woken up bunny

Here's the belated picture of an awake Baby Binky Bunny, instructions for which are included with the pattern. No binky for him, though. He says he's not sleepy.

Bought a pattern but don't have this version of the face? Download it here.

a kinder, gentler headband

DIY fabric headband covers

I've posted before about my headband saga. I love the look of ready made headbands (on other people) but they rarely work on me. When they are not giving me a splitting headache, they are falling off the back of my head.


The cheap, narrow, dime-a-dozen flexible plastic headbands that I have found are ideal for my head alas offer no fashion pizazz, so I came up with a pattern to cover them with fabric a while back. The pattern has instructions included if you would like to make one. Just measure your headband first to be sure it will fit, then adjust accordingly if needed.

I have worn the blue polka dotted headband so often since then it's getting a bit worn looking, so I recently dug that pattern back out to make more headbands for spring and summer. I made a set for my niece Raven for her birthday too while I was at it.


Pretty fast/easy to make with a sewing machine, and you can throw in a layer of interfacing if your fabric is too flimsy. I don't bother finishing the slit for the headband much, I just cut a slit and seal the edges with Fraycheck. But you could do a buttonhole instead if you want to be an overachiever like that. You really only need one plastic headband since the covers are interchangeable. (View the older post if you want to see more pics and more tips)


I thought about having getting a head shot of myself sporting one, but that would need to wait until these all these conditions coexist:
1) skinny day
2) great hair day
3) makeup on
4) real clothes
5) six year old learning to wield my Canon SLR

So don't hold your breath. If you have a drawer full of cheap plastic headbands and you'd like the headband cover pattern, get it here. (PS, if you already had it, get it again if you want the New and Improved set of directions)

Postscript: So. As unlikely as it seems, conditions 1-5 did actually come together:

and here's the follow through

To this. I bought it at Target in their closet organizing section, and I'm really happy with it. No more felt being trampled underfoot or piled in corners and laundry baskets, where I can't see what I have. The smaller scraps that I couldn't bear to throw away got squirreled away in an old coke bottle crate which sits on top of the organizer. There are cubby holes left empty, so clearly that indicates I need to buy more felt. Yes.

Try to ignore the beige walls, the clutter, the dust and the very non-craft-bloggy look of my crafting studio. One day I will have a prettied up space to create in. Not today.

wake up, bunny!

I promised pictures of an awake bunny when I launched the BBB pattern recently, and I've been having a bit of a quandary. Yeaaaaahh...I have tried the eyes embroidered like I envisioned for the pattern, but I just gotta tell ya. I no likey.


See above, blue bunny. Perhaps it is my non-expert skill as an embroiderer, but it just falls flat somehow. I don't prefer the shiny-ness factor of the satin stitch, and the shape is not as wide and cute as I'd hoped on an actual stuffed bunny. It looks. Well. Kinda weird, no? Is it me? Like she's squinting. Poor blue bunny.


So, nothing for it but to swallow my pride, admit I'm a doofus, and provide an alternative. See above. I've redone the eyes with a slightly different shape, and instead of completely embroidering the eye with a satin stitch, I opted to cut the basic shape from felt, stitch it on, then add an outline around the eye with more stitching. Last step, add a french knot highlight in each eye.


I like this much better. Sorry for the hard to see colors -- I adore this chocolate brown for the bunny's eyes, but it is not real easy to see the stitches, duh, shoulda used a lighter color. I lightened the photo quite a bit to increase the visibility, sorry if it looks blown out.

If you've bought a pattern and you prefer this New And Improved! method of the awake bunny, then just click on this link to download a new template and instructions for the eyes. If you prefer, I will very happily e-mail you a whole updated pattern with this change incorporated, just e-mail me to let me know.