Make a… baby cot
Step 1
STITCH the cot top and cot base on to your aida fabric, leaving 10 aida squares between each. Once stitched cut out each part, leaving four blank aida squares around all the edges of the design, on both the top and base pieces – cut very carefully, making sure you cut between the fourth and the fifth aida squares.
Step 2
MAKE a snip on the top of the cot from the outer edge of the seam allowance into the corner on the underside of the T bar on both sides of the design, taking care not to cut the cross stitch. This will enable you to fold the four square seam allowance over onto the wrong side, and finger press in place. Repeat for the cot base, but this time make the snips in three places, and on both sides of the fabric. Fold over the seam allowance and then finger press in the same way as for the cot top.
Step 3
WORK on the right side and finger press the folds on the cot top and base, as shown on the chart as blue lines. The folds on the cot top all fold upwards, and the folds on the base fold in di erent ways – downwards around the unstitched rectangle on the base, and then the next fold above the single elephant fold up, and the three folds at the top all downwards.
To check you’ve done this correctly, turn the base over to the wrong side and place on the table, on top of this place the cot top right-side facing up. If you hold the two parts together, making sure the top edge of both is together, you should be able to check the assembly – the green checked area on the cot base and the yellow checked area on the cot top (which is the canopy lining) should sit together, then fold the base to form a box shape, with the baby’s face and blanket forming the cot top.
Step 4
COMPLETE your checks, then when happy, stitch the four corner seam of the cot base together using a neat oversew stitch. With the T at the top lining up, fold in the seam allowance, and stitch the top seam together. Construct the canopy of the cot, placing the seam allowance between the layers, before stitching together, inside the canopy and outside. Fill the base of the cot with toy stu ng, and then stitch the top of the cot to the base around the outer edge.
The heart tag is made from perforated paper using the alphabet to add a name and date. If you prefer, the heart can be stitched on the blank panel on the base of the cot
Using graph paper to plan out the name and date first will help ensure you get your stitching right first time