Make your own Cath Kidston home accessories

Skill rating: 2

What you will need...

• Red fleece hot water bottle cover
• Sharp pencil and tracing paper
• Fleece fabric: 25cm square of light stone, 10cm x 20cm dark stone; scrap of fleece for collar
• Sewing thread to match fabrics
• Small button for dog tag
• Dressmaker's fading-ink pen
• Embroidery thread in brown

Download the template here

Cosy fleece fabric cannot be ironed, so I used more traditional method of applique, sewing Stanley directly onto the cover.

1. Trace the Stanley outline here onto paper. Cut out his head and body, then turn the pieces over so that he faces to the right. Pin the two shapes to the light stone fleece and cut them out.
2. Position Stanley on the front of the cover, leaving a narrow gap between his head and body. Pin the shapes in place (making sure the pinks don't go through the back), and tack them in position. Edge each shape with straight stitches, using matching sewing thread.
3. Now cut out the markings on Stanley's body and leg from the paper template, turn them over and pin them onto the dark stone fleece. Cut out, then pin, tack and sew them in place, using darks stone thread.
4. For Stanley's collar, cut a 5mm strip of red felt or fleece to fit across his neck. Tack it in place, then sew in place with red straight stitches. Sew a button at the centre for the dog tag.
5. Draw on the eyes, nose and mouth with a dressmaker's fading-ink pen and embroider over the lines in satin and straight stitches, using brown embroidery thread. Cut the inner ears from scraps of dark stone fleece and sew them on with matching sewing thread.
6. Use the bone [from template] to make an applique motif in light stone felt and sew it to the flap with straight stitches.

You'll find it easier to sew the shapes onto the cover if you put one hand inside the cover to support the fabric whilst you stitch with the other hand.

Extracted from the book Make! by Cath Kidston, published by Quadrille, £14.99. For more information visit www.quadrille.co.uk

read more:  1 |  2 |  3 | next printer friendly send to a friend