Most Adorable Easter Bunny Basket

Step 2:

Start to zigzag the clothesline into a coil. Mark the starting point with a straight pin. Sew several stitches then lift the presser foot. Turn your work counter-clockwise, lower the presser foot, and sew a few more stitches. Repeat this until you can freely turn and sew your work without lifting the presser foot, about eight rounds.

Zigzag until the coil measures 4 1/2” in diameter.

Stop sewing directly across from the pin that marks the starting point. This ensures that you have complete rounds. Keep your coiled clothesline under the presser foot.

Step 3:

Raise the left edge of the coil directly up to the side of your sewing machine. This is how you transition from the bottom of the basket to the side of the basket. Continue to zigzag around the coil. Hold it securely, but not too tightly, up against the side of your sewing machine.

Step 4:

Zigzag until the side of the basket measures 5”. Stop stitching directly across from the pin that marks the starting point.

Stitch back and forth several times to reinforce this spot. Cut the clothesline off with scissors.

Step 5:

Continue to zigzag once around the entire top of the basket. This will make a nice finished top edge.

Step 6:

DYEING THE BASKET:

Soak the basket in warm water. It needs to be totally saturated with water before dyeing. The water helps the dye to penetrate the fibers for a uniform color.

Cover your work surface with a plastic table cloth. Put on rubber gloves.


Pour 3 cups of very hot water (at least 140° F) into a large container or bowl (deep and wide enough to hold basket). Add 3 Tablespoons of Petal Pink liquid dye to the hot water. Stir well with the plastic spoon.

Remove basket from water and set in dye solution for about 8-10 minutes. (If your dye container isn’t deep enough to totally submerge the basket, roll the basket around in the dye until you have an even color. Or spoon dye over basket.)

Take the basket out of the dye. Rinse it in cold water until the water runs clear. Set the basket upside down on paper towels to air dry.

Step 7:

DYEING COTTON BATTING SQUARES:

Pre-soak squares in the same manner as the basket in the previous step

In one 16 oz. plastic beverage cup, combine one cup of very hot water (at least 140°) and 1Tablespoon Sunshine Orange liquid dye. Remove batting pieces from water; squeeze out excess water. Place one quilt batting square into the dye. Stir batting with a plastic spoon, making sure the batting gets totally saturated with dye.

Cover cup with plastic wrap. Line bottom of microwave with paper towels. Place cup in microwave and heat for 1 minute or until steam is created. Using a pot holder or rubber gloves, remove cup from microwave. Let cool.

Remove batting square from dye; squeeze out excess dye. Rinse in cool water until water runs clear. Allow to air dry.

Repeat this step with Purple, Evening Blue and Kelly Green dye for each of the other quilt batting squares.

Allow the quilt batting squares to air dry.

Step 8:

Bunny Pattern:

Print out the pattern full size on 8 1/2" x 12" paper and cut out each pattern piece.

Step 9:

Assembling the Bunny:
From the 12” x 12” piece of fleece, cut 2 each of the Bunny body pieces.

Pin the two layers of each bunny part together. Using white embroidery floss, join the edges of each piece together with the blanket stitch. For added dimension, put a little fiberfill in between the layers.

Hand sew the head, ears and feet to the Bunny’s body as shown.

Using the white embroidery floss, stitch whiskers to face. Glue on the eyes and nose. Using pink scrapbooking chalk, accent the ears and feet. Tie small bow and sew under bunny’s face.

Step 10:

Making The Eggs:

Using the egg pattern, cut 2 egg pieces from each of the three 5”x 5” dyed quilt batting squares.

Pin two dyed egg pieces together. Using matching embroidery floss, join the two pieces together with the blanket stitch. Repeat this for all three dyed eggs.

Cut small pieces of leaves from green batting as shown.

Sew the bunny to the front of the basket as shown. Stitch the eggs to the front of the bunny, inserting green leaf shapes between the eggs. Sew 3 flower buttons to eggs as shown.

Fill your basket with grass to finish off your Bunny Basket!