Clothing the Cot and designing it excellent interior knowledge tips and guidance for decoration

NG & ACCESSORIES

Using the template as a pattern, make up side panels twice in fabric with a 12 mm (1 in) seam allowance along the lower edge and 20 cm (8 in) top turning. Make up the same shape in wadding, with no seam allowance. Fit the wadding between the fabric side panels and tack along upper and lower edges. Quilt the sides of the lining: this is particularly effective if you make vertical rows of stitching, spaced 5-10cm apart, using a narrow zigzag stitch. Make a line of stitching around the top of the side panels, level with the top of the wadding. 

Press under a 12 mm (t in) turning around both layers of fabric. Stitch together close to the edge, then again 2 cm (4 in) from the first line of stitching to make a casing. Add a top stitched frill besides the casing. 3 Fit the base to the side panels. Insert elastic into the casing to hold the lining in place. If the basket has handles, mark and cut a slot in both layers of fabric for the handles to slip through. Make two diagonal snips at each end of the slash, and press under a narrow turning all around the opening, or bind with a bias strip of contrasting fabric. Slip stitch folded edges together.

A FITTED COT SHEET

Not all cots are standard sizes, so you may find it helpful to make your own fitted sheets for the nursery. If you use stretch toweling, you can be sure of a tight fit. Measure up the cot mattress. Cut out a single panel of stretch towel- ling, allowing the depth of the mattress all around, plus an extra 15cm to wrap under the mattress and for turning. With the right side of the fabric facing the mattress, pin the seam lines at each corner.   

Tack the seams, then remove the cover from the mattress and stitch the seams. Trim the fabric from the seam allowance and neaten the raw edges together. 2 Turn under a 12 mm (1 in) double hem along all the raw edges. Stitch the turnings in place, beginning and ending stitching 8cm from each corner seam. To make elasticated corners, take four pieces of 6 mm wide elastic, each 10 cm (4 in) long. Pin the elastic over the turnings at each corner of the sheet, and stitch in place with a zigzag stitch, stretching the elastic as you stitch.