The Birthday Bunny

I DID do several loads of laundry. I DID clean out the refrigerator. I DID cook chicken to make chicken salad. But the rest of the day, I played. I made clothes for the cutest little bunny that will soon belong to Little Sister. I put the pencil in the top photo so that you can see how small the bunny is. The bunny came wearing a little pair of pants. Plus, it had the most adorable tin suitcase—which was empty.

Well, a suitcase needs something in it. So I made a tiny dress for the bunny. I studied pattern making in college. I never thought way back then that I would use that knowledge for bunny clothes! I used hand rolled hems to finish all the edges. Another skill I learn back in the dark ages. I was a little surprised I remembered how to do that. But it was like riding a bicycle—it came back quickly.

I knit more than I sew now, so I knitted a tiny hat and a tiny shawl. It was nearly 100 degrees here, but when it cools off, this bunny will be properly dressed.

There was still a little room in the suitcase, so I made a scarf to match the hat. All of these things were so much fun. No patterns to follow. Just using leftovers from other projects and making things up as I went along. I've been watching Goodnight Gram's Blog for weeks, following along as she is knitting so many doll clothes for a charity project. She inspired me to try a few for tiny bunny.

And then I thought, "What would make this playable?" I asked my Instagram friends for suggestions. All of them were good, but I needed to make something from things here in the house. This was to be a one-day project. My friend Betsy suggested a blanket and pillow. I only had three fabric scraps here at home (I don't sew much any more) but one was a quilt print. Perfect! Because it was so small I just sewed it all by hand. That was a fun change from machine sewing. And it seemed authentic for this tiny country bunny.

Little Sister will be five years old this weekend. This was finished just in time to take to her party. I know Little Sister doesn't read this blog, so it's okay to give you an early peek at the birthday gift. I don't know how much she will enjoy playing with this (you NEVER know with kids) but I had a terrific time today spending my time with the tiny bunny.

My day was also a reminder that my eyes don't see these tiny needles as well anymore. I had to fish out the needle threader. Back in the day, I never needed one. My fingers aren't quite a nimble as they once were. But back when my eyes and fingers worked better, I doubt I would have had a whole day to devote to bunny clothes! Life requires a sense of humor, doesn't it?