Cottage Door Stop

I've been wanting to make a few doorstops for a while, so set out with this cottage first. I'm hoping that Alice can also use it as a house to match her play mat. To make it more interesting for her, I made the door and windows to open. The whole house is made from scrabs of left over fabric, mostly Neil's shirts.

The door stop is 26 cm high. The measurements of the pieces below include a 1cm seam allowance on each side.

Download and print the pattern HERE ... alternatively cut out pieces as per below instructions.

This is what you need:

• 4 pieces of 18x23cm (wide walls) - 2 pieces for outer cover and 2 for "Inner house"
• 4 pieces of 7x6cm (single windows)
• 4 pieces of fabric 15x28cm (cottage height excl. roof 18cm) - 2 pieces for outer cover and 2 for "Inner house" - you will need to cut it so each piece has a square measuring 17cm high x 15cm wide and a triangle of 11cm high on top. (see downloadable pattern)
• 2 pieces 4.5x7cm (double window)
• 2 pieces 10*5x13cm (door)
• 4pieces 18x29cm (roof) (or 2 big pieces measuring 34x29cm)
• 2 pieces 14x23cm (inner house roof) (or 1 big piece measuring 26x23cm)
• 2 pieces 15x23cm (base) - 1 for outer cover and 1 for "Inner house"
• 6 buttons
• lace
• extra fabric for hearts and tree
• some cute fabric pieces to sew into the windows & door
• iron on backing
• toy stuffing
• rice, sand or dried pulses to add weight
• 34cm long zip

Start by gathering all the fabric bits and pieces that will be big enough fit
above sizes. This is my stash:

 

Make the "inner house". I don't know what to call this, but it's what will hold the stuffing. The nice cottage is like a pillow case that you could put into the washing machine. 

To make the "Inner house" you need from the list above:

• 2 pieces of 18x23cm (wide walls)
• 2 pieces of fabric 15x28cm (cottage hight excl. roof 18cm) - you will need to cut it so each piece has a square measuring 17cm high x 15cm wide and a triangle of 11cm high on top. (see downloadable pattern)
• 2 pieces 14x23cm (inner house roof) (or 1 big piece measuring 26x23cm)
• 1 pieces 15x23cm (base)
• toy stuffing
• rice, sand or dried pulses to add weight

 Now, sew all 4 sides right sides together just as you can see further down for the outer case. Once all 4 outer walls have been attached to each other pin the roof and stitch it on. Still inside out pin and sew the base on 3 sides, leaving one side open. Now turn your work inside out, fill it with your toy stuffing and sand (or rice etc) and sew up the opening so nothing can come out.

 

Now you can start on the cover. You need from top list:

• 2 pieces of 18x23cm (wide walls)
• 2 pieces of fabric 15x28cm (cottage hight excl. roof 18cm) - you will need to cut it so each piece has a square measuring 17cm high x 15cm wide and a triangle of 11cm high on top. (see downloadable pattern)
• 1 pieces 15x23cm (base) 
• 4 pieces of 7x6cm (single windows)
• 2 pieces 4.5x7cm (double window)
• 2 pieces 10*5x13cm (door)
• 4pieces 18x29cm (roof) (or 2 big pieces measuring 34x29cm)
• 6 buttons
• lace
• extra fabric for hearts and tree
• some cute fabric pieces to sew into the windows & door
• iron on backing - you need to cut a piece matching every piece of fabric used for this cover to make the fabric stronger and not so flimsy

Once you have everything cut out, iron the backing onto each fabric piece. Then, using blanket stitch, stitch your little faces, trees & hearts where you want them on your cottage. Blanket stitch around each window and door and sew one side onto your cottage where you want them to stay.

  

Now sew the 4 outer walls right sides together just like in this photo. Sew the walls together so they are enclosed. Join both sides of the roof using lace. My roof was made from the cuffs on Neil's old shirt. You could just cut on big piece saving you having to join the top of the roof sides together.  Still inside out attach the roof.

Pin and sew the bottom of the roof to the wide sides of of the house. Turn you work right sides out. Pin the slopes of the roof to the triangle of the narrow outerwalls. This roof is sticking out over the sides. This part is fiddely, so you might find it easier to handstitch the roof to the narrow part of the house (across the trianglar part of the side panels). I was too lazy and still managed to do it with my machine.

 

Once you've come this far, turn your work inside out again and stitch the base on on 2 sides (one narrow and one long side. Then pin on the zip for the other half (again one long and one short side) and sew into place.

 

Finally, before you insert the stuffed "inner house" you need to add button holes to the door and windows and once done, sew on the buttons.

 

 Now insert the stuffed house, close the zip ....

 

... and admire your house: :-)

 

 ... I had so little of the "Three Bears" Michael Miller fabric left that even Goldilocks needed to be pieced together from the fabric scraps .. but it's ok :-) ... see here:

 

 The little cottage ... voila ...

 

Enjoy making your own! xx