Where Did those Cute Bunnies Come From?

I made these blocks almost a year ago. The "Bunny Lady" quilt is another attempt at designing my own quilt. Something different happened this time - it TALKED to me and I LISTENED!

Perhaps you have been down this road of making your own quilt pattern too.

Usually for me it starts on paper and is measured out to the 1/4 inch seam allowance on the final border before I begin to construct it.

This time the quilt is more an accumulation of "A-Ha" moments.

The quilt finally started with Inspiration.

Betz White's bunny caught my eye and I scanned her directions. . .


and then I thought about the new to me crazy quilting that I was doing with the March Season of Grace advent stockings (a free BOM hosted by Emilie Richards and Pat Sloan). Yes, last March:)

Still, the bunny wasn't quite right, but I liked the IDEA of a bunny.

Then I remembered about another cute bunny project that was waiting for 'that perfect border fabric' to begin. From at least two years ago!



This pattern is called Bunnies in the Garden from Small Quilts:The Vanessa Ann Collection.
It was hardwork for me to find the required tonal fabrics for this quilt. I'm attracted to prints! The love was going, BUT the bunny from the pattern was the perfect size! I could get 2 bunnies onto my fresh new fabric fat quarters and have some left for...carrots!

So really a lot of different things came together to make this quilt come to life:

1. inspiration from another's project

2. new fabric

3. season/theme of spring/Easter

4. past inspiration found again

5. new technique know-how

6. desire to create something new

7. dealing with limitations/making do

Once I made the bunny fabric - which I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to 'make' more fabric this way- I started to fuse bunnies and carrots to their backgrounds. I like this method of fusing because I can play with the blocks before they are really complete and not damage them.

I hand blanket stitched around the bunnies and carrots.
I wanted to use only 2 background colours and not make too many bunnies.
I wanted this to be a wallhanging, although did consider making placemats.
I also want to use only from stash for the sashings and borders.

My daughter even played along setting the blocks and it's the idea we came up with together that I'm planning to use in the final layout. I'm still playing with border fabric ideas. I still have that red, but not the brown?. . . I might start auditioning some new stash next week. The way I have the blocks on the design wall right now suggests adding some more blocks. . .

We'll see what the bunnies have to say about it!:)

~
With Joy,
Sarah Vee