A Soft Toy

 Using the bunny shape from my spring time cushion I made a simple pillow style bunny toy just in time for Easter. It is super easy to make and safe for young children to play with (no attached parts). Use a small stitch length of about 2mm ( 13 stitches per inch) to sew the front and back pieces together. Finished the toy is approximately 9 x 5''.

Materials needed
Linen 12'' square
fleece fabric scraps for inner ear and tail
embroidery thread for eyes and nose (brown or black)
stuffing

Instructions
1 Using template cut two bunny shapes from the linen fabric, adding seam allowance of 1/4''.
2 Cut two inner ears and one tail from fleece.
3 Using a zig zag or satin stitch sew ears to right side of front bunny. Sew tail to right side of back bunny piece.

Bunny tail

4 Embroider eyes and nose to right side of front bunny.
5 Place front and back bunny pieces right sides together, sew together start and finish by back stitching. Leave an opening for turning right side out.
6 Clip into seam allowance up to stitch line every 1/4''. Turn right side out.
7 Stuff toy. Ladder stitch opening closed.
Enjoy

Bunny Template

 

 

Spring Time Cushion

Spring ahead this weekend with a  new cushion to brighten up your living space. Using crisp white linen and turquoise. My inspiration for this cushion, the warm days we have enjoyed this week. My first choice was to use piping for the edges , unfortunately I only had a scrap measuring 8 1/2 x 55 inches of the turquoise fabric. I used binding on the cushion edge instead because I think it is visually similar to piping.

To make the cushion you will need-
One front piece 14 x 14''
Back pieces 11 x 14'' and 5 x 14''
Binding fabric 2 1/4 wide, length of fabric.
Bunny fabric and wonder under 8 1/2 x 11''
Large button
One zipper 18''

Instructions for the front of the cushion
1. Draw bunny shape on paper side of wonder under
2. Fuse wonder under to wrong side of bunny fabric. Cut out bunny shape. Remove paper back, fuse to right side of front piece, centered.
3. Zig zag or satin stitch around bunny shape.
4. Sew button tail on bunny

Instructions for the back
1. Place large back piece (11 x 14) right side up on work surface. Position zipper face down along 14'' edge. pin and sew together using zipper foot.(tip- allow the zipper pull to excess the edge of fabric, this way you do not need to move the zipper pull when stitching)

small back pieces pressed under 1''. zipper excess fabric edge.

2. Press fabric away from zipper and topstitch.
3. Press one 14'' edge of smaller back piece under 1'' to form a crease.
4. Place this edge along zipper edge,(raw edge aligned with zipper edge) right side of fabric to right side of zipper. Stitch together.
5. Refold at crease (the crease should cover the zipper), topstitch, allow zipper foot to follow zipper teeth.

Flap covers zipper. Zipper pull with in fabric area.

6. Back piece should now measure 14 x 14''
7. Trim the zipper , but first make sure the zipper pull is within the fabric area.
8.Stay stitch at each end of zipper

Instruction to finish cushion
1. Place front and back pieces wrong sides together, using a 1/4'' seam allowance stitch all four sides.
2. Bind cushion edges. For instructions on binding follow steps 7 to 12 from my potholder tutorial.

Sewing with Faux Leather

sticky fabrics like faux leather do not move easily between the presser foot and feed dogs. This causes puckers and uneven stitching.

the fabric gathered because the faux leather piping was sticking to the presser foot.

Working with faux leather this week I learnt  by placing the sticky fabric between paper and sewing slowly I can avoid this problem.

 

 

I placed tracing paper between the zipper foot and faux leather piping and used my fingers to guide the fabric, stitching close to the piping.