Preparation and cutting
1
Trace all the shapes for the
bunny, carrot, basket and
clothing from the Pattern Sheet
onto stiff paper, including the
labels and markings, and cut
them out carefully.2
Fold the cream felt in half. Pin
the head, body, arm, leg and
ear shapes to the felt and cut
them out along the edges of the
paper shapes. Remove the leg,
arm and ear pieces, pin them to
the felt and cut them out again
so you have four of each of these
shapes. This makes one bunny.
Repeat the process to cut the
pieces for a second bunny.3
From the orange felt, cut:- Eight carrot shapes by
cutting along the edge of the
paper pattern.
4
From the green felt, cut:- Eight carrot top shapes.
5
From the beige felt, cut:- Two rectangles, 3 x 12in
(basket sides and lining) - Two basket bases using the
pattern - Four strips,^33 ⁄ 4 x4^1 ⁄ 2 in (handles).
6
Fold the taupe linen in half and
pin the overalls pattern to it.
The grain of the fabric should
match the arrow on the pattern.
Cut it out around the edge of the
pattern (overalls back). Repeat this
step once (overalls back lining).
Unpin the pattern, fold the strap
under along the dotted line and
pin it to the fabric again. Cut it out
around the edge of the pattern
(overalls front). Repeat once more
for the overalls front lining. You
should have eight shapes in all,
four of which are reversed. Keep
them in pairs for now.7
Fold the blue check fabric
in half and from the doubled
fabric, cut:- One sleeve shape (dress)
- One strip, 2^1 ⁄ 2 x6^1 ⁄ 2 in (dress
hem trim) - Two hem facings (overalls trim).
Set the rest of the blue check
fabric aside for making the
covered buttons.
8
Fold the blue fl oral print fabric
in half and from the doubled
fabric, cut:- One dress shape (dress front
and back) - One pocket shape (overalls).
Bunny assembly
9
Instructions are for making
one bunny. You can either
work through them from
beginning to end to complete
one bunny and repeat to make
the second one, or do each step
twice with the two sets of pieces,
as preferred. They are both the
same, except for the ear curve
direction (Step 21).10
Pin the head pattern to
one felt head shape. Use a
very sharp 4B pencil to pierce the
paper and make a tiny dot on the
felt to mark each eye, then make
a few small dots through the
paper for the nose and mouth.11
Thread a needle with very
dark brown embroidery
cotton and knot the end.
Backstitch the curved line of
the mouth and vertical line to
the nose. Change to pale pink
thread and work four satin
stitches horizontally to make
a rectangular nose shape above
the mouth. Stitch the beads
securely in place where you
marked the eye positions.12
Reverse for a few stitches
at the beginning and end
of each softie seam to prevent the
pieces from coming apart when
you’re turning them right side
out. With right sides together, pin
the embroidered head shape to
a body shape at the neck edges.
Machine stitch across them to
make the front of the bunny.
Repeat this step with the other
head and body shape to make
the back. Press the seams open.13
With right sides together,
pin the front and back
together, matching all the edges.
Machine stitch around the body
and head, leaving an opening
where marked on the pattern.
Clip the curves and turn the
body right side out.14
Stuff the head and body
fi rmly with fi bre fi ll, turn the
raw edges inwards and ladder
stitch the opening closed.Step 11FIONA’S MARKING
TIP It can be tricky transferring
markings to fabrics such as felt.
I make a copy of the pattern on
tracing paper, lay it on the fabric
and with a very sharp 4B pencil,
I pierce the paper along the traced
line several times, leaving tiny
pencil dots on the fabric. When
I’ve done this all the way along the
design, I remove the paper and
very gently join the dots with the
sharp pencil to make a line, which
I can then stitch over. For dark-
coloured fabric, I use a sharp
chalk pencil.Homespun 43