Saturday, March 27, 2010

Crazy Rabbit


I wanted to get this post up last weekend, but my ding dang sewing machine was giving me fits.

I wanted to make rabbit shirts for the girls, so I thought it would be fun to do a little applique. The only problem is that my sewing machine has been on the fritz since I made that denim rag quilt, so this project was slow going. I took pictures throughout the beginning of the project, but once the sewing began, I wasn't fit to be near my camera, so let's just pretend that part didn't happen, okay?

Since my sewing machine was being such a snot box, the rabbits look a little rustic. Rough around the edges. Psycho.

Whatever.

This is how I started. I knew I wanted just a bunny head, so I started sketching what I thought it should look like. If I've forgotten some key bunny part, please don't tell me. 

I find it's best if your pattern isn't bigger than your shirt. Stop laughing. Some of us only learn by making mistakes.

Once I had Mr. Bunny about where I wanted him, I traced over him with a Sharpie. You can see I shaved a little off the top of his head in the process. He was looking a little too Burt-from-Sesame-Street for my taste.

This was my first time using Heat N Bond. I'll never use Wonder Under again. This stuff was waaaaay easier to use.

I started by ironing a piece of the Heat N Bond to the wrong side of my fabric.

Then I pinned my pattern pieces to the right side of the fabric.


Then I cut the pieces out. I have double of everything because I'm making two shirts.

All my bunny parts are ready to go. All I had to do here was peel the backing off the pieces and iron them onto my shirts.

Just a little tip. If you iron on your pink parts before you iron the rest of the ear to the shirt, just make sure you don't peel the backing off the main ear part before you do that. If you do, you'll end up ironing your ear to the ironing board. I may or may not have done that myself. It's just a friendly little tip.

Here all my bunny parts are ironed onto the shirt. If I were to do this again, I would keep the head in one piece instead of dividing the snout and the rest of the head. You can still do an applique line if it's in one piece, and that way you won't have the Grand Canyon gap that I have between mine. Dang it.

This is where my process pictures stop and we go to the finished product.

I know he looks like he's on crack, and I've made my peace with it. Blame it on my machine. Okay, my machine and my skillz. Or lack thereof.

I like his rustic whiskers. They were the last to go on and my machine was spitting back at me at that point, so the part where I sewed the skinny ribbon whiskers onto the shirt are a leetle bit bumpy. They have character.

My sewing machine was only allowing me to sew in one-inch sections before the tension would go all wonky and I'd have to stop and rethread the whole ding dang thing. I dang near threw myself off a bridge.

Instead, I threw my machine off a bridge.

Okay, not really, but I did take it away from my sight, before something bad could happen with it, and traded it in for a new machine. Unfortunately that didn't happen until I finished the shirts. In a very bad mood.

The sad part is that I thought I had a good sewing machine. Singer was a respected name when I was growing up. In the olden days. I paid a lot of money for it originally, and I expected that it would last me for the rest of my life. Singers are supposed to be good machines, right? Apparently, they are now crap. That's the word on the street anyway.

Maybe I'll show you my new machine later this week. Once I've had my lesson and become properly acquainted with it.

I'm on spring break now, did I mention that? I am. I'm giddy about it too.

I j-pegged the Picasso Bunny pattern if you want to give it a go yourself. Just click on it before you save it to your desktop. You can pretty much print it whatever size you want it.

If you have big kids, print it big like this. Or if you have little kids, you can make it little.


Have a great weekend Peeps!

20 comments:

  1. If you like heat n bond you will LOVE LOVE LOVE steam a seam Lite 2.. it's repositionable and a little more flexible than heat n bond. I feel your pain on the sewing machine fritz.. and am more than jealous you've been able to trade up. I'm sure you've done a million of these applique shirts, but I have also found a piece of freezer paper pressed to the inside of the shirt works as a great removable stabilizer (keeps it from stretching!) and is cheap cheap cheap.

    Keep up the good work, I love your tips tricks and ideas.

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  2. The redeeming factor is the cutie pie girls....and the bunny is really very cute....can't see any flaws myself!!!

    Suzanne

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  3. You are so darn creative, Jill! Love those shirts...

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  4. I have a Singer too! I thought it was a great brand. My friend and I bought the same one and we both have the same problems with it. I ended up borrowing my Mom's sewing machine (Brother) and haven't given it back. I'm so upset about the Singer brand.

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  5. Very cute.
    You are very clever and talented.
    Hope you love your new machine.
    A few years ago i got a Janome and I've been in love ever since.

    Great instructions. Thanks.

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  6. So cute! I am on Break too! I needed it soooo bad! Enjoy!

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  7. They look so cute in their little bunny shirts!

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  8. Hi Jill,

    I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE those bunny shirts. You did a FABULOUS job and I don't see any problems. That must have been a pain with your sewing machine being so wonky on you. Glad you got a new machine. You are just so DANG talented! If Lexi was younger I would probably have to try one of those!!!! Enjoy your Spring Break!♥

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  9. Such a great Easter idea! I just might have to try that myself. LOVE your blog! Thanks for sharing your craft skills

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  10. So cute Jill! As always, your post cracked me up. Singer is like the cool kid at school that everyone wants to be friends with until they find out he's really not that cool at all, and you want to pick him last for dodgeball. ...Or something like that. When I recently bought my machine, I did all the research and they really aren't that great these days. The first time I ever heard my Mom swear was at her old Singer. I was scared...very scared. I have a Heat n' Bond interesting fact for you. The pack you used is the extra secure and doesn't need applique to hold it down. The have a light version, in a purple bag instead of red, that is sewable and does need tacked down. It may be easier for your machine to handle. Or not, just a thought! :)

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  11. Jill,
    They are soooo cute. I have never tried doing applique on knit. I have only done it on cotton fabrics. It looks amazing. I'm sure if I tried, they would be ruffly from stretching the fabric while I was sewing it. Good Job! I'm so anxious to see your new machine. I got mine about 5 or 6 years ago and have looooooooved it. It is the Elna Quilters Dream. And let me tell you it is a dream to use!!!!!

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  12. I could only wish to have that talent. The girls look so cute with their new shirts.

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  13. once again you prove your awesomeness! Even if the bunny IS on crack, it's better than I could do!

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  14. So cute! Thanks for the pattern. I think I'll make one for my little niece.

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  15. Really cute!! I need a crash course on my sewing machine. My MiL is teaching me how to make cushions for my dining room chairs:-)

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  16. Super cute bunny shirt. If I could get my teenage daughter to wear one I"d make it right now!

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  17. I'm always leaving your blog with feelings of inadequacy. You really do rock! Love the shirts.

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  18. I think they're adorable and your cute girls look thrilled with them!

    I can totally relate to the sewing machine fury. I don't know what it is about lack of cooperation when a sewing machine goes wrong, but it brings out my temper like no other!

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  19. Darling! You are so talented. I can't believe you created them totally from scratch. Amazing. What lucky little girls.

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  20. What an absolutely adorable project! Excellent job... lol @ might have iron the bunny ear to the ironing board...

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