow, no-sew paper and fabric project to create a gorgeous keepsake card for a special person on Mothers Day by SJStitchery You will need; Card Blanks (I used 5x7 inch card blanks in Ivory from Hobbycraft) Selection of card and paper for cutting shapes and templates Selection of small pieces of fabric Ribbon/accessories for your card Fabric glue or PVA Double sided adhesive tape Iron On Interfacing (optional) Scissors/Ruler/Pencil For this tutorial, I have focused on the Little Bird card, but the instructions are the same for all the designs, just change your template shapes and wording as desired x METHOD 1. Choose your card blank size. This will depend on how big or small you want your design to be. I have used 5x7 inch card blanks from Hobbycraft as you will find most shapes easily fit onto this size of card. 2. I always start my card making with a card topper. This is a piece of coordinating blank card that is smaller than the size of your card on which you can mount your design. In these designs, I have simply used a rectangle of white card, approximately 6x4 inches 3. Attach your card topper to your blank card using double sided adhesive tape. 4. Now you have your basic card and topper you are ready to embellish the front of your card. Cut out a cardboard shape of your design you want to use. I have used a Little Bird. You could trace around a shape and cut out a template or use a die cutting machine. For Mother’s Day cards you could use Flowers, Hearts, Butterflies or even cut around the shape of your children's hand or feet! 5. Once you have your cardboard template, you will need to transfer this design to fabric. If your fabric is quite a thin cotton, you can add an iron on interfacing to the back of the fabric at this stage. This will give the shape more structure. 6. Once you have ironed on your interfacing to the fabric, use the cardboard template to cut around the shape. 7. Using a pea sized amount of fabric glue, attach the fabric shape onto the top of the cardboard template, so that you have a fabric shape with a cardboard backing (this makes it easier to fix onto the card). 8. Leave to dry. 9. Whilst your shape is drying, you could think about the wording you would like on your card. You could use a piece of your child's handwriting mounted onto card or you could cut out some letters. I used a die cutting machine to cut out my words, but I then used the reverse image of the text and added some fabric behind the ‘cut-out’ for extra effect. 10. Once you have your wording and shapes, you are ready to design your card. Try some different layouts and decide how you want your card to look. I have decided to place the lettering at the base of the card and the Little Bird across the centre. Once you are happy with your design, use double sided adhesive tape to stick the card shapes to the topper. (You could use PVA but sometimes a ‘wet’ glue can distort your card so I find tape is a safer option). 11. Add ribbon or embellishment as you like. I have used a very narrow ribbon just tied around the centre of the card. Now you can experiment with lots of other different shapes and designs to create your own beautiful keepsake card for a special occasion. KEEP CRAFTING X To see more from Sarah, visit her on Instagram @sjstitchery Made by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Company 2021

Project by Michelle Roberts Please read through all the instructions before starting your project Finished size 29” x 40” (seam allowance 1/4” and has been added to measurements) Materials Five half meter pieces from the Cutest Little Elephant range Half meter of solid cream/white fabric Vlieseline R80 wadding (32” x 43”) Gutermann threads Haberdashery items · Quilters ruler, rotary cutter/scissors · Iron · Cutting mat · Basic sewing supplies · Frixtion fabric pen · Odif 505 temporary adhesive spray Let's get sewing… Cut 4 strips 3 ¼” x 30” from the elephant chain fabric Cut 12 blocks 5 ½” x 5 ½” (6 from the fabric with crosses, and 6 fussy cut from the elephants in blue) Cut 6 strips 30” x 3” from the white fabric Cut 15 pieces 5 ½” x 2 ½” from the white fabric Using the photo below for fabric placement, sew the white pieces to either side of the fabric squares, so you have 3 rows, made up of 5 white pieces and 4 fabric squares. Sew a white strip to top and bottom of each row. Complete the top quilt by sewing on the elephant chain, see photo above for placement. Fuse your top quilt to the Vlieseline R80 (super soft, luxury wadding) using pins or Odif 505 temporary adhesive spray. Make up the backing by cutting the following pieces Central panel 32” x 19 ¾” Elephants on teal 2 x pieces 32” x 9 ½” crosses on white 2 x pieces 32” x 3” clouds on blue Join as shown in the photo below. Baste to the other side of the wadding, ready for quilting Quilt using your preferred method/design. Trim away excess wadding and backing fabric. Cut 1 ½” strips of white fabric, to make your binding, sew onto your quilt using your preferred method. Your pram quilt is complete. Don’t have time to sew, please contact me via my website www.creativeblonde.co.uk to place an order. Other newborn items in this collection are also available to purchase from my website. To see more of my tutorials or to place an order, you can head over my website www.creativeblonde.co.uk and/or Instagram page www.instagram.co.uk/michelle_creativeblonde and www.facebook.com/creativeblonde66 Stockist for Fabric www.visagetextiles.com https://www.facebook.com/craftcottonco Stockist for Gutermann Threads gutermann@stockistenquiries.co.uk 01453 883581 https://www.facebook.com/Guetermann.creativ.uk Stockist for Wadding www.vlieseline.com Made by Michelle Roberts for The Craft Cotton Co 2021

Project by LetsGetSewing Sometimes the most simple projects are the most enjoyable and can give the best outcomes. After seeing this floral jersey fabric from Craft Cotton Co, I wanted to make myself a summer top. Something that was simple to make and easy to wear, letting the pretty fabric do the talking. My initial plan was to try and do something with elastic, perhaps to include puff sleeves or create an off the shoulder top. I'd still like to have a go at one of those projects but I decided to go for something simple that I knew I could pair with different trousers. Last year I made myself a super simple pattern for a top that could be made from fabric scraps. I wanted to focus on the armhole and position of the straps to make it fit me perfectly, something that is hard to find with tops like these in RTW shops as they're often made cheaply. I'm so pleased with how well the fit turned out. It's a great pattern to use both for scraps that would be thrown away, or a fabric like this one where I wanted the design to be visible. Simple, easy to make and good for wearing on holiday. As mentioned I chose to go for a simple design in order to let the fabric shine. I did want to include some kind of fun detail though, so I decided to add a tie to the straps. It was so easy to do, I just cut the straps about 7" longer and tied them over my shoulder. It adds a nice bit of interest and works really well with this fabric as it's quite a small print. I went for a double knot with the ends hanging out, but a bow would look nice in a draper fabric or you could leave more or less fabric for the ends. One thing I like about the design of this top is that the straps also act as bias binding around the armholes. It gives the armhole a really neat finish and avoids a messy or weak attachment of straps to the bodice. The first time I made a top like this, I left it un-hemmed and simply cut it at the length I wanted it to finish. It worked well on the rib I used, but I wanted a neater finish on this top. Also, the jersey would have probably rolled if I hadn't hemmed it. I'd say the main thing I've learnt through sewing with jersey is that small hems do not work. They go wobbly and turn under, giving a messy finish to the project. I now finish all jersey makes with a hem that is at least 1" deep. For this top I sewed a double row of stitching, a finish that I love. It doesn't take a lot of effort but I think it shows that you've put thought into the whole sewing process and just makes it look a bit nicer. It's so tempting to rush hems but I think a neat hem does make a real difference. I think this was the perfect project for this fabric and I'm looking forward to wearing this top in the summer, hopefully whilst on holiday. To see more from Anna, visit her on Instagram @letsgetsewing1 Made by Anna at Lets Get Sewing for The Craft Cotton Co 2021

Project by Daisy Lawn Here's a very simple table setting collection including a chair cover. Skills...use of sewing machine only You will need: Fabric of your choice, Threads, Wadding, Iron on Hem. Coasters Cut your fabric...1 piece for the top example 6” x 6” Cut your fabric...2 piece for the base 8” x 6” allow for seam allowances Cut wadding the same size as your top Fold the base pieces in Half and Press.....now they are 4” x 6” Tops and base Lay the wadding down first Place the top face up Place the base piece on top, with folds to the inner Sew all the way around Trim all edges and snip corners Turn Right Side out Via base split Insert a piece of Steam A Seam just inside the fold and press into place This seals the back Cutlery Holder Cut Fabric to your choice of size One Front Piece Two Back Pieces slightly larger as the coaster One Piece Folded and pressed to complete the pocket Lay Wadding Top Face up Lay Pocket Lay Folded Base Pieces ...Folds to centre Sew all the way around Turn Right Side Out Top stitch all around the edge and Stitch up the pocket if you want cutlery partitions Pocket Chair Backs Very simple, measure your chair, cut front and backs, sew around the sides and top Sew across the Corners to square them, add a hem, this completes a very simple Pocket Chair Back. Sew across the Corners to square them, add a hem, this completes a very simple Pocket Chair Back. Made by Daisy Lawn for The Craft Cotton Company 2021

Impress your lover with a valentine’s love note that has been stitched with love. Make the best keepsake love note that you can add to for many loving years with my fabric love note sewing tutorial. What you need A selection of fabrics I used a selection of grey and pink fabrics from the fat quarter packs Nursery Basics and Essential Trends by the Craft Cotton Company. Sewing machine with matching or contrast thread. Or hand stitch if you prefer. Scissors Pinking scissors A small handful of fibre fill toy stuffing Tape measure Fabric marker of your choice Cutting mat and rotary blade (optional) Pins or wonder clips Embroidery floss, Fabric pens I’m using heat transfer vinyl and my cricut machine. Iron and ironing board Envelope closing option either Velcro, a button or a popper. I’m using the popper method. Making the Envelope Step 1 Select two contrasting fabrics and cut a square of 13x13 inches in each fabric. Step 2 Cut one corner of the square and cut it of at 2 inches Step 3 Stitch the perimeter of the square back stitching at the start and end. Leave the angled corner open for turning Step 4 Clip the corners and trim the seam allowances. Turn out the envelope and press the square flat and turn in the raw edges of the angled corner. Step 5 Stitch around the perimeter again and press. Step 6 Stitch the two sides of the envelope together and pin in place. Step 7 Give it a press Step 8 On the back of the envelope use a closure method of choice of either a button, Velcro or popper. I used the popper method. The envelope is now complete. Making the love note Step 1 Select a piece of fabric and draw a heart template and draw round the fabric twice with a marker Step 2 Cut the heart out with pinking scissors Step 3 Pin the heart together wrong side to wrong side. Stitch around it leaving a 1 inch open back stitching at the start and end. The gap is where you will be lightly stuffing it. Step 4 Embellish your heart with a message. You can choose to use fabric pens or paint, use embroidery floss or like I have use heat transfer vinyl that I used with my cricut machine. Step 5 Stuff the heart slightly so it has a little volume. Step 6 Stitch the opening closed. Step 7 Trim all the threads on both the heart and envelope. The heart note is now complete! Congratulations you have now made a fabric envelope and love note. This project doesn’t have to be just for valentines. This project can be used for birthdays special occasions and can be made into a letter for Santa. If you don’t fancy the heart inside simply do a handwritten note. The possibilities are endless. Hope you enjoyed this project Love Carrie X Tag me in your makes on Instagram @carrie_can_make_it #carriesprojects Made by Carrie Marshall for The Craft Cotton Company 2018 #seasonal #valentinesday #valentine #freesewingtutorial

Project by Angela Harkness Show your love of patchwork and quilting this Valentine’s Day with this mini quilt tutorial. If you want a bigger quilt, just make more blocks! You will need: Pink Floral fat quarter pack Pale pink blender fabric White cotton fabric Wadding Temporary fabric spray glue Directions for quilt: Step 1: Using your rotary cutter and ruler, cut your fabrics (floral, pink and white) into 117 2.5” x 2.5” squares. Each nine patch block needs five squares of the floral fabrics, two white squares and two pink squares. Step 2: Following the nine patch design, stitch the squares along one edge with right sides together: using the ¼” foot on your sewing machine helps with accuracy. Sew the third square onto each row of the block. Stitch each row of the blocks together along the long side, making sure you align the seams of the blocks. When looking at the reverse side of the block, you will notice how the seams all align and sit together well. Set the seams by carefully pressing on the front side of the fabric. Step 3: Repeat the above step for the remaining 12 patchwork blocks. Step 4: Cut out 12 white squares 6.5” x 6.5”, cut out 12 floral hearts, each heart backed with heat and bond/bondaweb. I used a die cutting machine to cut out the hearts, alternatively, print out a heart shaped template. Step 5: Peel backing off hearts and fuse onto the white squares, in a central position. Step 6: Layout the blocks in a 5x5 layout, alternating the nine patch and heart block designs. Take a reference photograph! Step 7: Sew each row of blocks together using 0.25” seam allowance, and then sew the rows together referring to your layout design photograph. Step 8: Cut 4 strips of fabric 2.5” x width of the fabric. Sew these borders on the left and right sides, then top and bottom, trimming edges once pressed. Step 9: Layer up the runner by spray basting the wadding then the backing fabric onto the back of the piece, then repeat for the quilt front. Step 10: Using a walking foot on your machine, quilt the layers together with your chosen stitch design/pattern. To give definition to the appliquéd hearts, stitch around the outer edge with a light satin stitch. Once quilting is completed, trim away any excess backing fabric. Step 11: To finish the quilt, make and attach binding, right sides together, around all four sides of the quilt. Hand stitching the binding onto the back of the quilt gives a neat finish. The finished quilt: To see more from Angela, visit her on Instagram @angerellas_crafts Made by Angela Harkness for The Craft Cotton Company 2021

Project by Stephanie Marsh You will need: 1m fabric 1m r-form bag stabiliser (or wadding) Medium/heavy weight iron on interfacing Thread Note: 1cm seam allowance used throughout, unless stated. Instructions 1. Cut the following in the fabric: 2 back/front 24cm x 33cm (W x H) 2 sides 12cm x 28cm (W x H) 2 back/front (lining) 24cm x 33cm (W x H) 2 sides (lining) 12cm x 28cm (W x H) 2 small side pockets 12cm x 22cm (W x H) 2 large side pockets 12 cm x 32cm (W x H) 1 small front pocket 24cm x 26cm (W x H) 2 large front pocket 24cm x 26cm (W x H) 2 handles 30cm x 12cm (L x W) Cut the following in r-form stabilise: 2 back/front 22cm x 31cm 2 sides 10cm x 26cm 2 handles 28cm x 4cm Cut the following in interfacing: 2 small side pockets 12cm x 22cm 2 large side pockets 12 cm x 32cm 1 small front pocket 24cm x 26cm 2 large front pocket 24cm x 26cm 2. Iron the r-form stabiliser and interfacing onto the relevant pieces. Note: the r-form stabiliser is 1cm smaller on all edges than the outer fabric. 3. Take the pocket pieces and press them in half widthways. Pin the larger pocket piece then the smaller pocket piece in place on the side panel. 4. Take the smaller front pocket and using a heat erasable pen mark lines from top to bottom at intervals of 2cm. 5. Place smaller pocket front piece on top of larger pocket front piece. Stitch along the marked lines. 6. Take front bag piece and measure 6cm up from the bottom and mark a line across from side to side. Take the front pocket piece and place right sides together, front pocket piece top at the bottom, 1cm from the bottom of the pocket on the marked line. Stitch along this line. When you press the pocket piece up it will be the right way up. 7. Press pocket piece up. 8. Take the front and back pieces and stitch together along the bottom short edge (along the edge of the r-form stabiliser (it’s okay to catch a small piece in). Press the seam open. From the right side, top stitch 0.5cm either side of the seam line. 9. Take the side panels and attach to the front/back with the centre matching the bottom seam that you have just sewn. Stitch in place, start/stop stitching 1cm away from the edge. 10. Matching the top edges pin and stitch all 4 sides seams to create a box/bag. Snipping into the stitch line on the front/back/side panels will ease the seams. 11. Remove the pins holding the pocket pieces in place. 12. Take the handle fabric pieces and press 1cm on ling edges to wrong side. Place the r-form stabiliser handle pieces in the centre, lengthways and press in place. Wrap the fabric around the stabiliser and stitch in place using a few rows on evenly spaced top stitching. 13. Pin and tack in place the handles to the top of the bag, right sides together, with outer of handle being 3cm from side seams. 14. Make the lining of the bag the same as the outer, omitting the pocket pieces. 15. Turn outer right side out and lining wrong side out. Place the outer inside the lining. Line up the tope edge and side seams. Stitch in place. To see more from Stephanie, visit her on Instagram @stephanie_j_marsh Made by Stephanie Marsh for The Craft Cotton Company 2020

Project by Stephanie Marsh You will need: 4 fat quarters Wadding R-Form bag strapping 1 large button Thread To make the pattern: 1. Take an A4 piece of paper, fold it in half widthways. Draw one half of a bag shape, as below onto this, rounding off the corners and sloping into the top, add 1/5 inch all around for seam allowance cut out’ 2. Measure around the curved edge, on the sewing line, not the outer edge, cut a strip of paper this length, 4.5 inches wide, fold in half lengthwise. Taper from one short edge to the other, making the edge for the top of the bag 1.75 inches. This is the bag gusset. 3. Top yoke – 10.5 inches x 3 inches Frill – 17.5 inches x 3 inches Handle – 21 inches x 4.5 inches Button loop – 2 inches x 9 inches Cut the following in fabric: 2 x main bag outer 2 x main bag lining 2 x bag gusset 2 x bag gusset lining 4 x yoke 4 x frill 1 x handle 1 x button loop Cut the following in wadding: 2 x main bag 2 x bag gusset 2 x yoke Cut the following in r-from bag strapping: 1 x handle 21 inches long. Instructions: 1. Take the handle fabric piece and press 0.5 inches on ling edges to wrong side. Place the r- form stabiliser handle pieces in the centre, lengthways and press in place. Wrap the fabric around the stabiliser and stitch in place using a few rows on evenly spaced top stitching. 2. Pin the wadding to wrong side of the relevant pieces. 3. Join the gusset pieces together on the longer of the short edges of the outer fabric, press seam allowances open. 4. Pin the longer edges against the curved edge of the main outside bag. Stitch in place, press seam allowance towards gusset. Repeat on other side. 5. Take 2 frills pieces and stitch together on one of the short edges. Repeat with 2 other pieces, press seams open. Place the 2 strips right sides together, sew around the 2 short edges and one of the long edges, trim seam allowance, clip corners and turn right sides out, press flat. Press pleats in place, approximately every half inch or so. 6. Place raw edge of frill across top of right side of outer bag. Pin and tack in place. 7. Take the button loop strip of fabric and iron in half lengthways, then open out and press raw edges into centre then re press in half again, lengthwise, stitch in place. Fold in half, widthways, pin and tack in the centre of the top of the outer bag back. 8. Take 2 yoke pieces, right sides together, stitch around the 2 short edges, and the long edge. Turn right sides out and press. Repeat with the other 2 pieces. With raw edges matching place the yoke pieces on the back and front of outer bag, pin and tack in place. 9. Pin and tack the handles in place, raw edges matching. 10. Make the bag lining the same as the outer bag, see steps 3 and 4. 11. Turn outer right side out and lining wrong side out. Place the outer inside the lining. Line up the tope edge and side seams. Stitch in place. 12. Unpick some of the stitching of the base of the lining, enough to feed the bag through. 13. Pull the bag and lining through this hole, right sides out. Press the seam well. 14. Using a ladder stitch close the seam in the bag lining. Press well. 15. Stitch the large button in the middle of the front yolk, bring loop over to fasten. To see more from Stephanie, visit her on Instagram @stephanie_j_marsh Made by Stephanie Marsh for The Craft Cotton Company 2020

Project by Katie Done at The Fabric Squirrel A new collaboration from the Craft Cotton Company and V&A brings this gorgeous new Alice in Wonderland collection. It consists of 5 prints with images that have been taken from the original artwork found in the V&A archives. I was lucky enough to be sent all five prints to play with a specific request for a dress made from the white floral one. I had a metre of full width material to work with so, I got drafting a pattern. I liked the style of dress that Alice wears, but the apron would cover most of the design and I thought it would be too busy to use one of the other patterns. I liked the shape the apron made on the top half so I thought I would try creating the shape without the actual apron and just add frills instead of ties. I decided to attempt my own pattern after a quick sketch. I have only ever made simple patterns before, so this was quite a challenge. It has been a few years since I made my friends little girl Mary a dress and she still regularly requests to squeeze into it so, it was about time she had another better fitting Nana Katie make (they call me Nana Katie). During a pre lockdown 2.0, socially distanced (of course), craft night with my crafty friend I used a dress that Mary currently wears as a guide and drafted a pattern. I used some fabric left over from another project to make a practise one. I couldn't check the fit like I usually would have done for obvious reasons but, based on a few pictures I made some adjustments, and the end dress was a pretty good fit with room to grow. Mary is 3, nearly 4 so, I would hope it will fit for the next year at least making it aged 4. YOU WILL NEED 1 Metre Alice Fabric Half Metre White Fabric Sewing Machine Overlocker (optional) Iron and Ironing Board Sharp Scissor Rotary Cutter (optional) Pins 12" Zip Pattern (you can download the PDF below) Mary Dress Pattern .pdf Download PDF • 850KB Use a 1/2" seam allowance throughout. METHOD 1. Print out the pattern and cut out all the pieces. I used a plain white fabric as the lining for the top. In addition to these pieces you will need 46cm x 80cm (front skirt), 2 46cm x 40cm (back skirt), 2 3" x full width of fabric strips (the ruffles). I used a white blender for the ruffles. 2. Start by folding over and stitching a double hem on one long edge of each of the ruffles. Change the stitch length on your machine to the longest it will go. On the other long edge, sew two straight lines close to the edge leaving long tales at each end. 3. Pin front and back centre at the shoulders. Pin back and front sides at the shoulders. Sew and press open. 4. Find the centre of the ruffles and mark it. Use the long stitches you made on the ruffles to gather the ruffles to fit the centre pieces, matching the centre point with the shoulder seam. Taper of the ends of the ruffles off the edge of the centre panels. Pin into place and baste. 5. Now get your side pieces, match up the centre seam and pin it to the side of the centrepiece. Sew and then trim the access. Repeat steps 4 and 5 on both sides. 6. Sew the lining front to the back at the shoulder seams. 7. With right sides together pin the lining and main pieces. Match the seams and sew along the neckline and arm holes. 8. Trim and cut notches at the curves. 9. Open out the side seams and pin them, matching at the seams. Sew. 10. Cut a notch where the front and lining meet. Be careful not to snip through the stitching. Give it all a good press. I am not a master pattern designer so you may need to trim the bottom edges at this point. Pin the bottom edges and baste. 11. Pin the front and back skirt pieces at the sides with right sides together. Sew. At this point I have also finished off the seams. I have used the overlock on the side seams and back edges because I love the finish it gives. If you don't have an overlocker you can use a zig zag stitch. Press the seams to the back. 12. Turn your machine to the longest stitch and sew two stitch lines on the top edge of each panel, leaving long tales. Fold the front skirt in half, marking the centre. 13. Match the seams and centre of the skirt and top with right sides together. Pull your gather stitches, manipulating the gathers so they are even around the dress. Pin and sew the top to the skirt. Finish the raw edge on the overlocker or with a zig zag stitch. 14. Insert the zip. Pin the zip to edge of the back centre. Baste in place with a longer stitch on each side first to ensure it meets evenly before you sew it in properly. Finish off the raw edges. Press. 15. Press over the bottom edge twice and hem. Your dress is ready. As I have said, I am not a professional pattern designer, this is just something I have drafted myself and it seems to have worked for me and hopefully you have been able to follow this tutorial successfully. If you have any questions at all, please get in touch. Or if you have given it a go, I would love to see! Here is the dress being beautifully modelled by Mary with the cushion and quilt I made from the same collection. Tutorials for these are also available on my blog. @thefabricsquirrel Made by Katie Done for The Craft Cotton Company 2020

Project by Nicola Hills I always use what I have available, so prepare my projects to the size of the fabric. What you will need: A set of Age of the Dinosaur fat quarters Lining Fabric Interfacing or Bosal Foam Tools: Paper Template, Sewing Machine, Basic Sewing Kit, Iron How To: The bag instructions are much the same for most round storage bags. For the outer take one of the fat quarters fold it in half longways cut into equal halves. Repeat for the lining and interfacing/Bosal foam pieces. Create a base, I used a tea plate size template. With r/s together pin one of the side pieces to the base, for best results use lots of pins, time consuming I know but it won’t work out otherwise, trust me! When you get back to where you started pinch the two side pieces together to create a seam and sew down. Then connect the side to the base slowly. Repeat for the other side, leave a 3” gap in the lining piece to turn out! Turn the outer bag r/s out. Put it inside the basket lining r/s together. Manipulate the 2 bags so the tops match up. Tip if you made the *spikes sandwich them between the lining and outer basket at this point. Pin. Stitch around. Turn r/s out through the gap you left. Stitch up the gap, Iron. How to: Make the spikes Using another fabric, cut 3 x 2’’ strips lengthways place 2 of them R/S together and draw triangles, these will be the Dinosaur spikes :) Sew around the lines then cut out leaving a bunting effect. Turn R/S out and iron. With the remaining strip fold in half lengthways, press with the iron. Now fold in each side from the outside into the centre crease you ironed. Place the triangles into the binding and pin to secure before sewing. I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial, if you have a go, please share with us @bobbincottagebodkin @craftcottonco Nicola Hills x Made by Nicola Hills for The Craft Cotton Company 2020