Mooshy Belly Bunny Recycled from a happy stripey t-shirts, these bunnies are squooshy, soft and simple to make.

Instructions:

Supplies: 1 stripey cotton t-shirt (preferably something you have on hand or thrifted) 1 old white cotton t-shirt Thread to match Fiberfill Embroidery floss to match bunny body Black embroidery floss White yarn Copy of the pattern

2. Pin the bunny body template to a double-layer of your stripey tee fabric (taking care to avoid any existing seams in the fabric). Cut around the edge of the pattern.

Tools: Sewing machine Scissors Water or Air-Soluble Marker Pins and a needle Project URL with photos: http://chezbeeperbebe.blo gspot.com/2010/03/tutori al-and-pattern-recycledmooshy.html

This Mooshy Belly Bunny and its instructions were created by Holly Keller of Beeper Bébé. It is intended for personal use and may not be reproduced, copied, or re-used without permission from Holly Keller/ Beeper Bébé. That said, please do use the instructions to make your own plushie for you or for gifts. Happy crafting!

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1. Print the templates on pages 3 & 4 and cut out.

3. Pin the bunny ear template to a double-layer of your stripey tee fabric and cut out. Repeat with the white tee fabric. 4. Pin the 2 bunny body pieces together, right sides facing one another (wrong side of fabric facing out). Sew together (assume a ¼-inch inseam unless otherwise indicated), and leaving an opening where indicated on the template for turning and stuffing later. Trim a notch between the arm and head, where indicated on the template. Turn body right side out. 5. Pin one white ear together with one stripey ear, right sides facing one another. Sew together, leaving the end open as indicated on the template. Turn ear right side out. Repeat with the other ear. Set aside. 6. Stuff the bunny body with fiberfill—stuffing the head a bit more firmly and fully than the body and limbs. The fabric will stretch quite a lot, so take care not to overstuff, creating a morbidly obese bunny. You want this bunny to be squooshy and mooshy but not busting at the seams. 7. Cut about an 8-inch piece of embroidery floss in a color that matches your stripey bunny body. Tightly tie this around the bunny’s neck, knotting securely (bury the loose floss ends in the body of your bunny), so you form a lovely, round bunny head. 8. Using an invisible ladder stitch, stitch the body opening closed.

Invisible ladder stitch

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9. Using a disappearing marker, mark the 4 sewing lines on the limbs, as indicated on the template. Sew over these lines, sticking to the lines and taking care not to stitch all the way to the edge of the limb (there should be unsewn space at either end of the line you sew). 10. Tuck the raw edge of one bunny ear inside the ear, then fold the bunny ear in half (white front of ear folded in together), and secure the fold and raw edges in place by making several stitches at the bottom of the ear, so you form almost a pleat in the ear. Repeat with other ear. 11.Whipstitch the ear to the top of bunny head, where indicated on the template. Repeat with the other ear. 12.Using a disappearing marker, draw the face on the bunny, as illustrated on the template. These features should be pretty teeny, teeny features will make him sweeter, trust me. Using 2 strands of your black embroidery floss, embroider the eyes and nose using a teeny satin stitch (teeny is important here, people). Now, using a split stitch, embroider the mouth lines.

Satin stitch

Split stitch

13.Make a small pom-pom (about 1.5 inches in diameter). If you do not know how to make a pom-pom (really? You never made one of these as a kid? Well, now is the time to try…), you can find some good instructions right here: http://www.helloknitty.com/pdfs/pompom.pdf 14. Attach your pom-pom to the bunny’s derriere by stitching through the center of the pompom several times, and attaching to fabric. 15. Admire how completely and utterly adorable this bunny is and marvel at how easy it was to make. Consider making a whole litter in a rainbow array of stripey tees Give them to all the kiddies you know. Keep some for yourself though. Just because.

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Mooshy Belly Bunny Template X

X

Attach ears here

Trim notch here

Sew here.

Leave this open for turning & stuffing later. 3

Bunny Ear Template

Leave this end open

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