https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/doggy-draught-excluder • Posted by Rebecca Shreeve
This friendly dog will sit happily in front of the door, keeping out draughts, and you’ll never have to tell him to ‘Stay’. If you like, you can add some weight to his body and use him as a doorstop as well. Make him in colours to match the theme of the nursery. <b>Nursery Stitch: Buy a copy for only £6.00 including free UK p&p. Call 0870 787 1724 and quote reference CH1357</b>
This friendly dog will sit happily in front of the door, keeping out draughts, and you’ll never have to tell him to ‘Stay’. If you like, you can add some weight to his body and use him as a doorstop as well. Make him in colours to match the theme of the nursery. <b>Nursery Stitch: Buy a copy for only £6.00 including free UK p&p. Call 0870 787 1724 and quote reference CH1357</b>
Use the templates to make pattern pieces and cut out the rear end circle, ears, legs, and tail in the appropriate fabrics. For the body, extend the length of the template until it measures about 231⁄2in (60cm). The pieces should include a seam allowance of 6mm (1⁄4in).
Fold the body piece in half, with right sides together, matching the letters (A with A and B with B). Pin and tack. Machine-stitch along the underside of the body/head (the long edge) and the angled edge of the top of the head, but leave the nose and tail ends open.
Run a gathering thread (by hand) around the nose end, then draw up the stitches to close the gap and secure with a few stitches.
Turn the body the right way out and stuff firmly with toy stuffing. If you want to add some weight, you can put gravel or dried beans in the base of the body. If you do this – especially with gravel – I recommend that you use a double thickness of fabric for the body. Run a gathering stitch right around the dog’s rear end. (Sew by hand or use a large stitch on the machine.) Pull up the threads slightly, but do not tighten too much.
Pin the rear end circle over the dog’s rear end. Turning in a 6mm (1⁄4in) hem as you go, whipstitch the circle to the body.
Transfer the nose template to the webbing: place the webbing over the template, paper side up, and trace the lines of the template. Cut out the shape roughly. Place the shape, paper side up, on the wrong side of the brown fabric. Iron for 3–4 seconds (no steam). Cut out the shape accurately.
Peel off the backing paper and position the nose, coated side down, on the narrow end and pin. (The top of the dog is the side with the small seam rather than the seam that goes all the way to the tail end.) Sew on the nose using three strands of embroidery thread and whipstitch (make small stitches with a fairly small space between each one). Secure the thread to the body under the nose to start, and finish the stitching just under the edge of the nose. To hide the end of the thread, push the needle into the body and bring it out some distance away, so the thread is lost within the body.
Make the ears. Place the pieces with right sides together and machine-stitch around the edges with a 6mm (1⁄4in) seam allowance, leaving a gap in the straight side for turning. Turn right side out. Turn the open edges to the inside and slipstitch to close. Position the ears on the dog, using the photo for guidance, and sew on firmly. Use a double thickness of thread and whipstitch. Secure the thread to the body under the ears to start, and finish the stitching under the ear, close to the top, so the stitches will be hidden.
Make the tail and legs. Place the pieces with right sides together and machine-stitch around the edges with a 6mm (1⁄4in) seam, leaving the end that attaches to the body open. Turn right side out and stuff quite firmly.
Whipstitch the legs to the body, turning in 6mm (1⁄4in) at the top of the leg. Sew right around the edges, forming a circle. Secure the thread to the body under the leg to start, and finish the stitching just under the top of the leg. Repeat the procedure to attach the tail.
Embroider the facial features. Use backstitch for a smiling mouth and satin stitch for the eyes. Sew an eye, go down to the mouth with the same piece of thread and then go back to do the other eye.
This little sausage dog is now ready to guard the nursery door, keeping draughts out and the heat in.