Easter and Spring are full of fresh colours, new life and of course, Easter bunnies! I decided go with the ‘cute bunny’ theme and designed an Easter basket for you to sew. I love the way they bunny is just peeking out. It’s perfect for collecting all those yummy Easter eggs found in odd places in the garden. Follow this free tutorial and pattern to sew your own Peek-a-Bunny Easter Basket.
Materials:
- 1/2 m of plain cotton fabric for the outer (I used Kona Cotton Solids in ‘Cabbage’ as it reminded me of new Spring foliage)
- 1/2 m patterned cotton fabric for lining (I used ‘Darling Little Dickens by Lydia Nelson for Moda’ – the carrots were an obvious choice)
- 1/2/m light grey plush (e.g Shannon Smooth Cuddle)
- Scraps of black, white, light turquoise and pale pink felt – for eyes and nose
- Thread to match fabrics and felt
- Green embroidery thread
- 1 small square of felt for flower
- 1/2 m fusible fleece interfacing
- 30 cm stiff interfacing
- Easter eggs to hide in the garden…!
Making the basket:
Download the Peek-a-bunny Easter basket pattern below.
Iron your main and lining fabrics and cut out your pattern pieces. Make sure the ear pieces are cut out so you have the plush fabric on the back and lining on the front.
Making the features:
Eyes: Hand stitch the black pupil to the turquoise iris with black thread. Then using 2 strands of embroidery thread, stitch the iris to the white of the eye. Using white thread, stitch the white of the eye to the black ‘eyelash’ piece. Then to finish, stitch the black ‘eyelash’ piece to the bunny’s face (using the stars marked on the pattern to guide you). Repeat with second eye.
Nose: Hand stitch the pink heart shaped nose in place (as indicated by the star).
Ears: Place the ear outer and lining right sides together and stitch, leaving the bottom of the ear open. Turn and press. Cut along the line up the middle of the ear stiffener. Overlap the short edges and stitch to secure. Insert the stiffener into the ear, then stitch a line up the middle of the ear.
Bunny face:
Pin the face onto the front of the main fabric and tuck the two ears into position underneath the face. Then use a close zig-zag stitch around the outside edge of the face to secure. Then using a straight stitch, sew approx 7 cm along the bottom of each ear, following your previous stitching to help secure the ears and prevent them flopping over.
Basket:
- lining and main fabric cut:
1 x rectangle 70 x 25.5 cm
1 x circle diameter 22.5 cm - fusible fleece interfacing cut 1 x rectangle 68 x 23.5 cm
Iron the fusible fleece interfacing to the wrong side of the lining fabric, leaving an even spacing all round. With wrong sides together, stitch the short ends of the lining fabric. Press the seam flat. Pin to the lining fabric circle, leaving a gap of 7 cm. Carefully stitch around (I found it easier to sew with the circle on top as you can keep easing it round as you sew) leaving your gap open.
Repeat the above using the main fabric but without the interfacing and without leaving a gap.
Now the the fun part… place the lining right side out into the main exterior of the bag – which needs to be wrong side out (tuck the ears in).
Stitch around the top of both your lining and main fabric.
Then find the hole you left in the lining and use this to turn your basket right sides out. Press the top of the basket and top stitch around the top edge.
Handle:
Cut 2 x rectangles 6.5 x 51 cm – 1 from lining and 1 from main fabric. Wrong sides together, stitch around 3 sides, leaving short edge open. Turn right side out and press, tucking under and pressing raw edges. Top stitch all the way round.
Finishing your basket:
Attach the handle in place either side of the basket, on the outside, by sewing a rectangle with two diagonal lines. The flower was from a Mollie Makes magazine set by Deliacreates that I knew would come in handy one day. You can find lots of different ideas for felt flowers on Pinterest. Or a bow would be equally cute!
I hope you enjoyed making your very own Peek-a-Bunny Easter Basket – for more ideas and inspirational Makes, sign up to the mailing list and let us know how you get on by leaving a Comment. Happy Easter Making!
Claire and Amelie x
