Since starting the Sewing Room Declutter Challenge (almost finished!) I’ve been trying to make up some of the kits I’ve acquired over the years. This is one I fell for at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show last year, a complete impulse buy!!

The kit included some lovely linen/cotton preprinted with the shapes, the large cotton reel and a spool of variegated perle thread. I decided to use a variegated DMC thread instead as it’s finer and I liked the colours of this one.

I decided to embroider leaves, flowers and general pretty shapes. Half way through I thought it might be nice to colour the fabric so as to soften the contrast with the white fabric. I used silk paints as I have them in my stash and I know how they work as it were. This is just before I painted it, as you can see I managed to stretch it on a large hoop for painting.

One advantage of silk paints is that it isn’t permanent until you iron it, so if I really didn’t like it, I could have just washed it out. Luckily it worked really well and I carried on with the embroidery. There’s no embroidery designs with the pattern, it’s a matter of choosing your own stitches and in my case making it up as I go along.

Once the embroidery was complete I could start cutting out. I just cut out a piece as I was ready to make it up as they were so tiddly it would have been easy to lose them,

There are basic instructions in the actual kit but there is also a link to several videos which detail each section to be stitched. I used blanket-stitch in the same variegated DMC thread. The pieces are pretty fiddly as the whole hare is only 2.5″ tall. In the kit there is also an orange stick which is very useful for stuffing the pieces.

Tiny buttons are also provided for attaching the arms and legs. The tail is on a metal hook to stitch it on with. The pattern also suggests a ruffle round the hare’s neck but I couldn’t find anything that looked right and I think she’s cute as she is.

I covered the spool with some pretty cotton and overlaid it with lace. I popped some batting underneath which just helped soften it for sewing. I cut a circle of paper to cover the top. glued that on top and sat my hare in place.

I love her! She is so cute!

The kits are from Moonlight Stitches, I’m tempted to do another one with maybe more of a flower theme, maybe make it into a mouse with bigger ears…