New Year, New Bunny.... well sort of

Oh the thing us parents have to do.

I thought I'd start the new year - not with a pattern - but with a story of regeneration, and of what is possible when you think all is lost... sometimes. 

Meet Pop-pop. Yes, I'll admit the name's a little quirky, but she was given it by a 1 year old that had a pretty limited vocab at the time.

Fast forward 5 years...... that floppy little bunny has become a major part of our family. I can safely say that it's my daughters favourite cuddly toy. She will not travel or go to sleep without it.. and we kind of love it as much.

But would you just look at the state of her! Shabby, covered in holes - I'd darned her countless times - I'd even darned the darned bits - those holes were now just too big to darn. And terminally grubby - as much as I was keen to give her her regular spin in the washing machine it was a safe bet that she was likely to just fall apart. 

Buying a new one just wouldn't have cut it. We'd never have been able to replace the old Pop-pop. Drastic measures were what was required here - this bunny needed a skin transplant. Could we rebuild her?

Only one way to find out.

 I got to work with my trusty tools and an old minky hoodie that no longer fitted…

took a copy of her body parts….

 made them into a pattern, 

and bit... 

 by bit…

gave her a bit of a makeover…

Some bits I could sew together by machine but it was mainly hand stitching. The eye and nose area had to be care fully cut away and stitched back so she still has the same ol' features.

It took ages... but oh was it worth it.

Ta da! Good as new. A brand new Pop-pop....

and a very happy, little girl.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

XXX