Stitch Your Own Christmas preview

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Seasonal crafts for you to make DEBBIE SHORE FESTIVE

CD-ROM Worth £14.99

UNIQUE

PROJECTS INSIDE EMBROIDERY

DECORATIONS

SOFT TOYS PATCHWORK

APPLIQUÉ

FELTWORK

& MUCH

MORE

COSY QUILTS

to snuggle under


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Stitch Your Own Christmas


When children are fast asleep on Christmas Eve, dreaming of a visit from Santa Claus, a certain festive koala descends from the fork of her comfy eucalyptus tree to join in the fun.With a sprig of holly in her fur and a bag of gum-leaves at the ready, Anthea Christian’s merry-making marsupial is ready to feast and party with friends.

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Materials

Q 30cm (3⁄8yd) white toneon-tone print fabric (star centres) Q 90cm (1yd) red toneon-tone print fabric (star backgrounds) Q 1.1m (11⁄4yd) solid red fabric (sashing, border 1 and binding) Q 1.1m (11⁄4yd) red and white spot print fabric (setting triangles and cornerstones) Q 35cm (1⁄2yd) each of red print fabrics in four different values: light-

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Stitch Your Own Christmas

medium; dark-medium; light-dark; and dark-dark (inner star) Q 30cm (3⁄8yd) each of five light-value red on white print fabrics and five medium-value red on white print fabrics (outer star and border 2) Q 3.3m (35⁄8yd) backing fabric Q Batting at least 165cm (64in) square Q Paper for foundations, such as photocopy paper Q Scrap of light cardboard Q Rotary cutter, ruler and mat

Q Sewing machine Q General sewing supplies Finished size: 147cm (58in) square Block size: 14in Note: It is recommended that fabrics be 100% cotton, pre-washed and well ironed. Requirements are based on fabric 107cm (42in) wide. The different values of the red print fabrics are important to achieve the visual impact of Michelle’s project, so read the instructions carefully before

selecting your fabrics. Each star has four main foundation patterns. Foundations A and C always use the lighter values, while B and D use the darker values. Lay out your fabrics before cutting, to ensure you have the correct placement of the values. Foundation piecing is used to make the stars and the instructions assume a good working knowledge of this technique. Sew all the foundation-piecing seams with a short stitch length to make it easier to remove the papers without affecting the stitching.


Preparation and cutting

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Download the templates from www.stitchyourownchristmas.co.uk. Photocopy 20 of each of foundation A, B, C and D and cut them out outside the outer lines. However, if you’ve accurately traced the foundations instead, write labels on each area – the numbers indicate the order in which each foundation is pieced. Make a swatch board using a snippet of each fabric and write the designation you’ve given to each one (eg. 'light-medium', 'dark-dark') and the areas of each foundation that they’re to be used for. Refer to your swatches as you cut and then sew your fabrics. Keep the cut rectangles in groups – or snap-lock bags – and label them. Trace template E on to paper, glue it to light cardboard and cut it out carefully on the line. From the white tone-on-tone print fabric, cut: • Two strips, 31⁄2in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield 40 rectangles, 2 x 31⁄2in (areas A1, B5, C1 and D5). Trace around template E five times on the wrong side of the remaining white tone-on-tone print fabric, leaving 1⁄2in between shapes. Cut the circles out a generous 1⁄4in by eye outside the traced line. From the red tone-on-tone print fabric, cut: • Three strips, 4in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield 40 rectangles, 3 x 4in (areas D1 and C5) • Three strips, 71⁄2in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield 40 rectangles, 21⁄2 x 71⁄2in (areas B1 and A5). From the solid red fabric, cut: • One strip, 141⁄2in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 16 rectangles, 2 x 141⁄2in (sashings)

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Natalia Star block

• Five strips, 11⁄2in across the width of the fabric (border 1) • Six strips, 21⁄2in across the width of the fabric (binding). From the red and white spot print fabric, cut: • One square, 24in. Cut it twice across the diagonals to yield four quarter-square triangles (setting triangles) • Two squares, 14in. Crosscut each of them once on the diagonal to yield a total of four half-square triangles (corners) • 12 squares, 2in (cornerstones). From the light-medium red print fabric, cut: • Two strips, 41⁄2in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut them to yield 40 rectangles, 2 x 41⁄2in (areas A2 and C2). From the dark-medium red print fabric, cut: • One strip, 4in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 20 rectangles, 2 x 4in (area D4) • One strip, 5in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 20 rectangles, 2 x 5in (area B4).

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From the light-dark red print fabric, cut: • One strip, 41⁄2in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 20 rectangles, 2 x 41⁄2in (area C3) • One strip, 7in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 20 rectangles, 2 x 7in (area A3). From the dark-dark red print fabric, cut: • One strip, 41⁄2in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 20 rectangles, 2 x 41⁄2in (area D3) • One strip, 7in across the width of the fabric. Crosscut it to yield 20 rectangles, 2 x 7in (area B3).

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MICHELLE’S FABRIC TIP It’s a good idea

to spray-starch the fabrics before cutting them, if you’re worried about the feel of them. In this project, it is beneficial to starch the fabric used for the large edge triangles of the units, which have long bias edges, as the starch helps to control the stretch of the bias.

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Stitches used: Running stitch, satin stitch, stem stitch Finished size: 42cm (161⁄2in) square

Materials

Q 50cm (1⁄2yd) solid cream fabric (cushion front and lining) Q Large scraps of five assorted print fabrics (patchwork panel) Q Fat quarter solid grey fabric (bunny ears) Q Strip of dark pink print fabric (contrast strip) – see step 3 Q 40cm (1⁄2yd) beige spot

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Stitch Your Own Christmas

print fabric (cushion back and back opening trim) Q 20cm (1⁄4yd) light pink print fabric (binding) Q Fabric scraps in white, black and pink (face appliqué) Q Machine threads to match the appliqué fabrics Q Perlé 5 cotton in black, white and light brown Q Fusible web

Q 45cm (18in) square of cotton batting Q Paper Q Quilt-basting spray (optional) Q 40cm (16in) square cushion insert Q Rotary cutter, ruler and mat Q Sewing machine with 1⁄4in and walking foot Q General sewing supplies

Note: Read all the instructions before starting the project. It is recommended that fabrics be 100% cotton, pre-washed and well ironed. Requirements are based on fabrics 107cm (42in) wide. The appliqué method described is raw-edge fusibleweb machine appliqué but you can adapt the instructions to your preferred method. A scant 1 ⁄4in seam allowance is used throughout, unless specified.


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Quilt the upper part of the cushion front as desired. Amy machine quilted a diagonal crosshatch pattern at 4cm (11⁄2in) intervals. Peel the backing paper from the face appliqué shapes you prepared in steps 8 and 9. Begin forming the bunny face by centring the white nose shape along the bottom edge of the cream rectangle, raw edges level. Fuse it in place. Aligning the straight edges with the same edge of the fabric, position the pink cheek shapes about 15mm (5⁄8in) on either side of the nose and fuse them in place. Then fuse the eyes above the nose and cheeks, as shown in the photograph. Using threads to match the appliqué fabrics, machine stitch close to the edges of all the shapes to secure them in place. With right sides together and long edges matching, lay the dark pink strip at the top of the patchwork panel on the cream rectangle and stitch. Fold the patchwork panel down over the rest of the batting/lining squares and press the seam. Quilt the patchwork panel as desired. Amy machine quilted parallel horizontal lines at about 25mm (1in) intervals.

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Bunny face details

Preparation and cutting

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From the solid cream fabric, cut: • One rectangle, 101⁄4 x 161⁄2in (cushion front appliqué background) • One square, 17in (cushion front lining). From the assorted print fabrics, cut: • A total of 24 squares, 21⁄2in (patchwork panel). From the dark pink print fabric, cut: • One strip, 1 x 161⁄2in (contrast strip). From the beige spot print fabric, cut: • Two rectangles, 101⁄2 x 161⁄2in (cushion back) • Two strips, 13⁄4 x 161⁄2in (binding for back opening). From the pale pink print fabric, cut: • Two strips, 21⁄2in across the width of the fabric (binding). Download the templates from www.stitchyourownchristmas.co. uk,trace the large outer ear shape from the template on to paper, label it and cut it out on the line. Fold the solid grey fabric in half, right sides together, and trace the large ear shape twice on the doubled fabric, leaving at least 1⁄2in between the shapes. Pin the layers together inside the shapes. Trace the inner ear, nose, eye and cheek shapes from the template on to the paper side of the fusible web, leaving about 1⁄2in between the shapes. You need to trace two of every shape except the nose.

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Cut the shapes out roughly and fuse them, glue side down, on the wrong side of the white, black and pink fabrics for the appliqué. Cut the shapes out accurately on the lines.

Cushion front

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Arrange the 24 assorted squares in three rows of eight, mixing the prints in a pleasing way. When you’re happy with the layout, sew the squares in each row together. Press the seams of the centre row in the opposite direction to the seams of the top and bottom rows. Join the rows, nesting the seams so they match perfectly. Press. The patchwork panel should measure 61⁄2 x 161⁄2in, raw edge to raw edge. Sew the 1 x 161⁄2in strip of dark pink fabric to one long edge of the patchwork panel. The panel should now measure 7 x 161⁄2in, raw edge to raw edge. Lay the 17in square of solid cream fabric, right side down, on the table. Spray baste the square of cotton batting to the wrong side of the fabric (or use your preferred basting method). Spray baste the 101⁄4 x 161⁄2in rectangle of solid cream fabric and position it, right side up, on the upper half of the batting.You need to ensure that this cream fabric is centred between the left and right edges of the lining and batting and that its top edge lies slightly below the top edge of the lining rectangle that’s on the bottom layer.

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AMY’S BINDING TIP

For a machine-finished binding with the look of a hand-stitched one, here’s my trick. Attach the binding to the front in the usual way. Fold the binding to the back and glue baste it in place, making sure it covers the previous seam line by at least 1⁄8in. Now turn the piece to the front and stitch in the ditch between the binding and cushion cover front. It will catch the binding folded over to the back but from the front, it will look like your cushion was bound by hand.

AMY’S EAR TIP As another option, you might like to lightly – very lightly – stuff the bunny’s ears with fibre fill for a cute look.

AMY’S APPLIQUÉ TIP

If you prefer needleturn appliqué, add 1 ⁄4in to all the bunny face shapes and appliqué them using that method instead of doing raw-edge machine appliqué as shown here.

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Light up your Christmas table setting with this sparkling idea from Cintia Gonzalez. It’s bright, it’s beautiful and it will set the tone for some electrifying yuletide entertaining.

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Stitch Your Own Christmas


Materials

Q 50cm (5⁄8yd) of 140cm (55in) wide upholstery weight, backed linenlook fabric (runner top) – see Cintia’s fabric tips Q 13 assorted print fabric scraps, minimum size 8 x 15cm (3 x 6in) (light bulbs) Q 12cm (5in) square of grey solid or check fabric (light bases) Q 1m (11⁄8yd) cotton print fabric (backing) Q 25cm (1⁄4yd) green floral print fabric (binding) Q One 50g ball of dark green yarn – Cintia used 8 ply (cable) Q Machine-sewing threads to match the yarn and appliqué fabrics Q Quilt-basting spray or temporary appliquéadhesive spray Q 25mm (1in) bias maker Q Tracing paper and pencil Q Rotary cutter, ruler and mat Q Sewing machine Q General sewing supplies Finished size: 45 x 140cm (173⁄4 x 55in) Note: Read all the instructions and tips before starting the project. Requirements are based on fabric 107cm (42in) wide unless otherwise stated. The appliqué method used is spray adhesive and machine satin stitch.

CINTIA’S FABRIC TIPS

Heavy upholstery fabric is ideal for this project as it doesn’t require any interfacing or stabiliser to prevent the satin stitch from puckering. Look in the curtain section of your fabric store for linen-look fabrics that have a block-out layer bonded to the back as they’re ideal for a runner: the weight of the fabric keeps it from sliding around the table. Don’t turn your nose up at synthetic fabrics: they’re hard wearing and can be spot cleaned, but remember not to iron them (or only iron on a cool setting) or you’ll end up with a sticky mess of melted fabric.

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It's not only Santa who is resplendent in red at Christmastime. Prue Scott celebrates the season by stitching the bird that often features on the cards we send to loved ones – the feisty and festive robin.

The north wind doth blow And we shall have snow And what will poor robin do then, poor thing ? He’ll sit in a barn, To keep himself warm, And hide his head under his wing, Poor thing!

In summertime my branches were a place for birds to nest, In autumn my branches were their place for food and rest, And now that wintertime is here, I hope to be all glistening Bright with snowflakes... The little birds' Christmas tree!

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Stitch Your Own Christmas


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