This poor bunny spent a year as an old cashmere sweater, balled up in my fabric trunk. Then she spent two years as a body and a faceless head until I finally decided to give her life this past weekend! Annabel kept asking me why I hadn't finished the bunny. My response was that it had a 'boo boo' and that I needed to fix it. I have a pile of 'boo boo' projects that need attention. These projects are things I've started where I either ran into an obstacle or wasn't happy with how it was looking. I'm making an effort to finish these projects — either altering them in such a way so that I do like them, or fixing whatever problem arose. She's no longer the boo-boo bunny; she's Bunny Boo Boo!
To make Bunny Boo Boo, you will need:
-Old cashmere or other soft sweater (this one had been my husband's)
-Ribbon (I used a piece that had been my grandmother's)
-Two colors of embroidery thread - DMC 224 and 3371
-Stuffing (I used bamboo here, but polyester works well, too)
-Sewing machine and coordinating thread
-This pdf
Step 1: Download and print the free pdf. Cut shapes out along the line.
Step 2: Pin the shapes to the sweater. Cut out two head pieces and two body pieces, making sure to leave 1/2" seam allowances (the lines on the pattern are the lines you will be sewing on).
Step 3: Wrong sides facing, pin the two body pieces together. Sew around the perimeter, leaving a three inch opening at the neck to turn and stuff. Be sure to backstitch the start and end while you're sewing so that the stitches don't pull out while stuffing. Repeat for the head, leaving the opening at the bottom where it will be attached to the neck.
Step 4: Embroider the face. If you'd prefer to stitch the face before you sew the head together, do so. I embroidered it after the head was stuffed because I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I stuffed the head! It was a bit more difficult, but I was able to put the features right where I wanted them. I left the start and end of the embroidery floss sticking out of the outer edge of the eye to create eyelashes. I used the same technique on the nose for the whiskers. The mouth is five large stitches. I wanted her to have a slight smile. :)
Step 5: Sew the head onto the body. Be patient! It takes a while to figure out how to do this so that the head doesn't flop around when you're done. I use a small ladder stitch and sew around the head in a big circle as I attach it to the body. Don't be afraid to rip it out and start over. Any mistakes can be hidden by a ribbon or scarf!
Notes:
1) The head on the pattern looks ginormous!! It will be okay. I had to enlarge the head from my original sketch so it would fit the body when it was stuffed. :) All is well in bunny world.
2) You could hand stitch the openings shut before attaching the head to the body, but as it will be hidden, I didn't find it necessary.
There's something extra comforting about having made this bunny rabbit out of my husband's old sweater and my grandmother's ribbon. She's especially enjoyable because I took a project that frustrated me and turned it into something I adore. I also have a boo-boo horse in a drawer. Do you have any boo-boo projects that need attention?
This project was inspired by the book Make Your Own Misfits. After I'd made a few from the book I wanted to try my hand at creating something from a sketch (one of my first, which is possibly why it sat in a drawer unfinished for two years!). To see the projects I made from the book please see this earlier post.
I have a Pinterest board entitled "Upcycled Sweaters" and another board called "Softies." Please feel free to check them out!
xo Karin and Bunny Boo Boo
