artful thursdays #11.....stuffie bunny tutorial

i have had this idea for weeks, a sewn wool egg with vintage trim stripes and a little bunny tucked inside. this is what i had in mind from the beginning for artful thursdays, time for me every week to just make whatever i can imagine. it was so much fun making stuffie bunny and i can't wait to make a whole basket of them.
this darling vintage book got me started today. the the easter egg artists by adrienne adams. it was published in 1976 by weekly reader books, one of my favorite children's publishers from my childhood.
i started with a bit of wool and polka dot tricot from a vintage lounge suit (i actually tried it on, comfy but hideous...), little ric rac and trims, stuffing, and some embroidery threads.


step #1. sketch the size of egg you would like on a piece of paper and cut out 2 patterns. mine is 4 1/2 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches wide. draw a simple bunny shape inside one egg so you know he will fit.



step #2. pin the pattern to your tricot or other non-fraying soft material and stitch along your pattern lines leaving a small opening for stuffing. i like to sew first and then cut out the bunny as this keeps the fabrics from sliding and i can cut really close to the stitching.


step #3. carefully tear off the paper pattern. the stitching perforates the paper and it comes right off.


step #4. stuff your bunny using a chopstick to get the stuffing up in the ears and sew the opening closed.


step #5. embroider a the eyes and nose using a satin stitch. sew the little mouth with a back stitch. i anchored the whisker threads with one back stitch and left the ends long then trimmed them to length.



step #6. now to make the wool egg. cut out one full egg out of wool using your original egg pattern. cut the paper pattern in half with a big zig zag for a cracked half egg and cut out of wool. stitch along the cracked edge of your egg.


step #7. select a few trims you like and line them up in stripes on the half egg. stitch them in place letting the trim ends hang over the sides of the egg.



step #8. pin the cracked egg to the full egg back and stitch all around the full egg. cut off the trim ends.


now all you have to do is tuck your stuffie bunny in your egg with a little paper grass and a baby chick to keep him company. a few tiny treats would fit in the bottom of the egg for a sweet surprise. enjoy, julie