Bunny Hop

Designer: Roseann Meehan Kermes

Finished size: 12-1/2×7-1/2"

• 7-1/2×16" rectangle pink felted wool (appliqué foundation, flower appliqué)
• 7-1/2×16" rectangle cream felted wool (circle and lace scallop appliqués, backing)
• 6" square yellow felted wool (circle, flower, flower center, and butterfly wing appliqués)
• Scrap of blue felted wool (circle appliqué)
• 1-1/2×3" rectangle coral felted wool (circle and butterfly wing appliqués)
• 2" square lavender felted wool (circle, flower, and butterfly body appliqués)
• 3-1/2×4-1/2" rectangle aqua felted wool (circle, flower center, bunny tie, and butterfly body appliqués)
• 2×4" rectangle green plaid felted wool (leaf appliqués)
• 7×8" rectangle tan felted wool (bunny appliqué)
• Freezer paper
• Embroidery floss: cream, green, orange, pink, yellow, tan, black, and aqua
• Small black seed bead
• Fabric glue (such as Roxanne Glue-Baste-It) or appliqué pins
• Small sharp scissors

Cut pieces in the following order.

Felted wool (available in many quilt shops) doesn't fray, so there is no need to turn under edges of appliqué shapes. To felt your own wool, machine-wash it in a hot-water-wash, cold-rinse cycle with a small amount of detergent. Machine-dry on high heat; steam-press.

Click on "Download this Project" at the top to get pattern pieces A-Q. To use freezer paper for cutting wool shapes, complete the following steps.

1. Lay freezer paper, shiny side down, over patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times indicated in cutting instructions, leaving 1/4" between tracings. Cut out freezer-paper shapes roughly 1/8" outside drawn lines.

2. Using a hot dry iron, press freezer-paper shapes, shiny sides down, onto designated wools; let cool. Cut out each shape on drawn line and peel off freezer paper.

From pink wool, cut:

• 1 each of patterns A and G

From cream wool, cut:

• 1 each of patterns A and D
• 6 of Pattern B

From yellow wool, cut:

• 1 each of patterns C, F, M, and N

From  blue wool, cut:

• 1 of Pattern C

From coral wool, cut:

• 1 each of patterns C and P

From lavender wool, cut:

• 1 each of patterns C, L, and O

From aqua wool, cut:

• 1 each of patterns C, H, J, K, and Q

From green plaid wool, cut:

• 2 of Pattern E

From tan wool, cut:

• 1 of Pattern I

Designer Roseann Meehan Kermes uses small dots of fabric glue to hold wool appliqué pieces in place while hand-sewing them to a foundation. Instructions that follow are for this glue-basting technique. If desired, you can use small appliqué pins instead of fabric glue.

Refer to Appliqué Placement Diagram or photo for placement of pieces and stitches.

1. Layer five cream wool B circles atop pink wool A foundation along scalloped edge; glue-baste in place (Diagram 1). Center yellow, blue, coral, lavender, and aqua wool C circles atop cream B circles; glue-baste (Diagram 2).

2. Using one strand of cream floss, tack-stitch stacked circles to foundation.

    To tack-stitch, bring needle up at A and push it down at B (Tack Stitch Diagram). Come up at C and continue around each set of stacked circles.

3. Align straight edge of cream wool D lace scallop 1-1/8" from short straight edge of pink wool A foundation; glue-baste. Using one strand of cream floss, tack-stitch to foundation (Diagram 3).

4. Starting at the bottom and working toward the top, layer two green plaid wool E leaves, yellow wool F flower, pink wool G flower, and aqua wool H flower center; glue-baste.

5. Using two strands of green floss, stitch Xs down the center of both leaves. With one strand of orange floss, make running stitches down center of each yellow flower petal. With one strand of pink floss, make a long straight stitch beginning near each indent between pink flower petals, stitching toward the center of pink flower. With one strand of yellow floss, tack-stitch the aqua flower center to pink flower. Using two strands of yellow floss, make a large X in middle of aqua flower center. Outer edges of leaves and flowers will remain loose.

6. Center tan wool I bunny on pink wool A foundation; glue-baste. Using one strand of tan floss, tack-stitch bunny to foundation. Make a few straight stitches to outline top of bunny head and separate ears. Using several irregular stitches, sew remaining cream wool B circle atop back side of bunny to add tail.

7. Attach black bead using two strands of black floss to make bunny eye. Using two strands of pink floss, stitch eight Xs on right-hand bunny ear, making Xs smaller as they near top of ear. Stitch a few Xs to add blush on bunny cheek.

8. Starting at the bottom and working toward the top, layer aqua wool J and K ties, lavender wool L flower, and yellow wool M flower center; glue-baste.

9. With one strand of aqua floss, make running stitches down center of each aqua tie. Using two strands of yellow floss, stitch a large X in middle of yellow flower center. Outer edges of flower will remain loose.

10. Arrange yellow wool N butterfly wings and lavender wool O butterfly body on foundation; glue-baste.

11. Using one strand of green floss, make three straight stitches across lavender wool butterfly body to hold pieces in place. Using one strand of orange floss, add details to wings and stitch butterfly antennae. Add French knots to ends of antennae to make small butterfly.

To make a French knot, bring needle up at A (French Knot Diagram). Wrap floss around needle twice without twisting it. Bring needle back down at B, about 1⁄16" away from A. Gently push wraps down needle to meet fabric and hold wraps in place. Pull needle and trailing floss through fabric slowly and smoothly.

12. Using coral wool P wings, aqua wool Q body, and orange, green, and yellow floss, repeat steps 10 and 11 to add large butterfly and make appliquéd foundation.

1. Lay cream wool A piece on a flat surface. Place appliquéd foundation atop it, aligning straight and scalloped edges. Glue-baste around the outer edges to hold pieces together.

2. Using two strands of pink floss, blanket-stitch around all edges of layered pieces to complete table topper.

    To blanket-stitch, pull needle up at A (Blanket Stitch Diagram), form a reverse L shape with floss, and hold angle of L shape in place with your thumb. Push needle down at B and come up at C to secure the stitch. Continue in same manner around all edges.