From the book “Calendar Quilts” by Joan Hanson, That Patchwork Place, 1991; “April: Bunny Trail”, pp. 32-38.
Machine pieced and machine quilted. The bunnies’ ears are 3-dimensional and are tacked to the quilt in a variety of orientations -- no 2 are alike. The eyes are black plastic dome-shaped shank buttons. The nose, mouth, and whiskers are satin-stitched in black thread by machine.
I changed the shape of the bunnies heads from square to more rounded by adding an extra triangle of background fabric to the top left and top right of the bunnies’ heads. No “blockhead bunnies” for me! I wish I had done the same for their tails.
The fabric on the back of the quilt is an all-over pattern of little bunnies and the words "Hippity Hop Hop" in red/green/blue on a pink background. The quilt label is a photo transfer from a photo of the quilt with the following description: "Bunny Trails, You're no bunny 'til some bunny loves you, Evelyn Van Orden 1998 [home address and phone number]".
The fabrics used for the bunnies were remnants from my best friend Sheri Bagaus who designed and sewed her own dresses, blouses, and skirts. Sheri was a graduate of FIDM in downtown Los Angeles and a professional pattern maker who worked in the garment district there. She taught me about garment design and construction and designed a Hawaiian shirt pattern which I used to sew several shirts for my husband Mark.
I started this quilt in 1995 as a brand new quilter in a class at Quilt’n’Things in Montrose, CA. It was for my best friend Sheri Bagaus who was pregnant with her first child at age 40. She owned an Angora bunny named Kyre, so this was a fitting theme for her baby’s room. Her doctors had pronounced her infertile, so the pregnancy was a joyous surprise. Before the quilt was complete, Sheri had a miscarriage and was never able to conceive again. Since the quilt was meant to be a surprise baby shower gift, I never told her about it – it was just too painful.
This quilt was completed in 1998, displayed at the Glendale Quilt Show that year, and remains in my private collection. Alas, Sheri and I no longer see each other, but I hope that we will renew our friendship soon. Sheri, I miss you!From the book “Calendar Quilts” by Joan Hanson, That Patchwork Place, 1991; “April: Bunny Trail”, pp. 32-38.
Machine pieced and machine quilted. The bunnies’ ears are 3-dimensional and are tacked to the quilt in a variety of orientations -- no 2 are alike. The eyes are black plastic dome-shaped shank buttons. The nose, mouth, and whiskers are satin-stitched in black thread by ... Read full instructions »Difficulty:
fabric remnants from home-sewn dresses/shirts for bunnies; 100% cotton quilt fabric for carrots, background, borders, binding, back of quilt, quilt label; 100% cotton quilt thread for assembling quilt top/binding and for embroidering eyes/nose/mouth; nylon thread for stitch-in-the-ditch quilting; polyester fiberfill quilt batting; black plastic dome-shaped shank buttons for eyes; photo transfer paper for quilt label
What was your inspiration?
I was inspired by my best friend Sheri Bagaus who was pregnant with her first child. She owned an Angora bunny named Kyre, so this was a fitting theme for her babys room. The 3-dimensional nature of the ears and eyes, as well as the whimsical nature of the design were particularly appealing.
What are you most proud of?
This was only my 2nd quilt project and I was pleased with the pleasing color palette, quality of construction, and custom finishing (especially the machine embroidered faces and photo transfer quilt label).
What advice would you give someone starting this project?
Choose supplies that have some special meaning to you. Dont be afraid to modify the design and add your own personal touches. This advice is relevant to any creative endeavor you may undertake.
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