Catch my Flat Bunnies on Sew Mama Sew!

So, this is how long it takes me to make something.

Long, long ago, in the year 2011, we made a cardboard hutch. 

And I started to make a baby bunny for the hutch, roughly based on an old softie we had in the house.

And gave up.

Years passed.

Kate, once devoted to all things snow leopard and puppies, inexplicably developed a deep and abiding love of bunnies. Which she divided into two species: Flat Bunnies (which lay on their bellies like bearskin rugs) and Puffy Bunnies (which sat on their bottoms like teddy bears). And for her birthday last year, she requested a Puffy Bunny. Which she got. And the world was at peace. 

Then, recently, we read this book,

and Squish, the rabbit, reminded me so much of that forgotten bunny muslin from eons past that I decided to resurrect and finish him.

I found the softest microfleece scarves on clearance (50 cents!) and cut them up.

And stitched faces on all kinds of fabric (left column, top to bottom: corduroy, stretch terry, velour; right column, top to bottom: terry cloth, microfleece, interlock knit):

and made a bunny that was both Flat

and Puffy.

I'm sharing the tutorial for this little critter on Sew Mama Sew today!

But, wait - the story's nowhere near over.

These are children, remember. And a stuffed animal is never just a stuffed animal to a kid.

The first thing that happened was food. 

The baby bunnies, having been "just born", were starving, the children said.

So I had to make small carrots. 

Then the bunnies needed a place to sleep, the kids continued. Could I please make a bed? 

Okay. Not like there's anything really important to do in the wintertime, anyway.

What about the other seven bunnies, Mom? They need beds, too. Can you make seven more beds?

Scream. No. Let's cheat and make a large, community bed instead.

Awww. Look at those teeny paws. Bunnies are so sweet when they're asleep. Not unlike kids.

And they're somewhat crazy when they're awake. Again, not unlike kids.

Then, Kate decided that the bunnies needed to move house. And they needed bags to carry all their important stuff. So one afternoon, we made bunny totes.

"Also clothes, Mom". 

And the new house they're moving into.

So exhausting, isn't it? 

But just as I was about to collapse, I found this:

A bunny with her bunny.

Only a kid would think of it.

Suddenly I remembered all the things I would miss 

when these kids are all grown up. 

And it put all that exhaustion into context.

And made it worth it.

Tutorials for the various manic bunny accessories coming up next.

In the meantime, go make some bunnies at Sew Mama Sew!

Update 2021: Unfortunately, the Sew Mama Sew (SMS) website is no longer active. However, you can still access this free tutorial, as well as my other tutorials which had been featured on the SMS site - visit this more recent post for details and links. Happy sewing!