Handmade Bunnies & A Teddy Bear - payItForward free pattern
What about ye folks, it's Lee here and welcome back to my blog. Firstly, let me wish you all a very Happy New Year. Let's hope 2021 is a kinder year for us all, and we stay safe and healthy.
I want to share with you some wee cutie patooties that I made as Christmas gifts for 2 of my nieces and wee nephew. The girls are both 4 years old and the wee boy is only 6 months old.
These are not my own designs but I do want to tell you about where I got the patterns because I think the creator is incredibly talented and generous. I happened to be watching Micheline from Michoumakes and she was sharing some cute little makes that she had sewn up, when she kindly gave a shout out to the actual designer.
Before I go on, on a personal note, it is incredibly important to me and all us creative types that we give credit where credit is due. Now I know nowadays it's hard to come up with an original idea. However, if you are inspired by another crafter or artist, under Copyright Law you are legally obliged to say where you got your inspiration from. So please, if you are inspired to make something, having seen it from someone else, please do them the honour of crediting them. It only takes a second and it'll mean the world to that person too.
Anyway, off my soap, box. Micheline said she got her FREE pattern from Lisa on her YouTube channel, PayItForward. So I went along to have a look and oh my giddy aunt, I fell in love with the wee bunny and Teddy Bear. The patterns are completely free and the videos are incredibly detailed and easy to follow. Lisa doesn't ask for anything in return for her free patterns, just that you pay it forward and do something kind for someone else. What a beautiful gesture. So I want to pay it forward by making these for my nieces and nephew and giving Lisa a massive shout out and encouraging you all to go over and check out her channel. Tell her Crafty Loops sent you.
Boy oh boy am I glad that I came across Lisa's channel. I've never made a doll with a pattern before. I've always just come up with my own designs and to be honest, they're never that great teehee. Now, my makes aren't perfect by a long shot. Sewing is very new to me. But even with all their imperfections, I like they're so cute and perfectly imperfect. I did change a few things but I'll explain that down below.
Check them out.
The bunnies are for the girls & the bear is for the wee baby boy
My first task was to cut the pattern pieces up. I wanted to make the little Teddy dungarees first and I'm so chuffed with how they turned out. Instead of using the snap closure that Lisa uses, I just sewed the straps down with buttons. You can add snaps if you know you want to change the bear's outfit. Click here for Lisa's tutorial. Now the heads are made. I actually didn't reinforce any of my pattern pieces with fusible interfacing like Lisa suggested. My felt is really thick and it didn't need it. I also left out the stuffing from all the ears too.....mostly because I forgot, lol....but once I realised, I preferred the ears without stuffing, as it made it easier to sew, for me anyway. Plus the ears were softer because they weren't stuffed. But you stuff yours, if you wish.
As suggested by Lisa, I added safety eyes to them as these are being given to a baby and 2 young kiddies. So I didn't want there being any choking hazards. I also didn't used the bear nose pattern as I felt it was too big for his face.... Because of my doing.... Not the patterns fault.
Then I simply followed Lisa's incredible video instructions and here are my little cuties. As I said, they aren't perfect and, by the time I got to the last bunny, I was slowly improving, lol.
Unfortunately, I didn't quite stuff his little head enough so his wee face and nose are a bit soft looking. But I just love his little blue eyes and his turned up Dungarees. I want to make myself dungarees now, teehee.
I wanted to add a little Artistic signature, so to speak, on the bear & bunnies. I added a little square patch to the back of the bear's leg......but then forgot to add it to the bunnies. Oh well, hopefully I remember to do it the next time I make these.
Look at that happy wee face.
This was the last bunny I made....you can probably tell as I improved my stuffing technique and made sure she had plenty of stuffing in her wee face.
The wee skirt is meant to be removeable but I was very aware that it might be the first thing to go walkies or missing. So, I added a couple of tacking stitches on both sides of the skirt, at the waist and just sewing a few strong stitches onto the body of the bunny. That way the skirt won't come off and end up lost.
I think they turned out so cute and I will definitely be making many more of these in the future. Well anyway, that's it from me folks. Hope to see you again soon.
Toodles Noodles..... Lee aka Crafty Loops xx
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These are so cute, I love them and a very Happy New Year to you and yours
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