Cuddly Bunny Easter Sewing Project

Materials:

• 8” (20cm) ivory/white fleece fabric (I have used Coral Nursery Fleece)
• 8” x 8” (20cm x 20cm) Striped Cotton Fabric
• 8” x 8” (20cm x 20cm) Pink Felt (Inner ears/Tail/Foot & Toe pads/Nose)
• Small scrap of Black Felt (Eyes)
• Fusible webbing (for applique)

Cutting:
Print the pattern pieces (click HERE for the pattern templates) and cut them out.  Then pin onto fabric as stated below.

Fold fabric in half, right sides facing and cut (on double layer of fabric):

• 2 x Ears
• 1 x Head

On single layer of fleece fabric, cut:

• 1 x Body

Cut a piece of Fleece Fabric:

• 6” x 8 ½” (14cm x 22cm) and iron fusible webbing to the wrong side of it.

Now trace onto the fusible webbing:

• 2 x Arms (Reverse one)
• 2 x Feet (Reverse one)
• Cut these out carefully and remove the paper backing.

From Striped Cotton fabric:

• On single layer of fabric, cut:
• 1 x Body

Cut a piece of Pink felt:

• 5” x 6” (12cm x 15cm) and iron fusible webbing to the wrong side of it.

Now trace onto the fusible webbing:

• 2 x Inner Ears (Reverse one)
• 1 x Tail
• 2 x Foot Pads
• 6 x Toe Pads

Cut these out carefully and remove the paper backing.

Instructions:

Applique

I have used my sewing machine on a Blanket Stitch to applique the Inner Ears, Tail, Arms and Feet in place.  I have then used a small straight stitch to sew the foot pads and toe pads in place.  If you prefer you can hand stitch these features into place using 2 strands of embroidery thread using a blanket stitch and a straight stitch.  When ironing pieces in place please make sure you use a piece of cotton fabric between the iron and your work so you don’t mark/burn/melt your fabric.
 

Ears

Take two of your ear pieces (make sure you have one that curves to the left and one that curves to the right) and iron your inner ear onto the right sides of these – matching the straight edge on the bottom (remember to use cotton fabric to protect your work when ironing).  Blanket stitch these in place.


 

Tail

Take your fleece Body piece and lay this on the table right sides up.  Place the Tail into position (right sides up) referring to the body pattern template for placement.

Iron this into place and then blanket stitch around it.


 

Body

Take your striped cotton fabric Body piece and lay this on the table right sides up.  Place your arms and feet into position (right sides up) referring to the Body pattern template for placement.

When happy with the position, iron these in place and then blanket stitch around each one.

Place your Foot Pads and Toe Pads into position on the feet (referring to the Body pattern template) and iron them in place.   Use a small straight stitch (I used 1 ½ on my machine) on your machine to stitch close to the edge around all of these pieces, going around them all twice.


 

Assembly:

Ears

Place Ear (with inner ear) on top of one Ear back piece (right sides together), pin and sew around the ear leaving straight bottom edge open.  Repeat for the other ear piece.  Now clip curves and turn right sides out and iron flat (remember to use cotton fabric to protect your work when ironing).

Ears to Head

Place one head piece onto your table right side up and then place your completed ears on top matching the raw edge of the ear with the top edge of the head.  Refer to the Head pattern template for position.  Make sure the inner ear is facing right side down and that when sewn into place the ears point out the correct way.  Pin and then sew these into place using a ¼” seam.

Head to Body

Now take this Head piece (with ears attached) and place it right sides together on top of the Body front (with arms and feet appliqued) and match the neck seams.  Make sure the centre dots match up and then ease the curve of the head onto the neck seam and pin into place.  Sew together using a ¼” seam.     

Now do the same with the back Head piece and back Body piece.  So you should now have one completed body front (with ears) and one completed body back.
 

Sewing it all together

Tuck in the ears and then lay your body front on top of your body back and match up the seams and the centre points.  Carefully pin it all the way around making sure your don’t catch the ears in the other seams.  Sew it all the way around leaving the turning gap on the bottom open.  Check all your seams first – and then clip curves and carefully turn right sides out through the turning gap.  It will make it easier if you pull out the ears first.
 

Stuffing

Firmly stuff the completed bunny through the gap in the bottom, using small pieces of stuffing at a time.  Stuff the head first and then the body.   Hand stitch the gap closed using a ladder stitch – filling with a little more stuffing as you go.  Go over the gap with the ladder stitch twice for extra strength.
 

Face

Cut out 2 eyes (using pattern template) from black felt.

Cut out 1 nose (using pattern template) from pink felt.

Using the pattern template and photos as a guide, place eyes and nose onto the face and pin them in place.

Blanket stitch (by hand) the eyes and nose into position using 2 strands of matching embroidery thread.