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Easter is just around the corner! With a very early Easter and the arrival of some much appreciated warmer weather, we have a lot to celebrate in 2021, even if our gathering sizes are still restricted.
I wanted to help give folks a way to send some Easter joy this year, even if you can't see your loved ones in person - thus these bunnies were born. Each has a bit of a story which I will add up here in the intro.
Note: This post was originally combined with Lisa Bunny Lovey for Easter 2021. The posts have been separated for easier navigating.
Let's talk about Miss Maisy.
When I was a child, I had a stuffed rabbit that was made for me by my Great Grandmother which I named Miss Bunny (I know, a very creative child). I didn't play with Miss Bunny nearly as much as she deserved, and now I have lost her to either the sands of time or, slightly more likely, a cardboard box somewhere in my parent's attic.
In high school, I drafted a Miss Bunny pattern and made a few toys to donate to charity. I then put the pattern in a paper folder in a drawer....to finally be discovered again recently, to my great delight.
Miss Maisy Rabbit is an homage to my childhood toy, with a slightly updated (read: more symmetrical) pattern and her own, rabbit-sized dress. The version pictured throughout was made with some tan cotton left over from I don't remember what, cotton stuffing, and embroidery floss. Her dress is made from an old pair of pajama pants I bought at Charlotte Russe circa 2009 and a bit of scrap lace leftover from approximately the same time period.
Q: How much does this pattern cost?
A: This pattern is currently available for $5 USD (plus sales tax + site fee as applicable) on my Etsy store. There will always be a large image included in this blog post from which you may derive the pieces yourself. The downloadable version, however, includes a printable pdf file.
Q: Can I sell items made from this pattern?
A: You may sell items made with this pattern, but must link back to (1) the pattern OR (2) the Craftematics website. You may not sell derivatives or variations on the pattern itself.
Q: How long does it take to make Maisy Rabbit?
A: This pattern took me about 10 hours (estimated) to complete, including the dress. I would estimate between 8 and 20 hours to complete, depending on how quickly you work and your experience level. Very much doable in a weekend for most sewists!
Q: How difficult is this pattern?
A: Skills required: adding seam allowance, sewing along straight lines and curves, basting, topstitching, clipping curves, pressing along curved seams, turning small tubes right-side-out, gathering and sewing gathered seams, working with any type of closure. The tricky thing about this pattern is the size - Maisy Rabbit measures 15 inches head to toe and her dress pieces can be quite fiddly.
Q: What materials do I need to make this pattern?
A: You will need....
Pattern pieces (see below)
Fabric for Maisy Rabbit - 1/2 yd is plenty
Fabric for Maisy's dress - 1/4 yd or a bit less
Notions:
8 inches of lace for the collar
24 inches of ribbon for the waist
any type of closure (2 buttons and one hook and eye are pictured)
Embroidery floss in black and pink for the face
Matching threads
Stuffing - polyester, cotton, or any natural and dryer safe fiber are recommended for this project (I used organic cotton from Texas)
Sewing machine
Hand sewing needles (embroidery and sharp are recommended)
A note on fabric: For the doll shown, I used some tan cotton I had sitting in my stash. I recommend using either cotton or another natural fiber that will be able to survive some washing, drying, and snuggle time. For her dress, I recycled an old pair of pajama pants made of 100% cotton (the waistband was repurposed for Maisy's belt). Again, I recommend choosing a fabric that will be OK in the washer and dryer to make cleaning easier down the road. *Remember to wash, dry, and press your fabric before beginning!*
Q: How do I care for a hand made stuffed toy?
A: How you care for Maisy will depend on the materials you choose. If Maisy has been made with fabrics that are safe to wash and dry, then I would recommend taking off Maisy's dress and machine washing both in cold water with *no softener or bleach.* I would also recommend putting Maisy in a laundry bag or tied-off pillow case to protect the embroidery and fabric from snagging on the washer drum. Laying flat to dry is best to preserve the shape of the plush and to keep the stuffing from clumping up over time. You can put the doll in front of a box fan or below a ceiling fan to cut drying times.
If you're nervous about washing Maisy, you can wash by hand in cold water or simply spot clean as needed.
Miss Maisy Rabbit Pattern
Miss Maisy Rabbit Pattern
To make Miss Maisy Rabbit, you will need two sets of pattern pieces - one for Maisy herself and another for her dress. The printable pdf is available for download on Etsy. Simply download, print, and cut out!
If you don't want to purchase the pattern, use the photos below as a reference to draft your own pattern pieces. Each square on the cutting mat is 1 inch by 1 inch.
Pieces for Maisy Rabbit
Pieces for Maisy Rabbit
Pieces for Maisy Rabbit's Dress
Pieces for Maisy Rabbit's Dress
*Importantly, the pattern pieces do not include seam allowance!*
This means that when you cut the pieces out, you will need to add seam allowance - either freehand or measured. If you are new to sewing, I recommend measuring out 1/2 inch all the way around the pattern so that you can use the edges of each piece as a guide when pinning and sewing.
From here, we will first complete Maisy and then work on her dress.
Sewing Maisy Rabbit
Sewing Maisy Rabbit
Step 1 - Cut Out All Pieces
Step 1 - Cut Out All Pieces
Cut out the pieces according to the pattern (2 body pieces, 4 ears, 4 arms, 4 legs). *Remember to transfer the markings on the head and body pieces!*
If you are using very thin fabric as I was, go ahead and cut out double of everything, then baste each set of two layers together.
You can baste along the pattern lines if you like, however, you can see in the photo here that I instead chose to baste about 3/8 in outside the lines. This means that after stitching the pieces together for the final seams, the basting will be completely trimmed off, leaving the seams nice and neat.
After basting, you should have 14 pieces total.
Now is a good time to press the pieces - this will help make pinning easier and is the last chance to get out any stubborn wrinkles from your fabric.
Step 2 - Pin, Stitch, Turn, and Press the Limbs and Ears
Step 2 - Pin, Stitch, Turn, and Press the Limbs and Ears
Match up the pieces with *right sides together* for the two legs, two arms, and two ears - leave the head and body alone for right now!
Sew along the pattern lines for each piece - *do not sew across the ends of the pieces,* you will need to leave these open to turn the pieces right side out!
In the photo, you can see I used two pins close to one another to remind myself to NOT stitch along that side.
Once all the pieces are sewn together, trim the seams and clip the curves (I like to use pinking shears to do both at once).
Then, turn the pieces right sides out and press. These pieces are a bit fiddly, so I used a turning tool (you can find the ones I use here).
Pressing these takes some patience but is well worth it!
Step 3 - Sew Around the Head and Body
Step 3 - Sew Around the Head and Body
Pin the ears to the right side of one of the head and body pieces, using the marks from the pattern as a placing guide. Reference the ear pattern piece to place the curves of the ears correctly (parabola goes in, 3-point curve goes out).
Pin the other head and body piece to this piece so that the right sides are together and the ears are sandwiched between the
head and body pieces.
Before heading to the sewing machine, take a minute to *mark where not to stitch* - the openings for the arms and legs need to remain OPEN. I marked my fabric pieces with X to remind myself to stop.
One more tip before you stitch: open the layers and fold the ears back onto themselves so they are safely away from the seam lines. Use a pin to secure from the right side of the fabric. This will prevent you from accidentally stitching the end of an ear into the head seam.
When you're ready, stitch along the pattern lines, remembering to leave the arm and leg openings unstitched. Note that there IS a small bit of stitching on either side of the leg opening - that's not a mistake, you do want to stitch there.
After stitching, trim the seams and clip the curves (be careful around those neck curves!), then turn the head and body right side out. Press.
Step 4 - Stuff and Add the Limbs
Step 4 - Stuff and Add the Limbs
Stuff the head and neck. The head should be well filled, but not so much that the seams are straining. Be sure to stuff the neck well or it will be floppy later on. You can add the tube from the top of a plastic water bottle (like where the cap screws on) to strengthen the neck if you like.
Stuff the arms, leaving the last 1/2 - 3/4 in unstuffed. Squish the ends together and place the arms inside the arm openings of the body. Pin in place, then check that the arm is all the way into the body on both sides of the pinning.
Stitch in place carefully, going over the seam a few times for strength.
Stuff the body. At this point, we'll add the legs, so shove the stuffing meant for the bottom bit of the body up into the center of the body to give yourself some room to attach the legs.
Stuff the legs and pin to the body as you did with the arms. Make sure the feet are facing outward!
Stitch the legs in place carefully, going over the seam a few times for strength.
TIP: If you're nervous about stuffing coming out of the arms and legs, you can stuff each and then baste along the top to hold it in place while you attach to the body.
Step 5 - Give Maisy a Face
Step 5 - Give Maisy a Face
This is the part where you can get creative!
You can see from the photo that I changed my mind on how to do the eyes at least once. I decided to go with an arch and single eyelash for each eye using a stem stitch with 6 strands of embroidery floss and an embroidery needle.
I then used a satin stitch to do the nose, going around the sides once after filling in the center (because my stitches were a little wonky, oops).
Finally, I did the mouth, again using a stem stitch.
TIP: Since it's not possible to tie a knot on the wrong side of the fabric, start your needle by going into the stuffing about an inch away from where you want to stitch, then coming up along your stitch line. Pull the floss through, stopping as soon as the end goes into the head. Stitch along your lines, then finish the line by going into the head for your last stitch, going through the stuffing, and coming out about an inch away from the final stitch. Snip the thread close to the fabric, then wiggle and rub the end of the floss so it tucks itself back into the head.
Of course, you don't have to use the face I've designed - get creative! Other options for facial features include safety eyes (attach these before stuffing in step 5), button or other sew-on eyes, and painted facial features. You can even use makeup like blush to give Maisy rosy cheeks (this was done on my original Miss Bunny toy).
At this point, Miss Maisy Rabbit is complete! Time to give her a dress.
Maisy Rabbit's Dress
Maisy Rabbit's Dress
Step 1 - Cut Out the Dress Pieces
Step 1 - Cut Out the Dress Pieces
Cut out 1 skirt, 1 bodice front, 2 bodice backs, and 2 sleeve pieces.
*Remember that the pattern pieces do not include seam allowance, you will need to add it during this step!*
As before, now is a good time to press the pieces so they're good and flat.
Step 2 - Shoulder Seams and Neckline Lace
Step 2 - Shoulder Seams and Neckline Lace
With right sides together, pin then sew the shoulder seams, attaching the bodice backs to the bodice front.
*Make sure the bodice backs are facing the correct direction!* The long side goes towards the center.
Trim the shoulder seams and press open.
Pin the lace around the neckline *on the wrong side* of the bodice. Stitch along the pattern line. I trimmed my neckline down to 1/4 inch all the way around to make this step easier.
Turn the lace so that it's on the right side of the bodice. Press. Topstitch.
Step 3 - Sleeves
Step 3 - Sleeves
This is the fiddliest bit of the whole thing - grab your tweezers if you feel like they'll be helpful!
Hem the sleeves using a narrow or rolled hem. You can also do a standard double fold hem here, depending on how much seam allowance you included.
Baste along the top of the sleeves between the markings to create the gather lines.
Pin the sleeves to the bodice at the armscyes with the right sides together, matching the edges of the pattern lines and the sleeve center to the shoulder seam line. Pull on the basting threads to gather the tops of the sleeves so the fabric fits along the bodice lines (learn more on gathering in Sewing Pleats 101).
Stitch into place. Trim the seams and clip the curves.
TIP: If this is your first time sewing along gathered seams or you find it to be quite fiddly, baste along the seam line first. This way, if you make a mistake, it will be very easy to rip out (with a seam ripper) and fix.
Step 4 - Side Seams
Step 4 - Side Seams
Turn the bodice so the right sides are together.
Pin the edges of the sleeves and bodice side seams together, matching the sleeve seams.
Sew along the pattern lines. Trim seams if needed.
Step 5 - Skirt
Step 5 - Skirt
Hem the skirt using a narrow, rolled, or double fold hem, depending on how much seam allowance you included.
Baste along the top of the skirt between the gather lines.
Pin the skirt to the bodice with the right sides together, matching the edges and centers. Pull on the basting threads to gather the skirt and pin in place so that the skirt fits along the bodice edge.
Stitch (or baste and stitch, as with the sleeves). Trim the seam and press towards the bodice.
Step 6 - Closing the Back
Step 6 - Closing the Back
**If you will use buttons to close the dress, consider adding a small strip of interfacing inside the folded edge you are about to make.**
Fold the edge of the dress (including the lace trim at the neck) in along the pattern line. Press.
Fold again so that the raw edge of the fabric is along the crease line (creating a double fold). Press.
Stitch down close to the folded edge of the fabric.
At this point, it's time to add a closure. I went with two buttons and a hook and eye (because my machine just did not want to put a button hole over the lace). I highly recommend velcro instead - I happened to be out this weekend so it was buttons and button holes for me.
Really, you can use any type of closure you like here.
Add your closure and then you're done! Put on Miss Maisy Rabbit, holding both of her arms in front. The sleeves will seem a bit tight at first, but the arms get smaller closer to the body.
Add a 24 in ribbon around the waist, tying a bow in the back.
TIP: If using grosgrain or other polyester ribbon, you can carefully melt the ends with an open flame to prevent the ribbon from fraying.
All done! Time for Miss Maisy Rabbit to go to her new home!
Thanks for reading, friends!
I hope you enjoy this week's dual patterns and share photos of your creations online! Be sure to tag me @craftematics on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook if you do! You can also follow me here on the blog by filling out the form at the bottom of the page so you never miss a post.
See you soon and have a happy and blessed Easter!
Originally published March 19, 2021.
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