Turn dainty stitches into a charming keepsake set for a newborn tot

What you need...

• Thread, stranded; Colour Variations, DMC
  
• Aida, 14 count, white, 30cm x 50cm, DMC
  
• Bear (GN064L), DMC
  
• Needle, embroidery, no.24
  
• Gingham, 40cm square, lilac
  
• Felt, 40cm square, lilac
  
• Card, thick, 25cm square
  
• Card: white, 10.5cm x 20cm; blue, 10cm x 10.5cm; yellow, scrap
  
• Paper, spotty
  
• Buttons, three
  
• Ribbon: gingham, lilac; sticky
  
• Sewing kit
  
• Glue, general purpose

instructions

1. Sampler - 1 Refer to the downloadable chart. Each coloured square on the chart represents a cross-stitch worked over one block of aida. Following the colour guide, prepare your threads in the order that you are going to use them. Start to work the nursery rhyme design on the square of aida. When completed, create a frame around it with four 10cm x 35cm lengths of gingham fabric. Sew a strip around all four sides of the sampler positioning the
   top and bottom lengths first.
   
   2 When the gingham frame is in place, mount the design to thick card, 25cm square, using general purpose or fabric glue. Make sure the gingham edges wrap round on all sides, then secure firmly on the back of the card. Plait nine short lengths of colour variegated thread to make a loop and stick to the back for hanging. Glue or sew a piece of lilac felt, 24cm square, to the reverse of the sampler to neatly cover all the raw edges.

2. Card - 1 Referring to the chart, work the ‘ten little fingers’ panel design on a piece of aida, 15cm square. Trim around the fabric, two blocks width from the edge of the design, then fray one block to soften the edges.
   
   2 Glue the finished piece to blue card, 10cm x 10.5cm. Fix gingham ribbon down the left hand side of the white card blank and layer spotty paper on the front as shown. Thread a short length of coloured thread through a gingham button and knot. Stick to a small rectangle of card.
   
   3 Sew a button on either side of the gingham one and stick the yellow card to the blank with foam pads. Fix the mounted cross-stitch onto the card front, secured with pads as before. Work the bear’s bib, referring to the chart, and stitch the heart design in a similar colourway to the other pieces.

3. Bear - Decorate a ready-made bear using the same technique.

Find the chart here: [url=http://bit.ly/1kNEZGf]http://bit.ly/1kNEZGf[/url]