Stitch a home hoop

1. Cut a 20cm square from cream calico fabric. Download the templates, use to cut out the birdhouse and tree branch from patterned fabrics and back with interfacing. Cut out two large flowers from floral fabric and interface.

2. Temporarily place the outer part of a 5” embroidery hoop onto the middle of the calico. Arrange the pieces as shown, except for the large flowers, and pin in place. Use navy thread to secure the birdhouse roof and to add a decorative scallop pattern. Secure the house with red thread, and use dark brown for the branch. Add a couple of tiny flowers to the top of the roof.

3. Cut a large purple dot from spotty fabric and secure to the middle of the birdhouse with acid-free glue. Stitch in navy thread, adding a scallop shaped decoration. Cut a printed bird circle, keeping the white outline intact. Back with interfacing and place in the centre of the purple, as shown. Stitch around the bird in navy thread.

4. Lay the hoop on top of the picture again and place the large flower at the bottom, adhering securely with acid-free glue. Allow to dry and use pink and green thread to add detail. Cut a couple of tiny flower motifs and two leaves, and stitch to the top branch.

5. Trace ‘home’ from the template onto tissue paper, pin in place and stitch over it twice in navy thread. Iron on the reverse. Remove the tracing paper, mount into the hoop, pulling the fabric taut and tighten the screw. Trim away all the excess fabric from the back.

6 Use pink and green thread to add detail to the last remaining flower. Cut out and secure with acid-free glue so that it overhangs the hoop edge to finish.

Make an early bird picture

1. Cut a 14cm square of calico. Trim an 8cm x 14cm section of red patterned fabric, back with interfacing, then lay across the calico a third of the way up. Stitch across the raw edge. Cut a bird from printed fabric, several leaves and a small flower bud, and back with interfacing.

2. Place the outer part of a 3” embroidery hoop onto the fabric square and pin the bird, leaves and flower in place. Stitch the bird using navy thread, and the leaves and flower in pink and green. Using the template, trace ‘early bird’ onto tissue and stitch in navy thread. Iron on the reverse. Mount the finished picture and trim away the excess fabric to finish.

Sew a ‘tweet’ hanging birdhouse

1. Use the template provided to cut out two houses from red bow print fabric. Cut out two standard roofs from grey fabric, ensuring a white printed bird is in the middle of each. Using a 5mm seam allowance, stitch each roof to a house, pinning right sides together first. Iron the seam open and set one aside.

2. Cut a large purple circle with a small border of white and secure to the middle of the red house front, 1cm from the roof line. Stitch a scallop pattern in navy thread around the edge to secure. Cut out a bird from fabric, back with interfacing and use navy thread to stitch it as shown.

3. Cut out fabric letters or create your own, interface, arrange as shown and catch each within two lines of navy stitching. Embroider around the white roof bird in navy and iron on the reverse.

4. Place the front and back of the birdhouse right sides together and pin, trapping a loop of baker’s twine in the top with the raw ends sticking out. Stitch with a 5mm seam allowance from point A around to point B, leaving a small gap for turning, then sew from point C down to point D, and from point E across to point F. Trim the excess fabric from across the roof corners.

5. To make the base of the house three-dimensional, push point D to meet point E and stitch across to hold in place, then point F to meet point A in the same way. Turn right side out. Stuff firmly with wadding and hand stitch the gap closed.