This is the story of two rabbits…Miss Luna Lapin will probably be familiar to you. Her Cotton Tailed friend less so. It’s also a tale of friendship past and hopefully friendship for the future.
These were the result of a special request made by Summer, who today left primary school. Let’s just stop for a second to think that I have a child going to high school this year. How did that happen?
Her best friend is heading off to a different high school in September, and Summer wanted to give her something special to commemorate their friendship for the past seven years, and hopefully many more to come.
Many, many days I think I’m not cutting the mustard as a mum, but when your child comes to you with a request like this, you get the feeling that you might just actually be doing something right.
As E is especially fond of rabbits, making her a Luna Lapin was absolutely the only way to go.
I cannot tell you what a delight this was to sew. I found the pattern to be well drafted and the instructions are equal parts informative and charming.
Luna is hand stitched, so she’s perfect to curl up in a comfy chair with pincushion, threads and scissors, husband by my side and a good film for an evening of soothingly simple stitching and stuffing.
I sewed the dress by machine so it takes very little time, as do her lace pantaloons! As the lace is a little wider than stipulated in the instructions, the pants peep out below her dress. I quite like how it looks!
She even has little felt boots, laced up with embroidery thread.
Summer adores her and I hope E will cherish her. Summer has put another order in for a Luna for herself, and Dylan wants the fox from the Luna’s Friends book. They’re so adorable I can’t resist.
We then hit upon the idea of making another rabbit for E’s younger sister. Whilst E is a girl straight of an Enid Blyton book, I is definitely more rambunctious. A sturdier rabbit was required.
I found this Cotton Tailed Rabbit pattern for free on Love Quilting Magazine. But I rather wish I hadn’t!
The instructions, in my opinion, are severely lacking and the pattern tricky to work out. I’m fairly sure the head is wrong, but Summer thinks it looks cute and is happy with the result, so I’ll take that as a win.
Sadly, whilst I’m really happy to recommend the Luna Lapin books, I’d advise you give the Cotton Tail a miss.
At the end of the day, though, two little girls will have mementoes of their friendship. And I have a happy daughter.
And I’m looking forward to making the next Luna and her foxy friend!
Lovely rabbits. Shame you can’t recommend cotton tail as he’s gorgeous! Sadly I really don’t have anyone to make rabbits for any more ?
I’m definitely planning on making a Luna for myself for the sewing room. And there’s a very handsome badger too who could keep her company! 😉
I rather like the skinny ‘Tilda’ like looks of Luna but, whenever I show my French sewing buddy patterns for similar, she pulls a face and I know she’d prefer to make the chunkier one so each to their own and I’m sure both girls will love their different rabbits.
Shame about the bad pattern for the cotton tail though – just because a pattern is free, doesn’t mean it should be badly written or drafted and not tested thoroughly.
They do absolutely adore them! I think if I was making the a robust rabbit again I’d give Cool Crafting’s Briar Bunnies a go. They look very cute indeed.
https://www.coolcrafting.co.uk/product-category/the-briar-bunnies/
These are lovely. I think I need one for my van as a travel companion. Your daughter’s idea though is so special K xXx
She would make a splendid travelling companion. I’m rather proud that Summer wanted to do something so special for her friends.