For a swap AND Fluff Project Preview

See, this is why I wanted to break these posts up.  This next item was originally planned for the Fluff Project but once I had the practice one completed I decided to use it for a swap I was signed up for.

Ok, get to the pictures.

March Hare!!

Yup, I'm being silly for my next Fluff Project shipment and making March Hares.  It also ties in with Easter (which is just around the corner).

Look at that face.  How freaking cute is he, huh?

THAT freaking cute!

Technically this is my second stab at this pattern.  Oh, and the pattern is my take on Urban Threads' Giving Bunny (a free download but I didn't use it, I just took the idea and free handed my own version).  I found the Giving Bunny via Pinterest (not sure if it was the Hopeful Threads pinterest or some other one).

I just loved the simplicity of the Giving Bunny and wanted something fast to make for the Fluff Project.  And I wanted to use some fleece I had in my stash.  You see, I'm not a huge fan of sewing fleece so that means I need to work with it more so I can just get over my dislike of it.  These sew up fairly easily so maybe I'll be a fleece convert by the time it's all said and done.

The first version of this was a mess.  The body was ok (had a bit of wonky stitching but that's typical for a first go).  But I tried out machine stitching the eyes on and it was AWFUL mostly because I can't make a perfect circle with my machine stitches (hand stitches are actually neater!).  I think I'll take the practice bunny and stuff him and give him to my cats.  I think they'll like snuggling him (no scarf though, they'll tear that off and probably eat it!).

This first bunny also has "bad" eye stitching.  I did like a whip stitch on the eye (so the stitch goes over the edge of the eye) but it's better with a running stitch (where the stitch doesn't cross the edge of the eye).  This doesn't look BAD, but the running stitch looks better (doesn't make the wavy edge on the eye).

So far I have scarves cut for 8 bunnies (4 blue, 4 pink--just because that's the only colors I had).  I have four gray bunnies ready for the machine (that means the faces are all done and they're pinned together).  Then I just have to put the tails on (crap, I forgot to show the cute tail on the back).  Then I'm planning to make a few brown and a few white.  I'm not sure on the white yet, since I'll have to rethink the eyes (will white on white show up?  maybe I'll need to use off white for the eyes on the white or make bigger pupils or something).

So I think these really will stitch up nice.  I like that their fast/easy to make and they're small so they might appeal to older kids a bit more.  I also like how easy it is to switch up the expressions just by moving the pupils (and I can make the pupils any color I want, so I just grab a bit of floss out of the nest and use it--great scrap floss buster).

I'm hoping to get the whole Harey (see what I did there?) bunch out to the Fluff Project in time for Easter.