What do you need for easter, besides a large quantity of chocolate eggs? Bunnies!
I used a free tutorial from ikatbag.com for Spring Bunnies. This is a very simple pattern – the most difficult part is embroidering the faces.
I used some fleece I had leftover from making Arctic Trapper Hats. It’s maybe a little thick for this project, but I made it work. It does make them a little more hard-wearing.
I used silk embroidery floss for the faces. My embroidery skills are nothing to write home about but these turned out all right. I should probably practise a little. lol
The cutest part of this pattern: tiny bunny tails!
We do a chocolate egg hunt every year and these bunnies helped out and have been dragged around the house ever since.
Summary
Pattern Review:Spring Bunnies from ikatbag. Fabric: I used some leftover fleece, in two colours, from another project. Cost: Pattern: $0. Fabric: 0$. Sewing Level: Easy. Modifications: None. Results: Great!
There was a birthday at our house this summer, and it involved a teddy bear sleepover party.
I wanted to make something fun for all my kids, something that wasn’t too young for the biggest one or too old for the youngest. But I’ve had all four kids at home all summer so time has been limited.
I started with these cute tiny bears. I used the free pattern for Warren the Charity Bear by Shiny Happy World. It is a super easy pattern, and very squeezable.
These are just right for little hands.
I thought the original pattern looked a bit big, so I scaled the PDF down to 50 per cent. It’s just the right size to be snuggled by my littlest. Instead of buttons for eyes, I just embroidered the whole face and because of the small size, I embroidered the hearts as well.
It’s a bit tough to see, but each bear has slightly different coloured eyes, just like my kids.
I hand embroidered the faces.
I used some white minky fabric that was left over from an Easter bunny costume (never blogged) for the bears. It’s super soft and cuddly.
The bears were cute, but they took no time at all. So I decided to make them each a sleeping bags. There are couple of cute patterns around, but I ended up using The Three Bears’ Sleeping Bag by Flossie Teacakes.
This print is Licorice Cats by Anne Kelle.
It’s an adorable pattern. I made the Daddy Bear size. It’s just right for a typical 12-inch baby doll, but mostly gets used for stuffed animals at out house.
This print is Sunset from the Fly Away collection by Amy Schindler, and the binding is Kona cerise.
I used quilting cotton and batting left over from previous projects, but I matched the fabric in each sleeping bag to clothing that I’d made for each kid, so that they would know which one was theirs. With four sleeping bags, there was a lot of switching thread.
Here I used Ladybugs by Anne Kelle and Kona in medium grey for the binding.
The pattern was good, but the fabric requirements were a bit off. If you want to make a large sleeping bag, you’ll need 1/3 yard for the sleeping bag lining, and 1/3 yard (possibly a mixture of assorted prints) for the outer fabric, as well as 1/3 yard for the batting.
I made three changes. I quilted the entire sleeping bag, I used double-layer bias tape for the binding, and I machine-stitched the binding in place. I think this last part will make them a bit tougher.
The print here is Whales in bright by Anne Kelle, and Kona cottons for the pillow and binding.
I’ve seen some very cute versions with quilt blocks for the main front section, but I had to make four, so I stuck to simple single-fabric panels and straight-line quilting.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any action shots of these, but I can definitely say they see a lot of playtime. On any given day, I might find a single bear, a pair of dolls or an entire menagerie of sea creatures inside. And best of all, they are machine washable.
My first tiny bear. These took no time at all.
I love making toys for the kids. It is so much fun. I have to keep myself away from adorable doll and stuffed animal patterns. They are just way too tempting.
Check this out! Can you believe that this adorable bunny was made by Kid No 1?
Ack! Too cute!
She’s learning to hand sew and she made the whole thing by herself. I may have helped just a little with the face. She’s only seven, after all.
See how tiny!
It was a homework assignment. All the kids in her class had to bring something homemade to school for a gift exchange. This was what she made.
I may have helped with the face, just a little.
There was no pattern, and it was made of scraps of polar fleece leftover from the mittens I made earlier this winter. The bunny is quite small, only about 10 cm (about 4 inches) tall, including the ears.
Kid No 1 was so happy, that she made another for herself, right afterwards. I’m so proud of her!
The Finished Garment 