Editor: Alicia Thommas

Wednesday, 06 April 2011 03:00

This plush little Chocolate Bunny is a long-lasting alternative to his candy kin. With all the jelly bean eggs, Peeps and other sugar-coma-inducing treats in the average Easter basket, a sugar-free huggable rabbit certainly has its place. Plus, no more dilemma over whether to eat the ears or tail first! These Lil Softees are quick and easy to make, and Minky Double-Sided Cuddle Fleece is so forgiving, even a beginner can turn out a bunny that will hop into the basket looking like star.

Sewing Tools You Need

Any sewing machine (we recommend the Janome DC5100)

Fabric and Other Supplies

A BIG thanks to our friends and supporters at Minky Delight! They provided the cushy soft, double-sided Minky Double-Sided Cuddle Fabric for both Lil Softee Pal projects. If you are looking for "soft, cuddly, melt-in-your-hand fabrics"... this is the place. Thanks, Dan and Lori!

⅓ yard Minky Double-Sided Cuddle Fabric in Chocolate from Minky Delight. This is enough to make three bunnies.
Scrap of printed cotton quilting weight fabric for ears
All-purpose polyester sewing thread in brown
Iron and ironing board
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing needle
Fiberfill: we used Fairfield Soft Touch® Poly-fil Supreme
Chopstick or similar to push Poly-fil into position
Embroidery floss
NOTE: We used off white for both the nose and mouth. You may also prefer to embroider the eyes for children too young for button eyes.
Embroidery needle
Buttons for eyes (optional and not appropriate for toddlers or younger)
1 yard of ½" ribbon for bow at neck
A couple yards of yarn for tail: we used a soft blue-green

Getting Started

Download and print both of the 8½" x 11" pattern sheets using standard weight paper: Bunny Body Template and Bunny Ears Template
IMPORTANT: You must print these PDF files at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page.
Cut TWO 8½" x 11" pieces of the Minky for the body. If you look at the Minky, you will see that one side is slightly fluffier than the other and should be considered the right side. Treat Minky like any napped fabric and place all patterns in one direction.
Press your printed fabric scraps prior to use. Minky should NOT be pressed.

At Your Sewing Machine

NOTE: Minky is a bit slippery. I found it easier to sew the Minky right through the pattern paper using the seam line as a stitching guide. Ever since I made the Sewn Paper and Fabric Card and Envelope last year, I've used printer paper patterns a number of times with great results. When you finish sewing, gently tear the paper away from the seam. If you prefer not to do it this way, you can out the Bunny Body pattern adding ¼" seam allowance all around.

Make Bunny Tail

Wrap yarn around your fingers as shown photo 1. Cut a piece of yarn to tie in the center and slip between ring and middle fingers.
Cinch up the tie tightly to form the bow tie shape shown in photo 2.
Slip your scissors into the loops formed on either side and clip as shown in photo 3.
Fluff and trim to form the bunny tail shown in photo 4.

Make Bunny Ears

Cut out the two ear pattern pieces. Place one piece of Minky and one piece of cotton fabric, each slightly larger than the ear pattern piece, right sides together. Pin the pattern piece to the layers. I pinned on the cotton side so I could to fussy cut my ear patterns over an appropriate motif on the fabric. Repeat for the second ear.
Sew along the outer edge of each ear on the stitch line as shown. Leave the base of each ear open.
Trim along cut line. Gently tear away the paper.
Turn the ears right side out. Finger flatten (remember... do not iron Minky).

Make Bunny Body

NOTE: The Bunny Body identical in construction to the Kitty Body in Lil Softee Pal: Cotton Candy Kitty. For additional photos, check this link.

Place the Bunny Body printout atop the wrong side of one of the 8½" x 11" pieces of Minky. Anchor with a few straight pins.
Use pins to mark the location of ears.
NOTE: The ears go beneath the Minky, NOT between the pattern and the Minky.
Use the pins to find the corners of the ears and pin the ears in position underneath the Minky.
Lay the piece of Minky with the ears pinned in place rights side together with the remaining 8½" x 11" piece of Minky. You now have a little sandwich with the ears between the two layers of right-side-together Minky.
Pin the sandwich all around.
Stitch along the dashed seam line (again - right through the paper), beginning at the marked dot on arm. Backstitch to start, then continue along dashed seam line all around to the second marked dot. Stop at this dot and backstitch, leaving the space between the dots open for turning and stuffing.
Gently tear away paper pattern and trim the Minky to approximately ¼" from the seam line.
Turn bunny right side out. Push out arms and legs with a chopstick or similar.
Use the chopstick (or similar) to push Poly-fil into all parts of the Bunny Body until pleasingly plump.
Slip stitch opening closed.
Hand stitch the tail to the back side of the Bunny Body about where shown.

Make Bunny Face

Sew button eyes to face. Depending on where you put them and the size and style of the buttons, you can achieve a variety of facial expressions. I sewed from one eye across to the other and snugged it just a little to slightly indent the eyes.
A simple X makes an easy nose and mouth. Again, this is an area to be as expressive as you'd like with your embroidery floss.

Contributors

Project concept and sample creation: Alicia Thommas

Other machines suitable for this project include the Bernina 635 Limited Edition and the Elna eXcellence.

Liz Johnson, Editor, Sew4Home said:

...
@ Céline - you could try Google Translate. I'm sure it won't be perfect but perhaps good enough.

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?act=url&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=en&tl=de&twu=1&u=http://sew4home.com/projects/fabric-art-a-accents/848-lil-softee-pal-chocolate-bunny&usg=ALkJrhjGag69i7BlZGoRYTiB3IlRBYY4EA

January 20, 2012

Céline said:

...
can somebody give me the dircetion about this in german?

January 20, 2012

alicia.thommas said:

...
Viviane - you can use http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ to translate a web page. This page translated is:
http://66.163.168.225/babelfis...late-bunny
In French:
Vous pouvez utiliser [url=http://babelfish.yahoo.com/[/url pour traduire une page web. Cette page traduite est: http://66.163.168.225/babelfis...late-bunny

December 15, 2011

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it said:

...
HO IL EST CHOUCHOU J'ADORE MAIS PETITE DIFFICULTEE CAR JE NE PARLE PAS ANGLAIS MAIS JE VAIS ESSAYER DE ME DEBROUILLER
MERCI ENCORE
VIVIANE

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