Stitch a mummy deer

NOTE: Use a 6mm seam allowance, unless otherwise stated

1. To create the patchwork, cut eight 7.5cm squares from pink fabrics, plus eight mustard ones, and six 7.5cm squares from turquoise patterned fabric. Referring to the layout diagram, place 11 patches right side up. Stitch the first, second and third rows, as shown. Press the seams of the first and third towards the right, and the second row towards the left.

2. Pin and stitch the bottom of the first row to the top of the second row, then stitch the bottom of the second row to the top of the third row. Sew the patches of the fourth row to the bottom of the third row. Press the seams downwards. Repeat with the other 11 squares, to make a mirror image of the first. Press the seams upwards.

3. Download and print the templates. Use to cut out the following: one pair of mummy deer bodies from the patchwork fabric, matching the broken lines to the seams. Cut two gussets and one pair of ears from turquoise patterned fabric. Trim another pair of ears from a mustard print, plus two pairs of antlers from another mustard fabric. Trim two tails from pink.

4. Referring to the templates, draw the eyes on the right side of the bodies with a sharp pencil. Satin stitch using three strands of black embroidery thread, and complete the eyelashes with straight stitches. Sew each turquoise ear to a mustard one, leaving the short edges open. Clip the corners and snip the curves. Turn out and press flat. Matching the raw edges, fold the turquoise side of the ears to meet at the cross on the mustard. Pin and tack in place.

5. With right sides facing, tack the ears to the bodies, matching the ear cross to the first cross on the dart. Stitch the darts from A to the dot. Press open. Right sides together, stitch the bodies together around the top, from B-A C, matching the seams. Snip the curves. Stitch the unnotched edges of the gussets together B-C, leaving a 7cm gap. Snip the curves and press the seam open.

6. Stitch the notched edges of one gusset to a body, right side together, from B-C, working around the legs. Clip the corners and snip the curves. Repeat to stitch to the other body. Clip the corners and snip the curves, then turn out. Stuff firmly and evenly.Slipstitch the gap closed.

7. Pinch the end of the face together at the nose, matching the solid lines. Back stitch with two strands of black embroidery thread. Oversew with satin stitch using three strands.

8. Pin and stitch the antlers together in pairs, leaving the straight edges open. Trim the seam allowances to 3mm, snip the curves and turn right side out. Fold in 6mm of the open edges and tack in place. Stuff firmly using a paintbrush. Pin to the head in front of the ears with the longer antlers facing outwards. Sew with small, neat stitches. Remove the tacking.

9. Cut the cross on one tail. Stitch together along the outer edge, right sides facing. Snip the curves and turn out. Lightly stuff with toy filling. Oversew the edges of the cross closed. Pin the narrow end to the rear of the deer with the cross facing inwards. Sew the top third to the deer with small, neat stitches.

Make a baby deer

1. Use the templates to cut out: a pair of baby deer tails and ears from turquoise fabric, plus a pair of ears and two gussets from a mustard print. Trim two baby bodies from pink patterned fabric.

2. Pin and stitch the tails together along the notched edges D-E. Clip the corner and snip the curves. Turn out and stuff lightly with toy filling. Pin and tack the tail to one body, matching D and E. Complete in the same way as the mummy deer.