DIY Easter Bunny Pajamas with Matching Stuffed Bunny
How to Make Easter Bunny PJ's with Matching Stuffed Bunny
Well, Ruby is official a terrible two year old and I officially dream of childless vacations every second of the waking day. Don't get me wrong, she is adorable and funny and silly and..... I DO love her. Momma just needs a little break. And, thank god, I'm getting one. Over the Easter weekend my hubby and I are flying to California for 4 days of childless bliss. I'm so excited about just sitting on the airplane for 5 hours and reading The New Yorker or watching a movie or even silently staring off into space that I haven't really given much consideration to all the fun we are going to have over the weekend.
Since we are going away for Easter weekend, we decided to celebrate Easter a week early. The Easter bunny was still lounging in Antigua (his winter home), but he agreed to show up a week early as long as I did the heavy lifting. He commissioned me to make this super cute set of Easter bunny pajamas with a matching stuffed bunny. Ruby loved the "mommy made it" Easter present and has added the stuffed bunny to her short list of favorite friends that have to sleep next to her. Her sweetness reminded me why I love being her mom and made me a little sad to be leaving her. JUST KIDDING!!! Adios you crazy snot-nosed toddler!!
Supplies:
cotton knit fabric in pastel colors
Heat n' Bond
Pollyfil
printed Easter Bunny patterns: Click Here to Print Pattern 1, Click Here to Print Pattern 2
1. Use a pair of you child's pajamas to make the pattern. Trace the pants onto the paper and be sure to mark which side is the folded side. Trace the body of the shirt and sleeves of the shirt separately and make sure the arm hole matches up.
2. Use the Free Printable Bunny Pattern that I have provided to cut out the bunny for the top of the pajamas. Click here to print Pattern 1. Click here to print Pattern 2. For the stuffed Easter bunny, choose to increase the size of the pattern when you select print to 200%. Then print the pattern and cut and tape the pieces together.
3. Cut each piece out of your fabric for the pajamas: 2 sleeves, front and back of shirt, two legs for the pants (black and white Persian cat is optional). Be sure to fold the fabric for the folded edges of the pants and sleeves.
4. Cut out each of the bunny shapes. For the bunny on the pajama top, iron a piece of fabric onto Heat n' Bond first, then trace the bunny onto the back of the Heat n' Bond paper. For the stuffed bunny, just cut two bunny shapes out of your fabric.
5. Iron the fabric for the bow tie and the overalls onto pieces of Heat n' Bond. Trace the bow tie and overall pieces for both the pajama top bunny and stuffed bunny onto the backing paper of the Heat n' Bond.
6. Cut out all of the traced patterns on the Heat n' Bond and remove the backing. Place each piece and iron on a high setting, pressing hard for at least 1 minute.
7. Sew each piece down with a straight stitch. I used a decorative stitch on the hem of the overalls. Draw the face with a pen and then use a straight stitch to sew the face. If your machine has an option to leave the needle down when you take your foot off the peddle, you should use it for sewing the bunny. This will give you more control and make it easier to create the face.
8. Sew each hem on the pajamas (neck line, sleeves, bottom of the shirt, bottom of the pants). Use a straight stitch to sew the hem down, then use a zig zag stitch or a decorative stitch to sew over the edge of the hem to prevent fraying.
9. Pin the top together face to face and sew just the top of the shoulders. Sew once with a straight stitch then again with a zig zag stitch to prevent fraying. Use the straight stitch and the zig zag stitch on every seam you make while sewing the pajamas together.
10. Pin the sleeves to the arm holes and sew together. Then sew the sides of the shirt and the sides of the sleeves together in one long stitch.
11. Pin each side of the pants together and sew along the front and back seams.
12. Now sew the sides of the legs together.
13. Measure and cut the elastic for the pants and sew the ends together. Fold the top of the pants down over the elastic and pin. Sew the edge of the hem down with a straight stitch and then again with a zig stitch over the edge of the hem.
14. Repeat step number 7 for sewing the bow tie and overalls onto the stuffed bunny. Draw the face of the bunny with a pen and then hand stitch the face using thread or embroidery floss. Place each side of the bunny together face to face, pin well and sew the edges. Leave the space between the legs open. Turn the bunny right side out through the space between the legs. Stuff with Polyfil and hand stitch the space between the legs together using a loop stitch.
