I can make that -- so I did. *Now with bunny-lovin' pics on PG 4*

You know this man:

You know him as the ham of many of my posts, the model of size 3T skirts and the survivor of sock-monkey attacks. Do you know him as a soft-hearted mush? Read on.

A few weeks ago, it was First Friday, and DH's campers were performing courtesy of a highfalutin "Main Line" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_Main_Line) baby store called Nurture. You know these places, designed for dreamy moms-to-be to design perfectly coordinated outfits while they can still micromanage their children's socks and diaper covers, before the kids start asserting preferences, c. age 2 (I am told, incidentally, I would not wear green for many years). So there we were, me, the supportive spouse, and him, corralling 25-odd (and 25 odd as well) campers out of destroying the store, into the sidewalk area, to do some sing-and-dance-happy-times numbers. He spied this cute-as-a-button animal:

http://www.room6.com/images/bunny_sage.jpg

And said, simply, "I want that."

I carefully noted the designer tag, Manuella Designs, an Israeli designer who has scads of cute baby toys on her website. www.manuelladesign. com It was $36. Cute, but $36 cute? You've heard it and uttered it before: "I can make that." I went home, and began my plan.

Started as this:

A fleece jacket from Salvation Army. I like fabric-shopping there. I was looking for a berber-type fleece just to be a little different. I found this in green, which matches the original I chose above, and is decidedly "masculine", don't you agree?

Turned into this:

I ran out this morning for the yellow ear-lining. It'a cotton jacquard, very soft. I thought it provided a good contrast to the fuzzy moss-green of the body.

Close-up of brocade, as best I could show it:

His face, somewhat of a disappointment. I used many strands of floss, and went over my stitching many times. The berber just ate it up, but it is still cute, and a nod to the original:

His little rumpikins!

And, because you are SO LUCKY to be reading this far, I reward you with...

[insert dramatic pause]

The pattern!

I took measurements from a large screen image, then used ratios to blow them up to the original size. In other words, he's a 1:1 scale model of the original. Blow up the image till the ear is 14"long (excepting seam allowances) or the body is 16" long (excepting seam allowances). Tail was a circle of 4" diameter gathered and stuffed. Feet are filled with lentils, then stuffed into the leg with polyfill. I might make the neck a little shorter next time, but otherwise I am pleased with my reproduction Manuella Designs bunny.

I hope you are too!

EDIT: Pix of The Man lovin' on the Bunny added on PG 4!