Bunny doorstop Height 31cm You will need

• Bunny doorstop template
• 60 x 35cm black and white gingham fabric
• 120 x 7cm pale blue and white gingham fabric
• matching coloured sewing thread
• sand or rice for filling

NOTE If you use dry grains or pulses for the filling for your doorstop, you must first microwave them for a few minutes. This will prevent weevils and other insects from settling in. To make NOTE Sew the seams together with the right sides of the fabric facing and work a 1cm seam allowance. 1 Enlarge the template to size. Cut out two body pieces from the black and white gingham fabric. 2 The blue and white gingham strip is for the gusset. Starting at the centre of the base of the bunny, and leaving a 1cm seam allowance, carefully sew the gusset around the entire body shape. When you have reached the place where the gusset started, cut away the excess strip, leaving a 1cm seam allowance for the two ends to be joined. 3 Sew the two ends together and press the seam open. Carefully clip the seam around the curved edges and the points of the ears so the seam will lie flat, taking care not to cut into the stitching. 4 Sew the other body piece to the other side of the gusset in exactly the same way, leaving a 10cm opening in the seam at the base of the bunny for the filling. Turn the bunny through to the right side. Insert a knitting needle into the points of the ear and nose so the seam lies flat. 5 Fill the bunny with sand or rice until it is firm. Close the opening with small neat hand stitches. Fabric bunny brooch You will need

• Bunny brooch template
• remnant of white fabric
• black and pink sewing thread
• safety pin or brooch pin

To make 1 Enlarge the template to the required size. Cut out two pieces, for the front and back. Sew the safety pin to the right side of the back piece first with several overcast stitches. 2 Place the wrong sides of the fabric together (the outer edge is raw on the right side) and, using the black sewing thread and working in small neat running stitches, sew around the entire edge of the bunny. 3 To complete, work a cross-stitch for the eye using the black sewing thread and work three or four straight stitches for the nose using pink thread. TIP Stuff the brooch lightly with polyester stuffing or batting, if you prefer. Crocheted bunny brooch You will need

• DK yarn for body, necktie and nose
• 3,5mm crochet hook
• safety pin

Abbreviations Knitting dec      decrease st(s)    stitch(es) st st     stocing stitch rep      repeat Crochet ch        chain dc        double crochet htr       half treble rep      repeat st(s)    stitch(es) ss         slip stitch sp        space tog       together With DK and 3,5mm hook, ch 3. 1st rnd: work 7 dc into 1st ch made, ss into 3rd ch made. 2nd rnd: ch 2, dc into same sp, * 2 dc into next dc * , rep * to * 6 times, ss into 2nd ch made. 3rd rnd: ch 2, dc into same sp, * 1 dc each in next dc, 2 dc in next dc *, rep * to * 6 times, dc next dc, ss 2nd ch. 4th rnd: ch 2, dc in same sp, * 1 dc each in next 2 dc, 2 dc next dc*, rep * to * 6 times, 1 dc each in next 2 dc, ss in 2nd ch (do not fasten off). Head Next row: 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, ss in next 2 dc, ch 1, turn. Next row: 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, 1 ch, turn. Next row: dc in same sp, * dc next dc, 2 dc in next dc *, rep * to * once more, 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, 1 ch, turn. Next row: dc in same sp, 1 dc in each of next 7 dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 ch, turn (do not fasten off). Ear 1 1st row: working in front loop of dc, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 1 ch, turn. 2nd row: work as normal in both loops, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 1 ch, turn. 3rd to 5th rows: rep row 2. 6th row: dc 2 tog, dc next dc, 1 ch, turn. 7th row: 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 1 ch, turn. 8th row: rep row 7. 9th row: dc 2 tog, 1 ch, fasten off. Ear 2 Turn bunny around and work at the base of Ear 1 (in back loops of 3 dc). 1st row: join yarn to back loop of dc on right, 1 ch, dc in same sp, 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 1 ch, turn. 2nd to 9th rows: rep as for Ear 1. Work away all loose ends. Pompom tail 1 Hold a pencil between your index and middle fingers. Wind yarn loosely around these two fingers 10-20 times. 2 Remove the pencil and tie a piece of yarn 150mm long around the middle of the yarn between the fingers. 3 Slip the yarn off your fingers and make sure the knot is tight. 4 Cut open the yarn loops on both sides of the knot to form the pompom. 5 Trim the pompom to size and stitch on to the bunny. Work the loose ends away. Hold your forefinger and middle finger 1cm apart. Wind yarn around the fingers. Cut yarn off. Using the same colour, tie around the middle. Slide yarn off. Cut the loops and trim to size, leaving 2 long ends. Sew onto the bunny. Work loose ends away. Necktie Style with yarn in contrasting colour. Nose Embroider the nose with satin stitch. Finishing Sew a safety pin to the back of the bunny’s neck. Knitted finger puppets You will need

• bunny 1: DK yarn of your choice (light brown, pink, light blue, light grey, yellow)
• bunny 2: DK yarn of your choice (purple, pink, cream, lime)
• 5mm knitting needles
• assortment of small buttons (10mm diameter)

NOTE The bodies and ears of both bunnies are knitted as below, in your choice of stitch. See above for knitting abbreviations. Body With light brown DK and 5mm knitting needles, cast on 14 sts. 1st row: knit 14 sts. 2nd to 12th rows: work in st st or patt of your choice. 13th row: knit 3, dec 1, knit 3, dec 1, knit 3, dec 1, knit 2 (10 sts). 14th row: [purl 2, dec 1] to end (5 sts). Cast off all sts. Fasten off, leaving a loose end of 30cm. Fold the left side of the work over the right. Sew side and top of bunny closed with 30cm loose end. Work away all loose ends. Ears (make 2) Cast on 4 sts. 1st to 14th row: work in garter st. 15th row: knit 3 sts, dec 1, knit 1 (4 sts) 16th row: knit 3 sts, dec 1 (3 sts) Cast off all sts. Fold ear over in the middle and sew fold in place with same colour yarn. Finishing Sew bunny’s ears onto body. Use buttons and your choice of yarn to create bunny’s eyes, tail and whiskers. Work away all loose ends. Crocheted finger puppets You will need

• bunny 1: Vinnis Colours or DK yarn of your choice (light blue, aqua, black, neon orange, dusty pink)
• bunny 2: Vinnis Colours or DK yarn of your choice (light brown, black, orange, dark blue)
• 4mm crochet hook

NOTE These bunnies are crocheted all in one, with the ears on the front half of the bunny. See above for crochet abbreviations. Bunny 1 With light blue DK and 4mm hook, ch 12. 1st row: skip 1 ch, dc in each of next 11 ch. 2nd row: ch 2, dc in each of next 11 dc. 3rd to 7th rows: rep row 2. 8th row: ch 10, skip 2 ch, htr in each of next 8 ch, dc in each of next 11 dc. 9th to 11th rows: rep row 2. 12th row: rep row 8. Fasten off, leaving a loose end of 30cm. With the ears lying away from you, fold left side of the work over the right. Sew the side and top of the bunny closed with the loose end. At the top of the head, pull the yarn very tight to ease it narrower than the body. Work away all loose ends. Finishing In aqua DK and 4mm hook, work dc around each ear. With aqua DK make a pompom tail (see steps on page 114), and sew onto the bunny. Trim tail to required size. With neon orange DK and tapestry needle, embroider the nose. With black DK and tapestry needle, embroider eyes and nose detail. With 2 strands of dusty pink DK and tapestry needle, sew a patch of hair between the bunny’s ears. Cut to the desired length (10-15mm). Bunny 2 With light brown DK and 4mm hook, ch 12. Work as given for Bunny 1. Finishing With black DK make a pompom tail, and sew on to the back of the bunny. Trim the tail to the required size. With black DK and tapestry needle, use running stitch to create stripes on bunny’s body. Start from the bottom, with rows 5mm apart, for 25mm. Use 120mm of black yarn to create a bow. Sew to the front of the bunny, above the stripes. With orange DK and tapestry needle, embroider the nose. With black DK and tapestry needle, embroider the eyes. Crocheted beret for finger puppet With dark blue DK and 4mm hook, ch 3, work 7 dc in 1st ch made, work 2 dc each in next 7 dc, dc in next dc, skip 1 dc, ss in next. Fasten off, leaving a 20cm loose end. Use the loose end to sew running stitch along the outside edge of the crocheted circle. Ease the stitches a little to create the beret. Sew the beret into place above the bunny’s left eye, at a jaunty angle. Bunny toy Height 28cm You will need

• Bunny toy template
• 40 x 30cm chocolate brown and flecked textured fabric
• remnant of red fabric for heart
• oddment of cream DK yarn
• 4mm crochet hook
• matching coloured thread
• polyester toy stuffing

To make NOTE Sew the seams together as given for the bunny doorstop. 1 Enlarge the bunny template to size. Cut out two pieces, one each for the front and back. Sew the front to the back around the entire outer edge, leaving an opening in the inner leg seam for filling. 2 Clip into the seam around all the curved edges taking care not to cut into the stitching. Turn the toy to the right side through the opening. Fill with polyester toy stuffing, pushing the stuffing into the feet, hands and ears with a knitting needle. Close the opening in the seam with small neat hand stitches. 3 Using the 4mm crochet hook and cream yarn, work the circular motif for the tummy. Start by crocheting three chain stitches and join together into a ring. Work one chain stitch and then work nine double crochet stitches into this ring. Join together at the end of the round with a slip stitch. Now work two chain stitches and, working into the previous round, work 20 half treble stitches and join at the end as before. Darn in the loose ends of the yarn at the back of the motif. 4 Cut out a small heart shape from the red fabric so that it fits in the centre of the crochet circle and stitch it securely in place. Now hand sew the crochet circle to the body of the bunny. 5 To complete, embroider running stitches for the eyes and nose detail using the cream yarn. Knitted bunny You will need

• 50g each of Vinnis Colours Bambi in Peach and Natural
• 4mm knitting needles
• toy stuffing

Body Cast on 55 sts in Peach. Work 8 rows in st st. 9th row: * knit 2 sts in Peach, knit 2 sts in Natural *, rep to end. 10th row: * purl 2 sts in Peach, knit 2 sts in Natural *, rep to end. 11th row: * knit 2 sts in Natural, knit 2 sts in Peach *, rep to end. 12th row: * purl 2 sts in Natural, knit 2 sts in Peach *, rep to end. 13th to 32th rows: continue in st st. Cast off. With the right side facing up, fold the body double from the left side. Sew the sides together from the top left corner, leaving a small gap for filling. Fill the body as required and sew closed. Foot Cast on 12 sts in Peach. Work 10 rows in moss stitch. Cast off. Fold the foot double from the left side. Sew the sides together from the top right corner, leaving the top open for filling. Fill the foot as required, position and sew to the body. Repeat for the other foot. Arm Cast on 12 sts in Peach. Work 38 rows in garter stitch. Cast off. Fold double from left side. Sew sides together from top right corner, leaving top end open for filling. Fill arm as required, position on side of body, 4cm from top right corner and sew to body. Repeat for other arm, knitting first 30 rows in Peach and last 8 in Natural. Start joining from the Cream side. Position on other side of body, 4cm from top left corner and sew to body. Ear 1 Cast on 12 sts in Peach. 1st row: knit. 2nd row: purl 2 sts in Peach, join Natural and purl 2 sts, purl in Peach to end. 3rd row: knit 8 sts in Peach, knit 2 sts in Natural, knit 2 sts in Peach. 4th row: purl 2 sts in Peach, purl 2 sts in Natural, purl in Peach to end. 5th to 36th rows: rep 3-4 rows. 37th to 46th rows: work in st st in Peach to end. Cast off. Work away all loose ends. Pompom tail See the steps above. Nose Embroider the nose in satin stitch. Words and images: Ideas magazine