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SPRING BUNNY TUTORIAL

Seasonal Projects, Toys & Softies | 20

Lorraine (or LiEr) from ikat bag has shared a steady stream of innovative
and fun toys, clothes, costumes and more over the years. You can now
supplement her extensive archive of free patterns with more involved PDF
designs that you can purchase. It’s so easy to spend a lot of time on
Lorraine’s site… Just look at the parties! Look at the extensive list of
tutorials! Lorraine has also joined us here at Sew Mama Sew with her Back
to School Pencil Case and the more recent Cloverleaf Bag. Advertise Here

Today Lorraine shares her Spring Bunny tutorial, just in time for some
special Easter sewing. You could even pair a bunny with a Scalloped Edge
Basket, Fun + Frayed Basket, Toy Gathering Bucket or The Art Tote!
Welcome spring with this happy little bunny…

Hello, everyone! Bunnies are a big thing in our house because Kate, our 6-
year-old, is besotted with them.

Last year for her birthday she asked for a “puffy” bunny, where “puffy”
animals– she explained eventually– were those that sat upright on their
bottoms, like teddy bears. These were opposed to “flat” animals which,
according to Kate, sprawl on their bellies with all four limbs splayed out like SUBSCRIBE TO
bearskin rugs. One year later, I decided to revisit the idea of “flat bunnies” OUR
after we all fell in love with this book: NEWSLETTERS

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Adults, I’ve learned, will happily make a stuffed animal, lovingly gift it to a
child and call it a day.
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And, at the behest of Kate and her sisters, food. Projects

SEW MAMA SEW

ON INSTAGRAM

EXPLORE OUR
TUTORIALS

ACCESSORIES

APPLIQUÉ APRONS
And beds. And clothes. And travel bags. And a cardboard bunny house.
AUTUMN BABIES

BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Stay here on Sew Mama Sew to learn to make your own bunnies. Then
come over to ikat bag tomorrow for the full story, and more tutorials for the BUTTONS AND SNAPS
carrots, bed, house, clothes and totes. Also visit this post for tips and tools
CHILDREN
for making stuffed animals and dolls.
CHRISTMAS

Step 1 COSTUMES
The Bunny Templates do not include seam allowances to facilitate easier
DRAWSTRING BAG
enlargement or reduction, should you desire bunnies of different sizes. Cut
out the Bunny Template pieces and add 1/4” SA (seam allowance) all around EASTER FELT

each piece with the exception of the tail, which doesn’t require additional GIVEAWAYS
SA.
GO + SEW

Lay out and cut out the required pieces of fabric using the templates. Plush HALLOWEEN

fabrics with a bit of give tend to produce better results. Recommended HAND EMBROIDERY
fabrics include micro fleece, stretch terry, velour, fleece, minky and knits
HANDMADE HOLIDAYS
which are not overly stretchy. I have also used thin corduroy and terry cloth
with good results. KITCHEN KNITS

MACHINE QUILTING
When cutting out the head pieces, mark the center front and center back
MEN MODERN BOM
edges to distinguish them from the side edges as they are very similar in
curvature. PAPER PIECING

PARTIES PATTERNS
Step 2
Begin making the head. Place the right side (RS) of the Head Front pieces PILLOWS

together, and sew along the center front edges. QUILT BLOCKS

SEAM FINISHING
Place the RS of the Head Back pieces together and, beginning at the top of
the head, sew only about 3/4” of the seam leaving the remaining lower SEWING MACHINES &
ACCESSORIES
portion open.
SEWING ROOM

SHOULDER BAG

SOFTIES SPRING

SUMMER

TABLE LINENS

TOTE BAG

TRAVEL BAG TRENDS

VALENTINE'S DAY

WEDDINGS WINTER

WOMEN

ZIPPER POUCH

ZIPPERS

Step 3
Open up the Head Front and hand-embroider the facial details. Set aside.

Step 4
Make one ear. Place the RS of one Ear piece and one Ear Lining piece
together, aligning their left edges (red arrow). The Lining is deliberately cut
narrower than the Ear, so that when sewn together, the outer ear will wrap
around the edges of the lining.

Begin stitching, as shown (the presser foot has been removed for better
visibility)…

…Pausing when you reach the tip of the Lining.

Then turn the fabric, and to gently stretch the Ear Lining so that its right
edge aligns with that of the Ear (red arrow).

Continue stitching to complete the ear.

When completed, the Ear fabric will bulge slightly, while the Lining fabric
stays flat and taut.

Step 5
Pink the seam allowance.

Turn RS out (note how the Ear now frames the Lining).

Then fold as shown in preparation for attachment to the head.

Step 6
Repeat Step 5 with the other Ear and Ear Lining pieces to make the second
ear. End of Part 2.

Step 7
Attach the ends of the ears to the top of the Head Front, as shown. The
folded edge of the ears are towards the center front seam of the Head
Front…

…So that when attached, the ensemble will look like this:

Step 8
Attach the Head Front to the Head Back, RS together, lining up their edges
and matching up the center front and center back seams. Notice that the
lower half of the center back seam is still open (red arrows).

Sew all around the head. Set aside.

Step 9
Place the RS of the Side Body pieces together, and sew from point A to point
B (blue arrows).

Step 10
Spread the Side Body pieces over the Belly piece, RS touching, matching up
the four limbs. Sew all around the outline of the Belly, from point C at the
neck all the way around to the other point C.

Step 11
Attach the completed head to the completed body. Lay both on your work
surface as shown. Lift the head and place it on the body, matching up points
E and D. The RS of the head will be touching the RS of the body. The side
seams of the head will not align with the side seams of the body but the
center front of the bunny’s head will match up with point D on the body’s
neck, and the center back will align with the center back of the body. The
center back seam of the head is still half-open, as is the front portion of the
body’s back seam.

Sew all around the neck to attach the head to the body. Sew from point E all
the way around the front of the neck to the other point E.

Pop the head back up. Sew shut the center back seam of the head,
extending about 1/2” past the neck into the body. Leave the rest of the
body’s back seam open for turning out and stuffing. Snip and notch all the
concave and concave SAs, respectively, including those around the neck and
shoulders.

This allows them to lie flat when the animal is turned RS out.

Step 12
Make the tail by sewing running stitches 1/4” from the edge of the Tail circle,
then gathering the fabric around a little stuffing.
 Secure the opening by stitching it shut. Do not cut off the thread; you will
continuing to sew the tail onto the bunny.

Step 13
Draw a 5/8” circle on the back of the bunny where the tail should go. Also
draw a matching 5/8” circle on the gathered portion of the tail. These circles
are optional, but they help position the tail centrally while stitching.

Ladder-stitch the tail onto the bunny.

The ladder stitch will be invisible when the thread is pulled tight.

Step 14
Stuff the bunny. A combination of polyfill stuffing and poly pellets (can be
bought in craft stores) gives a stable, beanie-baby-like outcome. I used
about a half cup of poly pellets per bunny. First fill the back legs and lower
half of the body completely with pellets, then with stuffing to keep the
pellets in place. Next fill the front legs with pellets, and then stuffing to keep
the pellets in place. Continue stuffing the rest of the head and chest of the
bunny to the desired firmness.

I use a contraption made with a wide straw and a paper funnel. More details
can be found in this blog post. That helps channel the pellets directly into
small spaces without spilling.

Ladder-stitch the back opening shut.

The bunny is completed! Head over to ikat bag tomorrow for the tutorials
for the carrots, bed and other accessories.

Tags: children, Easter, softies, spring

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