Be inspired by nature to create these whimsical woodland hoops

What you need...

• Wooden embroidery hoops; 4”; 5”; 6”
  Fabric: pale blue, dark brown, green; turquoise print; sketch print; orange, yellow
  Lace, scrap, white
  Threads, machine: purple, green
  Sewing machine
  Paper, plain white
  Iron-on interfacing
  Glue stick

instructions

1. Acorn Hoop - 1 Cut a circle of blue fabric that is at least 10cm larger all the way round than the 4” hoop. Using the circle as a guide, trim a circle of turquoise print fabric, 8cm in diameter, and back it with interfacing. Lightly stick the circle onto the middle of the blue one. Place a piece of plain white paper underneath.
   
   2 Machine stitch two lines in green thread just inside the edge of the turquoise circle, then machine stitch a scallop detail all the way round the outside edge.
   
   3 Using the template provided, cut out the two acorn pieces and back the paler piece with interfacing. Place as shown and machine stitch around the edges in purple thread twice, then stitch a zig zag across the acorn top.
   
   4 Hand or machine stitch ‘walk’ to the left and stick two flower pieces cut from fabric. Tear the paper away from around the circle. Iron on the reverse and mount into the hoop.

2. Fox Hoop - 1 Cut a circle of blue fabric, 10cm larger all the way round than the 5” hoop. Trim a circle of turquoise fabric,10cm in diameter, using the template as a guide, and back it with iron-on interfacing.
   
   2 Lightly stick the circle onto the middle of the blue one. As before, place a piece of white paper underneath and machine stitch two lines in green just inside the edge followed by a scallop detail just outside the edge.
   
   3 Using the template as a guide, cut out the fox in orange and face in white, and back with interfacing. Place as shown, add lace to the tip of the tail and stitch the details using purple thread. Machine stitch ‘in to’ on the left and add a flower cut from fabric to the top right. Tear the paper away and iron on the reverse. Mount your picture into the hoop.

3. Deer Hoop - 1 Cut a circle from blue fabric that is at least 10cm larger all the way round than the 6” hoop. Using the template as a guide, cut a 12cm circle from turquoise fabric and back it with iron-on interfacing.
   
   2 Lightly stick this onto the middle of the blue circle. As before, place a piece of white paper underneath before stitching to stabilise the fabric. In green thread, stitch around the circle twice just in from the edge, then scallop stitch around the outer edge.
   
   3 Using the template provided, cut out the deer in yellow and back it with interfacing. Cut out the tree trunk and several leaves in brown, green and orange fabrics. Place as shown and machine stitch around all the edges, adding the details in purple thread.
   
   4 Stitch ‘the’ and ‘woods’ to the left and right and secure a flower cut from fabric at the bottom. Tear the paper away from around the paper and iron on the reverse and mount into the hoop.