Lavender hearts

Reinventing the arts of needlepoint and cross stitch, Cath Kidston’s delightful book Stitch! is an inspiring reference for today’s crafter.

No book of needlework projects is ever complete without a lavender bag! This aromatic posy sachet is a great beginner’s project, which introduces some basic hand-sewing skills. It requires only a small amount of thread and fabric, so you’ll have enough materials left over to make a few more for your friends.

MATERIALS
• 15cm square of 14-count cross-stitch fabric
• DMC stranded embroidery thread in the following colours: ecru (ecru); mid-pink (603); brown (840); green (954); lilac (3042); dark pink (3804)
• cross-stitch needle
• 10cm square of light-weight iron-on interfacing
• 15cm square of backing fabric
• 30cm narrow lace edging
• tracing paper and pencil
• matching sewing thread
• dried lavender

1. Fold the cross-stitch fabric lightly into quarters to mark the centre point. Starting with the flowers and working out to the leaves, sew the motif using two strands of embroidery thread.
2. Trace or photocopy the heart template, and cut it out. Place the template on to the interfacing and draw around the outside edge with a sharp pencil. Cut along the outline.
3. Position the heart centrally over the back of the completed embroidery, with the adhesive side downwards. Following the manufacturer’s guidelines, iron it in place. (This will prevent the lavender working through the holes in the fabric).
4. Now tack the template directly over the interfacing and trim the cross-stitch fabric down to an 8mm margin all round. Snip into the fabric at top of the heart.
5. Turn back the margin and tack it to the template, easing it round the curves. Press from the wrong side and remove the template.
6. Fold the lace in half to find the centre. Starting with this point tucked behind the tip of the heart, slip stitch the lace along the right edge of the heart. Tuck the loose end down between the two curves at the top and stitch in place. Sew the other edge in the same way.
7. Tack the template to the backing fabric, then trim and tack the edges as you did before to make a neatened heart.
8. With wrong sides facing, pin and tack the front to the back.
9. Stitch together around the end, passing the needle from front to back and through the lace. Leave a 3cm opening along one edge.
10. Fill the bag with lavender, a teaspoon full at a time, pushing the dried buds right into the curves. Close the gap with neat slip stiches.