Handy Pocket Tidy

BY LINDA CLEMENTS

This fabric box makes a great Father’s Day present, giving dad somewhere to store his pocket contents tidily until morning.

Time: 4 hours

Difficulty: Get stuck in

You Will Need:

Dark print fabric: Three strips 4.4cm × 61cm (1³⁄₄in × 24in)

Medium print fabric: Three strips 4.4cm × 61cm (1³⁄₄in × 24in)

Light print fabric: Three strips 4.4cm × 61cm (1³⁄₄in × 24in)

Wadding (batting) 28cm (11in) square

Sewing threads and red quilting thread

Four buttons

1. Using 6mm (¹⁄₄in) seams, sew the strips together, alternating the colours: dark, medium, light. Press seams. Cut the unit into two squares each 29.8cm (11³⁄₄in).

2. Safety pin the wadding to the back of one of the patchwork squares, leaving the seam allowance free. Pin the other square right sides together with the first square, aligning all edges. Sew together all round leaving a gap for turning.

3. Clip corners, turn through. Sew the gap up and press. With matching thread, topstitch around 3mm (¹⁄₈in) from the edge. Quilt the patchwork using red thread and any pattern you like.

4. Press all sides in by 5cm (2in), pressing firmly to crease the base. Take each corner in turn and pinch the two top edges together so the sides are vertical. Using matching thread, stitch through the two edges, 5cm (2in) in from each corner, to fix the corner. Press the flap of fabric inwards, to make a kite shape, and sew a button in position. Repeat on all four corners.