Stitch a giraffe

1. Download the templates and print. Cut out eight legs and two bodies from striped fabric, and eight feet and two noses from calico. Pin each foot to a leg piece and machine stitch together with right sides facing. Pin a nose piece to the head section of each body and sew in place.

2. Pair up each leg piece and press the seams open. Pin and stitch each pair together with right sides facing, matching the seams and leaving the top open. Snip the curves, turn out and press. Stuff all four legs until firm. Slip stitch the opening together and sew a button on at the top of the leg.

3. Cut out one mane from orange felt. Snip down the edge of one side at regular intervals. Using the template as a guide, mark the position of the eyes on the head. Work a French knot for each in purple embroidery thread. Place the mane down the back of the giraffe’s neck, facing inwards, using a little fabric glue to hold it in place if you wish.

4. Match the nose seams and pin the body right sides together. Stitch around the edge leaving a 10cm gap along the bottom for turning. Snip and trim the curves, then turn through and press. Using the template as a guide, sew the legs into position, stitching through the buttons. The legs need to be able to move, so three stitches should be enough. Stuff the body until firm, then sew up the opening.

5. Cut out two ear inners, one tail inner and four ossicones from orange felt, and two ears and one tail from pale green. Sew a French knot in green thread in the centre of two of the ossicones. Glue another ossicone to the back of each one. Work blanket stitch around the edges, also in green.

6. Glue the ear inners onto the ears and the tail inner onto the tail. Work blanket stitch around each inner piece in green thread. Sew the ears, ossicones and tail into place, making sure they’re secure.

Make a cushion

1. Cut a 20cm square of cream linen and another of lightweight fusible interfacing. Iron the interfacing onto the back of the linen. Using the template provided, draw all the giraffe pieces onto fusible webbing and cut out. Iron the body and legs onto a piece of striped fabric and the nose and feet onto calico. Cut out.

2. Cut one mane out of orange felt and snip down one side. Position the nose and body on the linen square and place the mane under the neck so the fringing peeks out. Iron to adhere into place. Work narrow zig zag stitch all around the edge. Position the feet and legs, iron to adhere, then zig zag around the edges.

3. Cut out both ossicone shapes and one inner ear in orange felt, and one outer ear and one tail in pale green. Stick the inner ear on top of the outer, then work a French knot in the centre of each ossicone with green thread. Glue all the parts into place and over sew around the edges with coordinating thread. You could embroider these instead if preferred. Stitch a French knot in purple embroidery thread for the eye and sew on a small button at the top of each leg.

4. Cut a 22cm square of striped fabric. Cut out an 18cm square of calico and back with fusible webbing. Iron this onto the centre of the striped square, then work zig zag stitch around the edge. Cut a 17cm square of fusible webbing and iron onto the reverse side of the linen square, making sure the giraffe is central. Cut out and iron onto the calico square. Work zig zag stitch around the edge of this too, then finish with a purple French knot at each corner.

5. Cut two pieces of striped fabric measuring 15cm x 22cm and 17cm x 22cm. Hem one long edge of each piece and press. With right sides facing, place the largest rectangle on top of the giraffe square, lining up the bottom edges and keeping the hem at the top. Place the other rectangle to line up with the top edge, hem at the bottom. Pin and stitch around the cushion leaving the envelope opening, snip the corners, turn out and press.

6. Make a cushion pad by cutting two 20cm squares of calico. Pin together and machine stitch around the edges, leaving an 8cm gap for turning. Snip the corners and turn out. Fill with wadding and sew up the gap.