Mar 25

Mar 25 Bunny Art Dolls Inspired by Traditional Toymaking

Well, it was bound to happen I suppose. After making the odd teddy bear and bunny for my art dolls, one theorizes at some point in time I would melt the two. Here are the results of the latest play session with mohair and Waldorf-style doll heads.

Mohair Bunnies in the Shop

Mohair fiber art doll, Easter bunny in pink collar by Fig and Me.

I made things backwards with them.

Normally I draft the entire pattern and I know the head size I need to make. This time, since I was just coming out of weeks of sickness, I had zero inclination to do math and hard design choices. I started with the heads.

I kept the proportions of the Wee Baby Bunny in mind, but once I made the heads and started drawing the body, my hands went for another body proportion. More elegant, less chubby, more balanced on legs and long feet.

(pssst…yes, that is my first Portuguese bird’s nest. It was removed from the pizza oven last summer and it now graces my studio 🤭).

I still wanted them to have the ponchy belly of the traditional teddy bear so I did my best. Fluffiest of tails were procured using a longer staple mohair fabric, stuffed with just the right amount of wool.

Would you believe that the hardest part were the ears? Oh! I went through so many designs and in the end opted for wiring the ears so they can be bent in all manner of positions, suggesting a myriad of expressions for our lovely bunnies. So, so pleased with how they turned out.

Finally, I spent an entire afternoon making their sweet collars (or should we call these capes?) with just a bit of embroidery to ensnare the heart and whisper sweet vernal dreams. I used hand-dyed silk ribbon for the ties and my favourite pink linen. They look very posh but they are quite down to earth, I promise.

If you are keen to bring one home, they are available for previews in my shop and will become open for purchase on March 27th at 3 PM Lisbon (11 AM Toronto EDT). You can find them here: Mohair Art Bunnies.

I will come back and post about the velour lambs and the sherpa pocket dolls I’ve also just finished. So don’t forget to come back 🤗

And if you are more interested in the making side of things (than the collecting of pudgy-bellies full of wool, I am preparing a post on Patreon (to be shared with the Sit & Stitch tier) on how I made the bunnies, tips and tricks to get going and a simplified version of the pattern I made. Available soon over there.

Talk soon, friends.