Craft a medical bag

1. Download and print the templates from sewmag.co.uk. Cut out the following rectangles measuring 26cm x 48cm: one from red and white spot fabric, one from plain blue, two from stabilising interfacing and one from wadding. Snip out a white felt circle measuring 6cm in diameter, a red felt cross and a 2cm x 7cm strip of blue felt.

2. Lay the red and white spotty rectangle right side up vertically and pin the white felt circle 4.5cm from the top raw edge centrally, 9.5cm in from both sides. Sew around the circle in red thread, then stitch the cross in place with white thread. With black thread, sew ‘DOCTOR’ in the middle of the blue felt strip, then use white thread to stitch in place just below the circle.

3. Cut a 10.5cm x 16cm exterior pocket from blue felt, plus a 7cm x 12cm rectangle from blue crosshatch fabric. Sew the fabric rectangle onto the felt, 2.5cm from the top with 2cm at each side, then stitch three blue lines across. In black thread, sew ‘NOTES’ at the top. Lay the red and white spot fabric right side up with ‘DOCTOR’ now at the bottom (it will be upside down).

4. Pin the blue felt pocket in place, 4cm from the top and 5cm from each side. Stitch down each side and across the bottom. Iron the whole piece on the reverse and set aside. Cut a piece of blue felt, 9.5cm x 20cm, for the inside pockets. Take the plain blue fabric lining piece and pin the felt at one end, 4.5cm from the top and 2.5cm from the sides. Sew down both sides and across the bottom, then divide the pocket into three by sewing vertical lines. Press on the reverse.

5. Lay the plain blue fabric horizontally, right side down. Lay one of the interfacings on top, then the wadding, then the second interfacing and the red spot piece right side up (the white circle will be on the right). Pin all together and stitch a 3mm seam all the way around. Machine quilt around the white felt circle and ‘DOCTOR’ using red thread. Fold the whole length in half, mark the middle fold line with a pin, then mark either side of that pin at 5cm.

6. Use red thread to sew these three lines across the width of the fabric and stitch a further two lines in between at 2.5cm. Set aside. Cut two rectangles from red spot fabric, 11.5cm x 14cm. Snip two slightly bigger from wadding, four from interfacing and two from plain blue fabric. For each side, place the blue material at the bottom then layer interfacing, wadding, interfacing and the red spot fabric on top.

7. Sew a 0.3mm seam all the way around, trim off the excess then stitch three vertical lines down each end that will match up with the lines across the base. Cut two pieces of red bias binding to 14cm, then sew across the top raw edge of each end section and trim off the excess. Pinch the bias together in the middle of each end to bring the red spot fabric together, then pin.

8. From the top of the bias tape, stitch a narrow 3mm seam to create a thin dart which ends 5cm down – this will help the bag keep its shape. To make up, pin each end lining side together with the main bag, lining the bottom corners of each end up with the outer base lines you sewed in step 6. Set aside. Cut two strips of red and white spot fabric, 7cm x 28cm. Place right side down and fold both long raw edges on each into the middle so they overlap slightly. Press, then down the middle of each.

9. Place a length of bias tape over the join down the whole length of each handle and machine stitch down the folded edges of the tape. Trim all four top corners into a curve, then starting at the bottom, cover all the remaining raw edges with a length of red bias binding, catching in the handles at the top as you go. Sew four small squares of Velcro in place just under the handles on the lining.

Stitch a nurse’s hat

1. Download and print the templates from sewmag.co.uk. Adding a 5mm seam allowance, cut two hats from white cotton fabric, two from interfacing and one cross from red felt. Pin one white piece onto a piece of interfacing then layer the red cross on top, 1.5cm up from the long straight edge and 13cm in from both sides. Machine stitch around the cross just in from the edge using red thread. Press on the reverse.

2. Pin all four pieces together, interfacing at the bottom, then the second piece of white fabric, and the red cross piece wrong side up on top. Sew a 5mm seam all the way around, leaving a 5cm gap at the side. Trim away all the excess interfacing and fabric, cut across the corners and snip into the curves. Turn right side out and close the gap. Topstitch all the way around, just in from the edge.

3. With the front right side up, measure 6cm up from the bottom straight edge shown on the template and mark across the whole width with an erasable pen. Sew the line with white thread. Turn the hat over and fold the bottom up so that the cross now shows across the bottom band. Stitch up the straight sides, catching a length of elastic into both seams to your chosen size.

Sew a stethoscope

1. Cover a plastic headband with 2.5cm long strips of interfacing by tightly winding around, then secure the ends with a few stitches. Cut a length of pale grey felt, 5.5cm x 46cm. Starting with a 5cm overhang on one end of the headband, lay the length of the felt over the length of the headband, fold over onto the back and secure as you go by hand stitching. Keep all the stitches to the back. Leave a 5cm overhang on the other end, then fold both ends inwards twice and secure in the same way.

2. Fold a 1.1m piece of piping cord in half, place the loop over then under the middle of the headband and thread the lengths of cord through the loop. Pull tightly. Lay the headband wrong side up. Cut a length of sage green felt, 5.5cm x 41cm, and lay it underneath the piping cord and headband with the first 5cm laid beyond the loop. Fold this 5cm down, over the headband where the loop sits to just beyond the loop, and secure. Fold the green felt over the entire length of the cord so the join sits at the back, then hand stitch in place.

3. Cut a stethoscope join from red felt. Put the end with the short tabs underneath the green felt where it joins the headband, with the tabs laid over the front of the headband, and stitch to secure. Wrap the rest of the red piece under then over the headband, so the long tab ends finish at the back. Secure with stitching.

4. For the end of the stethoscope, cut a 6.5cm diameter circle from silver faux leather. Cut larger circles from red felt and faux leather. Layer the larger faux leather wrong side up, then the red felt, then the 6.5cm faux leather right side up, trapping the end of the stethoscope in between the top and felt layers. With red thread, sew around the edge of the top silver circle just in from the edge. Trim away all excess fabric, leaving a narrow border of red felt. Hand sew a large silver wooden flower button to the centre.

Make a reflex hammer

1. Cut a piece of wadding, 12cm x 22cm, roll it up tightly and tack to hold it in shape. Cut out a piece of dark grey felt, 8cm x 15cm. Hand sew a long edge onto the wadding, then roll the remaining grey felt around the wadding, stitching the edge to secure. Gather one end tightly and trim off any excess. Cut tabs into the other end, fold down and secure with a few hand stitches.

2. Use the templates to cut a hammer head and a circle measuring 4.5cm in diameter from royal blue felt. Roll the hammer head into a cone shape and secure with hand stitches. Hand sew the circle partway around the open end, stuff firmly then close with hand stitches. Stitch the head to the tabbed end of the handle. Hide any stitches by sewing a band of red felt around the top of the handle.