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Project by Katie Done AKA The Fabric Squirrel Indian Summer is the latest collection from the Craft Cotton and Victoria & Albert Museum collaboration. Inspired by the Indian Textiles Exhibition, ten new organic cotton prints have been created. My brother is engaged to be married into an Indian family next year so, when I heard about this collection, I was excited to get my hands on it and make them something special to celebrate. I wanted a quilt that incorporated the full collection and I have come up with this design. Initially I wanted it to feel quite random, but it is so hard to make something look good and random. So, I ended up with a repeated pattern. Seam Allowance: 1/4" Finished Size: 125cm x 166cm You will need: Cutting mat Rotary Cutter Quilting Ruler Sewing Machine Pins Curved Safety Pins Wadding - 1 1/2m Backing Fabric - 1 3/4m Fabric: Varanasi Pink - 75cm White Love Birds - 1m Ochre Leaves - 75cm Whimsical Flora White - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Belle Flower - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Floral Sprig Peach - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Floral Sprig Olive - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Jaipur Flower Sage - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Ochre Marigolds - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Love Birds Sage - Long Quarter or Fat Quarter Confederate Plain - 75cm Method: 1. Cut your fabric as follows: Varanasi Pink - 9" Squares x9 White Love Birds - 9" Squares x13 Ochre Leaves - 9" Squares x3 Whimsical Flora White - 9" Squares x4 Belle Flower - 9" Squares x4 Floral Sprig Peach - 9" Squares x2 Floral Sprig Olive - 4" Squares x 35 Jaipur Flower Sage - 4" Squares x 35 Ochre Marigolds - 4" Squares x 35 Love Birds Sage - 4" Squares x 35 2. Now you need to add the half square triangles to the corner of each 9" square as follows: Top Left - Ochre Marigolds Top Right - Love Birds Sage Bottom Left - Jaipur Flower Sage Bottom Right - Floral Sprig Olive To do this get one large square and one of each of the 4 smaller squares. Line up the corners and sew diagonally from corner to corner. To ensure that the pattern stays the right way up on all your squares, line them up as I have pictured. 3. Trim the corners off, leaving 1/4" seam allowance. TOP TIP- Trim your offcuts into 1 3/4" squares ready to create a matching cushion or any other patchwork creation. 4. Press your seams outwards. 5. Lay out your squares as shown, ready for sewing. 6. Sew rows together first. Press seams open. 7. Now sew all these rows together and press your seams open again. 8. When I create a quilt, I have a good idea and plan in mind, but it often evolves. I loved it at this point, but it felt like t needed a border. The patterns are all quite busy so I didn't want to over complicate it by adding more pattern. This plain cotton is called confederate and is really underrated. I have used it a lot but could not tell you what colour it is. I think somewhere in-between blue, green and grey and that is why it goes with everything. Cut 4" strips, you will need to join two together for the long edges. Add the long edges first. 9. With the bits you trim off the sides, add these to two more strips and then add it to the top and bottom. 10. I used some of my left over 4" squares to add a half triangle to each corner to soften the edges 11. Your quilt top is done. Now to finish off in whichever way is your preferred way. I have used mid-weight 80/20 wadding from Bosal and a wide cotton poplin for the backing. Smooth out your layers as much as possible and then again to endure you don't get any puckers. I use curved safety pins to baste the layers together. 12. It always takes me ages to decide how to quilt a finished patchwork. I have stuck with what I know and gone with diagonals. I always enjoy the way it knits the fabrics together. It also means less prep work because you can just aim for the corners. To avoid wobbly lines on the border I have used my quilting ruler to mark the lines. 13. When you have finished quilting, trim your edges. DISCLAIMER: I got distracted by something and ended up trimming my quilt before I had quilted! I have never done this before but thankfully I had basted well, and the fabric didn't shift so it turned out OK still. 14. For the binding, I went with one of the golden brown prints. It isn't a colour I would usually go for but when it comes to Indian fashion and design, you often see gold trim and I thought this would reflect that same idea. Cut 6 3" strips, full bolt width (I don't cut on the bias when I don't have any curved edges) and press it in half with wrong sides together. I think sewing binding is a personal preference. I change my method depending on the quilt I am making and how much time I have. This time I have sewn it to the back, pressed it to the front and hand stitched it in place. Your quilt is finished! I hope you are feeling inspired. To see more from Katie, follow her on Instagram @thefabricsquirrel, Facebook and check out her blog! Made by Katie Done for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Angela Harkness Poppies for remembrance... make a statement wreath to show your respect. Supplies: 1 Fat quarter of Poppies fabric I Fat quarter of red felt Wreath ring Wadding off cuts 0.5m white craft cotton Red ribbon Glue gun Fabric spray adhesive Directions: Step 1: Cut scraps of wadding into strips and wrap around the metal wreath ring, overlapping as you go, trying to keep the curve shape. Continue wrapping until the ring is nicely padded. A dab of fabric glue will keep the end in place, or just temporarily hold with a couple of pins. Step 2: Cut the white cotton fabric into 3” strips then join the strips together either on the sewing machine or by hand. As previously, wrap around the ring until all of the wadding is covered. Hand stitch the end in place. Step 3: Make a variety of poppies in different sizes: · Attach the poppies fabric to the felt with spray adhesive, making sure there are no creases · Carefully free motion stitch around the different sized poppies on the fabric · Cut around the stitched poppies, leaving a narrow white fabric border Step 4: Arrange the poppies around the wreath, overlapping in places and mixing sizes. Hold in place with pins until you are happy with the placement, and then carefully glue each poppy onto the fabric base of the wreath. Step 5: Attach the ribbon and hanging loop, then your wreath is ready to enjoy! To see more from Angela, visit her on Instagram @angerellas_crafts Made by Angela Harkness for The Craft Cotton Company 2021

Written by Jess Unsworth It's Halloween weekend and you've decided that you now in fact don't want to stay in and will attend that Halloween party you turned down. Or maybe you've been the chosen chaperone to take the kids Trick or Treating, either way you have found your way to this blog under pure panic. Don't worry, we have all been there. I have just been invited to a Halloween party, and after throwing around some ideas and searching the internet, I realised a blog like this would've really been helpful in my state of panic. So, here you are- 10 last minute crafty costumes that you can throw together: (Please note these images may feature children but dressing up is for everyone, and I a 24 year old woman will 100% be using these ideas) 1. Pumpkin A pumpkin is a classic Halloween costume- and with the help of a sewing machine or a hot glue gun, quite simple to throw together. All you're going to need is some orange and black fabric! I found a tutorial by 'Heather Handmade' to help create this look, just click on the image above. 2. Monster Now, this one is such a fun and simple way to dress up without having to go 'all out'. For the eyes you could either use tennis balls, or you could just scrunch up some news paper and wrap the fabric around. You could even use this idea to expand on and create a dinosaur with a matching dinosaur tail, I have found a tutorial by 'Andrea's Notebook' for you to follow, click on the image below! 3. Sunshine I loveee this one, such a simple thing to make but such a cute idea! All you need is a headband and some yellow fabric and BOOM sunshine. 4. Spider This is one of my personal favourites, I made my own version around 5 years ago and it's still going strong! It proudly hangs in my wardrobe, ready to be pulled out at any moment. All I needed for this costume was: Black long sleeved top 3 pairs of black tights Stuffing String And that's it- you have your spooky spider costume. Here's my costume! Not quite as cute as the adorable child in the photo above! 5. Devilled Egg Now, if there's one thing I love it's a witty costume and devilled egg really hits the mark. Other witty costumes that are approved by me: Hot Dog Cereal Killer 'Reigning' Cats and Dogs Ceiling Fan French Kiss 6. Superhero All you really need for this is a cape, anything else is just showing off about how quickly you can sew. 7. Sushi Orange pillow case, white fabric to add to the pillow case, fabric to tie around waste, DONE. Halloween? GOOD. Sushi? GOOD. Quick crafting? GOOD. 8. Cactus Not only is this outfit adorable, you can keep to the social distancing, anyone near you is at a risk of stabbing. 9. Starfish This one may take a tad more time than the others with the sewing time. But overall I reckon you talented lot could pump this one out within a couple of hours. Another idea along the starfish route...sexy Patrick? 10. Ghost Anyone that says 'I didn't have time to get a costume together' are liars and despise fun. This costume takes a whole 30 seconds to put together. It's a classic. White sheet, eye holes and you're good to go! I could've added a photo of a human wearing this costume, but these dogs are too cute for only my eyes to see. There we have it. 10 quick Halloween costumes you can throw together and still look fabulous! Now get out there and have a spooky weekend whatever you're doing. Creep it real! Written by Jess Unsworth for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Nicole Davall Fabrics used: Classic Poinsettia Metallic 22 and Holly Metallic 22. I’m a bit of a general sewist, which means I do a bit of patchwork here, and a bit of dressmaking (usually costumes for my local am-dram group) there. This is a dressmaking project very much inspired by patchwork and quilting. If you’ve got some leftover fabric from previous projects (admittedly large-ish leftovers) then this can be a great scrap busting project too. This version is pretty beginner friendly, but you can adapt it to varying degrees of difficulty by adding pockets or getting creative with the squares (if you’re a little more ambitious with your patchwork!) A note about gathering, sizing and seam allowance: Gathering: This skirt is built in three tiers, with each tier twice the length of the tier above it. There are 8 squares in the top tier, 16 in the one below it, and 32 in the one below that. You could do this skirt using 9 inch wide strips of material, in which case you can get away with each tier being 1.5 times longer than the one above. But when using squares the 2:1 ratio is easier because you know you’ve got to gather two squares into one which gives you a clear guide to help you spread out the gathers evenly. Waist and hip measurements: I have used a ½ inch seam allowance which makes the final size of the squares 8x8 inches. The top tier of this skirt therefore measures 64 inches and should fit anyone with a hip measurement of less than that (your hip measurement being the widest part of your hips over your bum). For a sufficiently flared look to the top tier this pattern is probably alright for waist measurements up to about 45 inches. If you want to add more width to the top tier then you can add extra squares. For every square you add to the top tier, you’ll need an extra two in the middle tier and four for the bottom tier, which is an extra 7 squares in total. Length: This skirt should end up measuring roughly 24 inches, which on me is just below the knee. If you don’t have that much fabric to work with you can just do two tiers, which would be a length of about 16 inches (an inch or two above the knee on me). This has the benefit of reducing the amount of fabric you need by more than half! Most importantly though, all bodies are different, so take a bit of time to decide what will suit you best and what you’ll feel most comfortable in. Materials and seam allowances: If you’re working with fat quarters, you might be a bit hard-pressed to get a decent number of 9 inch squares out of one fat quarter. Because they usually measure roughly 18x22 inches, once you’ve squared them up to be on grain they’re too small in one direction to get two 9 inch squares out of. You can work with 8 ½ inch squares, which still leaves you with a 60 inch width in the top tier without adjusting the seam allowance. Alternatively you can use a smaller seam allowance to achieve the same width, but only if you don’t plan on doing French seams as I have. What you’ll need: Materials Enough coordinating fabric to make 54 9 inch squares plus a little extra for the waistband. This can be pieced from scraps if necessary. If you’re using fat quarters you will need about 16 of them. If using fabric off a bolt you’ll need roughly 3.5m in total. 6 inch zip x1 Closure for the waistband (I’m using a snap fastener because it’s what I had to hand). Thread. Lots of thread. The colour mostly doesn’t matter as it will be hidden in the seams but you may want a little bit of matching thread for the waistband, the hem and around the zip where the stitching will be visible. Tools: A sewing machine (with a zipper foot) Scissors Seam ripper A ruler/tape measure of some description Pins Iron and ironing board/mat Step 1: Cutting out Iron your material flat, then start cutting your 9 inch squares. If you’re a quilter with a rotary cutter and a quilting ruler, then you can cut your squares in the usual manner. However I cut my squares by making a small nick in the fabric and then tearing along the grain and cross grain. This isn’t as accurate as the quilting method but you don’t need to be super accurate for this project. It also leaves a slightly ragged edge that can fray out if over handled. Ironing your squares immediately after cutting can help mitigate this somewhat. More importantly, however, cut off any loose threads that may appear rather than pulling them out. Step 2: Layout Next you’ll want to spend a bit of time deciding how you’re going to arrange your squares depending on what the different fabrics you’re working with look like. Play around with colours and where to place your lights and darks. For example, I’ve put two patches of similar coloured squares together in certain places which will create a checkerboard illusion once everything is gathered in. Once you’ve decided what order you want them in, pile each square on top of each other in order. It’s probably wise to label which pile is which. Step 3: Time for the sewing! I recommend starting with the bottom tier in order to get the lion’s share of the work out of the way first. So for the bottom tier you want to sew together 32 squares using a half inch seam allowance. I’ve used French seams for mine because it uses slightly less thread than zig-zagging all the raw edges and gives a neater finish. French seams involve putting the squares wrong side together to start off with, sewing a scant ¼ inch seam, then folding the seam the other way (with lots of pressing to make sure this is nice and crisp) and sewing a more generous ¼ inch seam to encase the raw edges. But use whatever method you’re most comfortable with! Then sew together 16 squares for the second tier, and 8 for the top tier. For tiers two and three you can join the ends up to make a continuous loop (be careful not to twist them!) but leave the top tier open so you can insert the zip. Step 4: Insert the zip. With right sides together (no French seams possible here!), sew up the opening of the top tier with a ½ inch seam allowance. Press this seam open and position the zip at the top edge, leaving a little room at the top for the waistband seam. Using your zipper-foot, stitch around the zip as close to the teeth of the zip as possible. If you don’t have a zipper foot, you can sew the zip in by hand using a backstitch worked from the right side of the fabric (so that the visible stitching will be as neat as possible). Then, using a seam ripper, unpick the seam in front of the zip, allowing the zip to open. Step 5: Press the seams on the bottom and top tier in one direction, and press the seams in the middle tier in the opposite direction. This will make the seams ‘nest’ together nicely and reduce bulk in the adjoining seam. (Note: the picture for this step shows what the nested seams look like in the finished skirt, not the process of pressing them. Also note in the pictures for steps 6 and 7 how I’ve used the hem and the gathering stitches to reinforce the direction I want these seams to lie in) Step 6: Hem the bottom tier. It’s a bit easier to hem it now while it’s just one tier and everything is flat rather than later when it’s been gathered and attached to the rest of the skirt. Fold the bottom edge up a ¼ inch, then a ¼ inch again, press it and sew it. Step 7: Set your machine to its longest stitch length and run two lines of stitching along the very top of each tier. Make sure it’s well within the ½ inch seam allowance. It can be a good idea to start a new line of stitching every four squares or so in order to gather in sections rather than all at once. This makes everything more manageable and saves a lot of work if the gathering thread breaks because you only have to re-do that section instead of the entire tier. Step 8: Then you can start to gather it. It’s possible to use a French seam for this, but the gathering means there’s a lot of bulk in the seam and that can make it very stiff and stop it from hanging properly. So I used a regular seam here and zig-zagged the raw edges. Once again, work from the bottom up. It will be more difficult to gather the bottom tier to the middle tier if the middle tier is already gathered and can’t lie flat. So pin the bottom tier to the middle tier with right sides together matching up two squares on the bottom to every one square on top. Then pull on your gathering thread to gather up the extra length. It’s usually easier to pull on the bobbin thread rather than the top thread, but this may depend on your individual machine. Spread out the gathers as evenly as you can and pin the hell out of it (if you don’t mind spending the extra time you can baste it). Once you’ve got the gathers where you want them, sew the two tiers together on your machine with a ½ inch seam allowance. I put the gathered side down, with the flat side on top as the feed-dogs don’t seem to push the gathers out of position as badly as the presser foot does. Then zig-zag the raw edges and trim back any extra fabric or loose threads. Step 9: Repeat the last two steps to join the middle tier to the top tier. Step 10: Prepare the waistband. To do this, take your waist measurement, add a couple of inches for ease, and another inch for overlap for the closure, and another inch for seam allowance. Cut a strip of fabric 6 inches wide by whatever that measurement is. You can interface this if you like a firm waistband, but with four layers of quilting weight cotton I generally don’t find it to be necessary. Fold the waistband in half and press it, then fold the raw edges into the centre and press again. With it folded right sides together (ie: with the raw edges on the outside) sew up the ends with a ½ inch seam allowance. Clip the corners, turn right side out, and press again. Then turn it inside out again for the next step. Step 11: Leaving the inch overlap at one end, use pins to divide your waistband into 8 sections and use these as a guide to pin your top tier into the waistband. Remember, your waistband is inside-out for this, so only pin it to one side of the waistband. Step 12: Gather the top tier down to fit the waistband. Once you’ve got it gathered how you want it, fold the other side of the waistband over the top so that it encases the raw edge of the top tier and pin through all the layers. Step 13: From the outside of the skirt (the side that will be seen) sew along the bottom edge of the waistband, trying to catch the bottom edge on both sides as you go. (Stitching it from the outside will mean the outside looks neat, and if you miss parts of the edge on the inside you can stitch it down by hand and it won’t show on the outside! I do this more often than I care to admit...) Step 14: Sew the snap fastening (or your preferred closure) into the overlap on the waistband. And you're done! To see more from Nicole, follow her on Instagram @nicoledavall! Made by Nicole Davall for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Gill Rich Kids will love to use this bag for their Halloween Trick or Treat event, there is plenty of room for all those lovely treats! You can easily make it in a couple of hours. Approximate size: 10” x11 ” You will need: Two co-ordinating Halloween fabrics Cutting mat, ruler and rotary cutter. Small piece of fabric for the trim Erasable marker pen Coordinating thread, I used Gutterman Thread Wadding or iron on interfacing Scrap of fabric for the front embroidered detail Small piece of bondaweb Use a ¼” seam allowance throughout unless otherwise stated. To start, cut your lining pieces 11.5” x 10.5”. Cut your three outer fabrics. They measure 6.5” x 11.5”, 4” x 11.5” and 1.5” x 11.5”. To make the front and back panels, stitch together the larger of the two pieces with the thin narrow piece then add the bottom piece to the other side of the narrow piece. Press your seams open. Stitch the front and back pieces together down each side and across the bottom. Stitch your lining pieces in the same manner but leave a gap of approximately 4” on the bottom seam to allow for turning out later. To make the box bottom for both the bag and the lining. With your pieces turned wrong side out, line up the bottom seam with the side seam and lay flat. Measure up from the corner about 3” and draw a line. Stitch along this line then cut off the excess. Repeat for all four corners. To make the handles, cut two pieces of your chosen fabric 4” x 10”. You can make your handles as long or as short as you wish but I found 10” about the right length for me. Fold the pieces in half lengthways and press. Open out then place your raw edges to the centre, on the fold line and press again. Top stitch along both edges on both handles. Measure about 3” in from each side of the bag and pin/baste your handle in place. Make sure that the handle is not twisted when you have sewn both ends on the top of the bag. Turn your lining inside out and your bag right side out. Place the outer bag inside the lining and match up your side seams. Make sure that your handles are tucked down in between the two layers. Pin your lining to your bag all the way around. Stitch all the way around the top with about ½” seam. Fasten off your ends securely. Turn the bag right side out through the turning gap that was left in the lining seam. Roll the seams flat on the top of the bag and pin/press. Top Stitch all the way around. To make the lettering detail on the front, I embroidered “Trick or Treat” on my embroidery machine but you can hand stitch the letters instead. Place a piece of bondaweb on the back following the manufacturer's instructions, peel off the backing paper. Place your lettering in the place that you wish to secure it and iron in place. I hand stitched in place using a blanket stitch, it doesn't have to be perfect though! Give your bag a good press and let your kids enjoy filling with treats. To see more from Gill, follow her on Instagram @designbygill66. Made by Gill Rich for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Written by Paula Milner AKA The Crafty Lass Sales Sheet Description: Inspired by the wide variety of poppies grown across Britain - 'Field of Memories' is an eclectic and colourful celebration of this iconic flower. Hand drawn by Paula Milner - The Crafty Lass, each design is named in admiration of special people in her own life. A joyful, commemorative collection that she hopes inspires you to get creating with these vibrant and delicate florals. Red poppies came to signify remembrance after the WW1 remembrance poem, In Flanders Fields, by J. McCrae. All my illustrations start with a simple black fine-liner pen on marker paper, I use the Winsor and Newton brush and promarker alcohol pens to then flood with colour. It is then very much a collaborative process with the Craft Cotton Co designers to translate the ideas on to a computer, and then agree the designs that should make up a fabric range! DESIGNS Lilian’s Garden Lilian was my grandma, and I can remember my grandparents little Summer house and lots of pots dotted around their patio flowing with beautiful blooms. This design feels like such a warm, celebration of so many varieties of British poppies – beyond just the traditional reds. Ann’s Love Ann was my Auntie – and she absolutely adored poppies. She LOVED red poppies, and these were all over her garden, and house décor! It felt only right to honour her with naming this design in such a way. I really love the warm blue behind these poppies that really makes the vibrant red stand out. Sweet William Sweet William is the flower variety shown amongst the big red poppies. Did you know that in floriography (the language of flowers) the Sweet William represents - admiration, passion, love, and gratitude! William is a very common name on both sides of both my, and my husband’s family, and so also feels very special to have this named as such. Bunny’s Delight I just love the combination in this design from the large Poppy florals, amongst the mix of buttercups, Sweet William inspired flowers and lots of small ditsies. The small ditsy flowers were originally inspired by the small petals amongst ‘Cow Parsley’ – which grows in abundance around my house in Northamptonshire. There are lots of rabbits bounding around here too! Bunny was also my Auntie Ann’s nickname – so it is another little nod to her in the naming of this design. Blue View The blue Himalayan Poppy whilst originally not a British flower – it can and does grow here… It suits acidic soil and climates similar to the Scottish highlands! They can also grow up to 1m tall! My mum grew up on the southern Irish coast, and my parents now live on the Isle of Wight. ‘Blue View’ felt an apt name for both the poppy variety, but also the physical views of our family! This is the 3rd range by Paula for Craft Cotton Co. With her newest range 'Sea in Colour' launching early next year! To see more from Paula, follow her on Instagram @thecraftylass, Facebook and check out her website! Written by Paula Milner for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Paula Milner AKA The Crafty Lass Ingredients: A garment to unpick New fabric – I have chosen ‘Sweet William’ from my Field of Memories organic cotton range Coordinating thread Any optional extras if needed for your garment such as…Buttons, Zips, Elastic, Interfacing Tools: Fabric scissors Unpicking tool Sewing Machine Pins Needle Paper and Pencil (Optional) Iron and ironing board I sometimes struggle to find dressmaking patterns that I like or I feel will suit me. There are of course so many ideas and patterns out there, but it is hard to know what to choose. And, I don’t want to purchase a pattern, spend all that time making it, to put on and see it just doesn’t work for me. However, I often find outfits in shops that I know WILL fit me, and one day I suddenly thought – hang on, why can’t I use an existing top as the pattern?! Maybe you could have a look for tops that you could use as a pattern from your local charity shop? Or, perhaps you have a favourite item in your wardrobe that could do with an update… This would be a fab way to reinvigorate your love for it – in new fabrics using the same structure as a pattern! If you are new to dressmaking I would suggest giving a basic ‘easy’ dressmaking pattern a go beforehand – just so you have a feel for how garments are constructed. However, if you are feeling confident, and you take note of how your item is connected/sewn together you can of course give it a go! Here are my top tips for using an existing garment as a pattern! 1. CHOOSE Firstly, I found the right garment to pick apart. I had recently bought a floaty, V-neck top from high street chain, New Look. I thought there must be a way to convert this into a pattern to use with different fabrics. So, not wanting to take apart a top I enjoyed wearing – I looked to purchase a second one. This worked well, as New Look being an affordable option the top was priced at just £11 in the sale, which is not too dissimilar from purchasing a pattern. 2. EXAMINE Examine your chosen garment for how it is constructed together. Does it have buttonholes/buttons, gathers, elastic, seams, inner sections, darts. My existing New Look top has all of these – but I started to make some decisions on whether I would keep it the same, or make some adaptations. I noted down some basic measurements of darts, and tried to see the ‘order’ sections may have been sewn together. Sometimes this wasn’t obvious, but would become clearer when unpicking. 3. UNPICK Carefully unpick the garment to reveal all the different sections. I only unpicked one sleeve as it was clear that both side were the same, and also only half of the main bodice. This saved time and also allowed me to refer back to what it looked like when sewn on one side (although I did have a complete other one to wear, but perhaps you wouldn’t!) 4. CUT I debated whether to lay the cut pieces out on to paper and cut out a paper template – but, in the end I decided to give each fabric piece a really good iron and using lots of pins laid them out directly on to the new fabric. This allowed me to make sure I was cutting them exactly the same. Where I had unpicked such delicate fabric, I did have some ‘fraying’ to contend with. However, I just made sure to try and follow the main outline of each item as best I could. The main bodice I folded in half and placed along the folded edge of my fabric to ensure a symmetrical finish. 5. SEW Start to sew the items together! This will of course be different for whatever your item is. For this top, I started with the main bodice parts including adding in the darts, before connecting to the back piece. Then, I added in the sleeves including the little ruffled puff sleeves, before sewing up the sides and finishing with the hems. Overall whilst sewing, I chose to initially use a simple running stitch in quite a long length so I could easily unpick again if needed. Then I followed on with a tighter running stitch, and then finally a zig-zag in the seams to secure. You could of course use an overlocker if you have one. To see more from Paul follow her on Instagram @thecraftylass, Facebook and check out her website thecraftylass.com. Written by Paula Milner for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Jo Eldred I used an Embroidery file from SWPea using my Brother V3 Embroidery Machine. Using the new 'Indian Summer' collection by Make + Believe Fabrics collaboration with the V&A from Craft Cotton Co. You are given step by step instructions on how to place the fabric down. The final step is to stitch the pattern, you can skip this step if you just wish to see the Half Square pattern. Repeat this step 4 more times or as many as you wish, I have made a 4 sq cushion but you could make a quilt. The biggest decision now is which pattern to choose? To make an envelope opening I cut 2 panels from Plain Dyed Homespun Cream from Craft Cotton Co. 16 inch by 16inch cut in half and fold back 1inch and stitch a seam. Lay both pieces RST and stitch ¼ seam allowance around all 4 sides. Snip the points from the corners so when you turn them out you get a nice crisp corner. To see more from Jo, follow her on Instagram @jojewelsoutoftime, and Facebook! Made by Jo Eldred for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Jo Eldred Fabric: Indian Summer, a collaboration with the V&A I made an Applique Rough edge Feather cushion, using an embroidery file from SWPEA and using my Brother V3 Embroidery Machine. What you'll need: 6x10 hoop (160mm x 260mm) hoop PANEL 1 AND PANEL 3 Fabric A – 2x 20cm x 30cm (8”x 12”) background Small pieces of fabric for the feather applique – 14 feather pieces per panel Finished dimensions - 30cmW x 50cmL (12”x 20”) How to make: Following the steps on the Embroidery machine, you place each piece of fabric down, stitch the line and then trim as close as possible using Duckbill scissors. I made 2 feather sections, placed them facing Right Sides Together and stitched them together using a ¼ seam. Cut 4 strips to edge the cushion, stitched right sides together. I ironed the seams open and now want to make a zipped closure cushion cover. Stitch the front cushion with a plain piece of fabric, I stitched the long edge then lay the two pieces open and iron flat. Lay the zip face down and sew using a zipper foot, Unpick the seam to expose the zip. Then open the zip and then stitch around all 4 edges turn the cushion right side out and stuff. To see more from Jo, follow her on Instagram @jojewelsoutoftime and Facebook 'Jewels Out Of Time'. Made by Jo Eldred for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Nicola Hills You will need: 1 metre of Clocks Fabric 1/2 Metre Red Velvet Lace for Decoration Tools Required: Sewing Machine Stretch Needles (if using Stretch Velvet) Basic Sewing Kit Iron How To: Cut 4 x main outside panels (brown) Cut 4 x Red Velvet Panels I just make to the size of fabric I have available, so I do not have measurements. Just add a strip of the velvet to the top of each of the cotton panels Join one outer panel to one inner panel R/S together along the top. From the centre join measure 1.5” down each side and mark across. Then mark another line 1” under that. With R/S together place one piece on top of the other and sew all around (see arrows) EXCEPT between the 1” Channel and also leave a 3” gap in one side of the lining for turning out. Turn the bag Right Side out through the gap in the lining, press out the corners neatly, iron. Sew up the gap. Top stitch all-around the top and bottom of the 1” channel. The Tie: Cut a strip 2” wide (4 x the length of the bag) Fold it in half (short edges together) press. Then fold each edge into the centre, press again. Next fold edge to edge, pin or clip to secure, top stitch down both long and short sides. Using a bodkin or safety pin thread the tie through the channel from one side all the way and back round. I added the lace after, around the bag you can decorate however you like. With a few accessories it makes a great addition to a steampunk outfit! To see more from Nicola, follow her on Instagram @bobbincottagebodkin or visit her blog bobbincottage.wordpress.com. Made by Nicola Hills for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.

Project by Sarah Holliman AKA SJ Stitchery Fabric: Indian Summer White and Indian Summer Sage You will need: V&A Indian Summer fabric and a couple of fat quarters. To make one large scarf I used one half a metre length of Craft Cotton Co. You could also use a combination of fabrics but one scarf will probably use about a metre of different fabrics in total. Scissors/ Pins/Thread/Needle This is a beautiful project to make your own scarf. It is a relaxing weekend project and can be made in so many different variations. It can be made using remnants of fabric in a patchwork design or even as a single panel of your most favourite fabric. Depending on the amount of fabric you wish to use, the scarf can easily be adapted to your own personal unique style. At the end of the project you will have your own beautiful scarf to wear in style. Making the scarf: 1. Lay out your fabric and decide the colours and fabrics you want to use in your project. For the main body of my scarf, I cut 2 panels of fabric measuring approximately 110 x 50cm, one for the front and one for the back. You could use fat quarters and patchwork the pieces together as I have done for one of my scarves, but I found by creating the central panel first, it then gave me an idea of how I wanted the remainder of the scarf to look. 2. To make additional panels for the ends of the scarf, I cut four sets of 3 fabric strips of approx. 25 x 10cm. Sew each of the strips together, ensuring they are wide enough to fit the width of the scarf. You may wish add extra strips to the sides of the panels to ensure they fit to the width of the main panel, my side borders were 25cmx 4cm. You will need to sew four complete panels in total – one for the front and back of each end of the scarf. 3. Sew each panel piece together and press the seams flat with an iron. 4. Trim all the panels with a rotary cutter to ensure they are all the same size. 5. With right sides together, pin each end piece to the bottom of each large panel. If you want all your pattern pieces to look the same on both sides of your scarf, pay attention the direction of the pattern when you are placing the pieces at this point. 6. Sew all four end panels in place and press seams flat with an iron. You should now have your two sides of the scarf with the end panels complete. If you decide you want your scarf to be longer at this point, just add extra panels or strips to suit. 7. Place the two right sides of the scarf together and pin. 8. Sew down the length of the sides, leaving the ends open for the frill. 9. To make the frill, cut a length of fabric of approx. 100x10cm wide and hem the bottom. Gather the top of the fabric with small running stitches until the frill fits the width of the scarf. 10. Insert the frill the base of the scarf panel and stitch into place. 11. Place the other side of the end panel on top of the frill and sew all three layers of fabric together. 12. Repeat this process for the other scarf end, but leave a gap to turn the scarf out the right way. 13. Turn the scarf out the right way, sew up the gap and press with an iron. 14. Your scarf is now complete and ready to wear. 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 2022.

Written by Sarah Holliman AKA SJ Stitchery When Craft Cotton Co. sent me some samples of their new fabric collection, Indian Summer, I was totally inspired. The collection is a new collaboration with the V & A Museum – a gorgeous range of designs in beautiful warm Autumnal colours. All made with organic cotton from their Make and Believe Range. As soon as I saw the designs, I could imagine my new range of scarves. For me, it was instantly a vision of warm winter jumpers adorned with my large scarves in front of a toasty roaring fire – bliss! With the Bank Holiday approaching, a trip to the V & A Museum in London was a must. I wanted to see how the collection had been inspired and so we packed our bags and were off. Arriving at the V & A is just a wonderful experience in itself – everywhere you look there is so much inspiration. Far too much to see in one day, that has to be saved for a later trip. So, off to the nearest fashion exhibition. The glass cases contain so many beautiful things, it’s almost impossible to know where to look first. I particularly wanted some inspiration for my scarf designs, so I headed for the beautiful costumes of the 1800’s. I wasn’t disappointed – the clothes were beautiful, colours so bright and it was easy to see where so much of the inspiration for clothes today comes from. The shawls were absolutely wonderful, I picked out a few and loved the patchwork designs used to add to the ends of the sumptuous silk fabrics. I even saw a dress from the 1800’s which was the inspiration behind one of the new fabrics. How amazing is that – to recreate a fabric that was in use so long ago and still be able to use it in our modern day designs. So Beautiful ! There was so much to see and do, if you get the chance, please try and visit. The exhibitions and displays are truly amazing and the museum is such a wonderful place to visit. Can’t wait to return again ! Indian Summer Fabric Range from the Craft Cotton Company. To see more from Sarah, follow her on Instagram @sjstitchery and check out her website sjstitchery.com! Written by Sarah Holliman for The Craft Cotton Co 2022.