Make a mattress

1. Cut thick foam to size using a craft knife. Trim two pieces of white cotton, 5cm bigger in both directions, and sandwich lightweight wadding between them. Draw a diagonal grid on the back of the sandwich with a pencil, pin the pieces together, and quilt over the guidelines.

2. Create several squares of patterned fabric, 5cm larger than the depth of the foam, and sew together to make a strip long enough to wrap around the sides of the foam with a small overlap. Sew both ends of the strip together and pin to the quilted mattress top, right sides together. Take up any excess fabric in the strip by adding small pleats to the corners. Stitch in place and turn out.

3. Place the mattress cover over the foam and turn over. Fold under the raw edge of the sides to sit level with the depth of the foam. Cut a third piece of white cotton sheeting, 5cm bigger than the foam. Lay over the base of it and tuck the edges in. Pin and oversew the folded edges of the patchwork to the sheeting to completely enclose the foam.

4. Add a rolled edge to the divan by sewing mattress stitch from the top seam to a line 2cm lower al