White Cuddle Rose Easter Bunny

2018 Sew Stitchery Expo

I took the beach house and headed up to Puyallup, WA a few weeks ago to attend the Sewing and Stitchery Expo.  The shopping was incredible, and there were way too many seminars to choose from!  I went home with a multitude of  patterns, tools, and ideas to keep me busy for a couple years:)

I’m in Love with the Bunny!

I fell in love with the purple cuddle rose rabbit that was sitting in the  Carol’s Zoo  booth.  The pattern was purchased, and I finished the rabbit a couple weeks ago.  The rabbit was made from Shannon cuddle rose fabric in snow white, and the eyes and nose were purchased from Carol’s Zoo.  They can also be purchased in bulk online.  Carol had made plastic templates of her patterns, so I bought the plastic at Joann’s thinking it would be easier to use than paper for tracing the patterns onto cuddle, minky and fur fabrics.

Cuddle Rose Fabric

Template Plastic Info

Plastic Rabbit Template

Seam Tool

Purple Rose Cuddle Rabbit

Carol’s Zoo Rabbit Pattern

The plastic templates were perfect and made tracing very easy.

Rabbit Pattern Tracing

Patterns on Fabric

Finding the Straight Grain on the Fabric

Cut Rabbit Pieces

A minky and cuddle workshop was offered at the expo where participants were given many helpful ideas for working with these fabrics.  Since the fabrics are slippery, the presenter suggested using lots of pins or clips.  I purchased a box of Clover’s Wonder Clips and was very pleased with them.  I probably over clipped the rabbit, but it didn’t slip while sewing.  After the rabbit was sewn together, it was stuffed with just enough fiber fill to give it shape, but loosely enough to cuddle with.  A yellow ribbon was chosen for Gymhawk colors, and it works for Easter too. The Easter card was made with my Silhouette Cameo.

Fabric with Wonder Clips

Front of Rabbit

Ready to Sew Front and Back Together

This Rabbit Needs some Stuffing!

This Bunny is Just Too Cute!

Easter Bunny and Card

Best Friends Forever!

The rabbit was shipped to its new home in Iowa and is now best friends with the most well loved green bunny.  Fourteen years ago the ER nurses gave the green rabbit to Misty-Jade after she broke her elbow.   The rabbit has been to every gymnastics meet since, traveled all over the country, and rescued several times after being left in stores.  She now has her own ID tag!   I only wish I could thank the nurses who gave the rabbit to her.  The rabbit helped Misty-Jade get through surgery, a year of physical therapy, and a change in gyms.

The Green Rabbit

Easter Bunny Arrives in Iowa

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Good Luck Gifts for the Gymhawks!

My daughter, Misty-Jade, is a member of the University of Iowa gymnastics team.  Every year parents volunteer to support the team by sending Hawkeye Honey gifts  to the girls at each meet during the season.  The first year I sent a bag of goodies with things from or made in Oregon.  Last year Misty-Jade and I decided on cups with the team’s theme for the season.

2017 Hawkeye Honeys

This year she wanted me to machine embroider socks for each of the girls.  There was no way that was happening!  So, in the end she decided I should sew drawstring backpacks for everyone.  A couple weeks before she needed these, she found a pattern that worked perfectly for this project.  The directions can be found at Pockets full of Wonder.  We chose four different beautiful cotton fabrics made by Moda and Quilting Treasures.

Drawstring Bag Seams Pinned

Completed Seams on the Backpacks

Pressing and Pinning Seams

Drawstring Bags Ready for Logos and Cords

My original thought was to machine embroider the logo and 2018 team theme, but decided vinyl would be a better option.  I used Siser easy weed heat transfer vinyl and am very pleased with the results.

Gymhawks 2018 Vinyl Logo

Finished Gymhawks Drawstring Bag

Gymhawks Motto on Finished Bag

Weeded Vinyl Logo Ready for Use

Gymhawk Bag on Watercolor Fabric

Gymhawk Bag on a Fun Cotton Print

Peeling the Polyester Layer from the Logo

The last step was putting the cord through the top and loops at the bottom.  Misty-Jade filled the bags with St. Patricks items for good luck.

Hawkeye Drawstring Bags

Paracord Ready for the Gymhawk Bags

Completed Gymhawk Drawstring Bag

Finished Hawkeye Bags Ready to Mail.

Cording the Gymhawk Drawstring Bags

Last weekend the Gymhawks were at Rutgers for the Big 5 meet where they placed second and earned a spot in the evening session at the Big 10 meet.  They left for Illinois today and will compete Saturday at the Big 10 Championship!

Photo by Iowa Women’s Gymnastics