PINCUSHION

YOU WILL NEED

Beige fabric (for camel): approx 13in square Print fabric (for rug): 7in x 11in Batting: 4½in x 6½in Back fabric: 1¼yd Pompom trim: two strips of approx 3½in Polyester toy filling Embroidery thread in black

FINISHED SIZE

6in x 7in x 4in approx

NOTES

Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted. Where the cutting instruction indicates to cut the reverse, flip the template over on the fabric before cutting. RST = right sides together. WST = wrong sides together. Templates include seam allowances, where necessary. For templates, see p91.

FABRICS USED

Khaki from the Kona Cotton Solids collection by Robert Kaufman. Memoir in Pacific from the Alchemy collection by Amy Butler for FreeSpirit Fabrics.

CUTTING OUT

1 Trace and cut out the templates onto paper or card, making sure to transfer over any notches.

2 From the wrong side of the beige fabric, using the templates, cut: Two (2) Ears. One (1) Face. One (1) Face Reverse. One (1) Side Body. One (1) Side Body Reverse. One (1) Stomach. One (1) Stomach Reverse. Four (4) Legs. One (1) Tail.

3 From print fabric cut two (2) 3½in x 5½in rectangles.

MAKING THE BODY SECTIONS

4 Take one Leg fabric piece and, RST, fold it in half lengthways. Sew together down the long side and across the bottom, leaving the short top edge open. Clip the corner of the seam allowance (Fig 1). Turn right side out and stuff, leaving the top ½in empty. Baste the top closed to hold the filling in place to complete one Leg (Fig 2). Repeat this process with the remaining three Leg fabric pieces.

5 Place two of the Legs against the right side of one Side Body fabric piece, between the notches on the curved edge, making sure that the seamed side of the Legs are facing towards the back of the camel. Baste the Legs to the Side Body as shown (Fig 3). Repeat this process with the other Side Body and two Legs.

6 Take one Stomach fabric piece and place it RST with the corresponding Side Body/Legs fabric pieces as shown, aligning the notches (Fig 4). Sew together to make one Body. Repeat with the other Stomach and Side Body/Legs fabric pieces to make a total of two Body sections.

MAKING THE EARS

7 Take one Ear fabric piece and fold it in half, RST and keeping the straight edge together. Sew all around the curved edge, leaving the straight edge open. Clip V-shaped notches into the seam allowance around the curve and turn right side out to complete one Ear (Fig 5). Repeat with the other Ear fabric piece.

8 Take one Ear and place it RST with one Face fabric piece, between the top two notches as shown, making sure that the Ear is the correct way up (Fig 6). Baste the Ear in place. Repeat with the other Ear and Face fabric piece.

MAKING THE FACE 9 Take one Face/Ear piece and place it RST with the front end of the corresponding Body section as shown (Fig 7). Sew together. Repeat with the other Face/Ear piece and Body section.

MAKING THE TAIL

10 Take the 3 in x 1in Tail rectangle and, WST, fold it in half lengthways. Press. Open out and then, WST, fold each long edge over so that the raw edges meet at the centre fold. Press. Fold in half lengthways again to enclose the raw edges. Using a short stitch length and sewing close to the edge, sew along the length to secure. Tie a knot in one end of the Tail (Fig 8).

11 Place the Tail seam side down against the right side of one Face/Body section, in between the markers on the Stomach. Baste in place (Fig 9).

ASSEMBLING THE CAMEL

12 Place the two Body sections RST, carefully aligning the two sides. Sew

together starting at the front Legs, moving around to the Face and finishing at the back of the Side Body (Fig 10). Sew the back of the Stomach together, up to the point where it meets the Side Body, leaving a gap of approx 2 in in the centre of the Stomach.

13 Turn the camel right side out through the gap in the Stomach. Stuff and then sew the gap closed.

STITCHING THE FACE

14 Stitch two eyes, a nose and a mouth onto the face (Fig 11). Jo recommends using black embroidery thread for this.

15 Sew some shaping though the face by bringing the needle out under one eye, securing the thread with a few small stitches and then taking the needle down through the face to the centre of the chin area underneath (Fig 12). Jo recommends using a neutral thread for this to match the fabric. Don’t make the shaping stitches too small as they may pull or damage the fabric. Take the needle back up to the eye and then back down again through the face. Pull lightly on the thread to bring the eye down a little and give the face a more character. Then take the needle back up to the second eye and repeat the process. Secure the thread, take the needle back into the head and out again at any point and snip away the excess.

MAKING THE RUG

16 Place one of the 3 in x 5 in print fabric rectangles centrally and RST on top of the batting. Quilt as desired. Jo hand quilted rectangle shapes. Trim the excess batting.

17 Take the remaining 3 in x 5 in print fabric rectangle and place RST with the quilted print rectangle. Sew around the sides, leaving a gap of approx 1 in along one of the short sides. Clip the seam allowance at the corners and turn right side out through the gap (Fig 13).

18 Lightly press the rug flat and hand sew the opening closed. Sew pompom trim to both short edges of the rug.

19 Centre the camel on top of the rug and sew the rug to the camel where it meets at the back of each front leg and at the front of each back leg, to finish.