Jot down the year's planting themes in our appliqué notebook

What you need...

• Fabric, cotton: Posy Sketch, floral on white; green cross-hatch; ditzy leaf; plain green, two shades; texture print, grey
  
• Buttons, assorted
  
• Thread, machine: white, dark green, light green, bright pink
  
• Sewing machine
  
• Notebook

instructions

1. Garden Notebook - 1 Take floral fabric, 10cm x 47cm, and ditzy leaf, 4cm x 47cm, then stitch the two together up the long sides. Press the seams open on the reverse and set aside. Trim three pieces of green crosshatch print, 13cm x 47cm. For the plant markers, cut three thin rectangles of grey fabric: 1.5cm x 9cm, 1.5cm x 10cm, 1.5cm x 11cm. Shape one end of each into a point, then back with interfacing.
   
   2 Fold the green cross-hatch fabric in half, short end to short end, wrong sides together. Arrange and pin the three markers in order of size: position the straight end on the bottom edge of the green fabric with the longest 3cm from the middle fold. Stitch each one down in pink thread. Iron on the reverse.
   
   3 Cut out leaves from green fabrics, arrange as shown at the bottom of each marker and stitch the details in two shades of green. Machine or hand sew the words on each marker, then iron on the reverse. Pin the piece you set aside earlier, right sides together with the cross-hatch panel along the length of the leaf print.
   
   4 Trim a flower from fabric and stitch it to the bottom of the middle marker and press. Shape the backing fabric to the same size. Pin right sides together with the embroidered front. Stitch all the way round, leaving a gap at the bottom for turning. Trim excess fabric from across the corners, turn right side out, iron flat and close the gap by hand.
   
   5 To cover the notebook, place the decorated piece over the front, tucking the length inside the cover. Mark the fold lines with pins, remove the notebook and lay the cover flat, wrong side up. Fold both ends in from the pin line, then pin and ladder stitch the top and bottom of each fold. Insert the notebook.

2. Seed Pocket - 1 Fold green fabric, 16cm x 26cm, short sides together. Trim lengths of brown lace, green cross-hatch fabric and a chevron print. Stick down the
   lace with glue and arrange the other pieces at angles on top.
   
   2 Fix a plant stick cut from grey fabric on the left using a glue stick. Cut a flower from printed fabric and position in the centre of the arrangement over a length of ricrac. Cut out two small seedling leaves in a different green and add stitching.
   
   3 Apply stitched detailing in pink and teal. Attach a button onto the flower and iron on the reverse. Lay the green fabric wrong side up and fold the top over by 5mm twice, stitch the seam and press. Fold in half, short end to short end, and stitch a 1cm seam down the side and along the bottom. Trim across the corner and turn out. Press. Stitch ribbon to the top righthand corner for hanging.

3. Matching Tag - Trim green cross-hatch fabric and back with interfacing. Shape the top into a curve and stick to a pink card, leaving a border. Fix gingham paper across the bottom and chevron fabric over the join. Embroider wording in dark teal thread and finish with a flower made from fabric and buttons.