Stitch a Nightdress Case

1. Cut a 14cm square of plain cotton, plus two 6cm x 14cm, and two 24cm x 6cm strips of patterned fabric. Tack the strips into place around the square with right sides together to make a border. Open out and press the tacked seams before oversewing with two strands of embroidery thread in a neat running stitch.

2. Fuse lightweight iron-on interfacing to the reverse of scraps of plain and patterned fabrics. Use butterfly dies and a Big Shot machine to create four motifs from patterned material and the same from plain.

3. Pin the unpatterned fabric butterflies to the square of material in a pleasing format and secure into place with small running stitches in coordinating embroidery thread. Place the patterned butterflies on top and backstitch a line along the centre of the body, and add antennae with backstitches.

4. Use a soft pencil to lightly draw looped butterfly trails over the empty areas of the fabric square, then sew small running stitches over the lines with blue thread.

5. Cut two 17cm x 24cm pieces of striped cotton and double hem one long edge of each piece. Pin the rectangles over the decorated square with right sides together, so the hemmed edges overlap to form an envelope back. Tack the edges and turn right sides out. Press the seams before oversewing the edges with a neat running stitch, using two strands of embroidery thread.

Embellish a Canvas

1. Measure a blank canvas and cut a piece of patterned fabric 10cm larger in both directions. Cut a circle from plain material that’ll fit in the centre of your canvas with space for a border, and pin into position. Use two strands of coordinating embroidery thread to blanket stitch around the circle to secure it to the fabric.

2. Interface scraps of plain and patterned fabrics and cut butterfly shapes from them using a Big Shot machine. Sew the plain shapes to the background fabric in a pretty composition with neat running stitches around the edges. Place the patterned fabric butterflies on top and backstitch a line along the body to hold them together. Use the same thread to add antennae with backstitch.

3. Use a pencil to sketch looping lines from each butterfly across the fabric and use blue thread to sew running stitches along these guides. Press and fold the wings of the patterned butterflies up. Place the material over the canvas and use double-sided tape around the edges to secure it in place, taking any excess material to the back and mitring the corners to neaten.