This yo-yo bunny is a fun and easy make for Easter; it's also great for using up leftover fabric scraps. To change the size of the bunny all you need to do is alter the size of the yo-yos.
What you will need:
Needle & thread
Pins
4 small buttons
Toy stuffing
Paper to make yo-yo templates
Fabric- I used off-cuts from fabrics (the North Star and Ombre Trends fat quarter sets) I have used previously by The Craft Cotton Company
First, make the yo-yo template:
You will need two different sized circles for this make; a larger one for the body, arms, legs and ears, and a smaller one for the hands, feet and tail.
For the larger yo-yo I used a circle with an 11.5 cm diameter, and for the smaller yo-yo I used a circle with a diameter of 6.5 cm.
Next, cut out the fabrics:
Using you templates, draw circles on the wrong-side of your fabrics.
I drew and cut out the following number of fabric circles:
14 large circles for body
8 large circles for each arm (16 in total)
12 large circles for each leg (24 in total)
4 smaller circles for hands and feet
1 small circle for the tail
4 large circles for the ears
2 small circles (with an added 0.5cm seam allowance) for the face
Now make the yo-yos:
Thread your needle, and tie a knot in the end of the thread.
Now, turning the edge of the circle inwards, sew around the edge of the circle, and once you reach the point where you started, pull the thread so the fabric gathers up.
Fasten this off and you have made your first yo-yo - repeat until you have made all the yo-yos.
Sewing the bunny together:
When you are putting the yo-yos together, attach them by pushing the needle and thread through the centre of each yo-yo, making sure that each yo-yo is facing the right way.
Double the thread over to give it extra strength when you are threading the needle.
The body
For the body, sew 14 of the yo-yos together with the gathered back of each yo-yo facing downwards except for the first yo-yo which should be turned so that the gathered side cannot be seen.
Fasten off.
The arms
Starting with a button, cast on and sew on to the front of the smaller yo-yo.
Continue sewing through 8 of the arm yo-yos, and then wrap the arm thread around the body thread 3 yo-yos from the top. Make a small stitch into the yo-yo of the body to secure.
Fasten off and then repeat for the other arm.
The legs
Starting with a button, cast on and sew on to the front of the smaller yo-yo.
Continue sewing through 12 of the leg yo-yos, and then wrap the thread around the body thread 1 yo-yo from the bottom. Make a small stitch into the body yo-yo to secure.
Fasten off and repeat for the other leg.
Next, make the ears:
Fold a large circle in half and draw the outline for half an ear.
Cut this shape and use this as a template to make 3 more ear pieces. I chose to use grey for the back of both ears, and a pink and white speckle for the front.
Place the front and back ear pieces right-sides together and sew around with a 1cm seam allowance leaving a 4 cm gap.
Turn the right way around and slip stitch the gap close.
Fold each side of the bottom edges of the ear inward and sew 1inch along this.
Making the face:
Lay down the back face piece with the right-side up.
Place the ears with their bases hanging 0.5 cm over the edge of the head piece with their front sides facing upwards. Now place the front piece on top with wrong-side facing upwards and sew around the edge using a 1cm seam allowance and leaving a 4cm gap (use a running stitch for extra strength).
Tuck the ears in you so you don't end up sewing them into the seam.
Turn the right way around, stuff and slip stitch the gap close.
Sew on the eyes, nose, and mouth details.
Finally, attaching the head and tail:
For the head, double thread your needle and tie a strong knot in the end. Loop the needle and thread a couple of times through the first yo-yo on the body piece. Then, using the same thread, loop the needle and thread through the bottom part of the head along the seam.
Repeat this going back and forth between he body and head until you are satisfied that it is strong enough.
Take a small yo-yo and sew it onto back of rabbit, 3 yo-yos from the base of the body.
© By Lesley Foster at Hook, Stitch, Sew for The Craft Cotton Company 2016