Winnie Rabbit - Free sewing patterns

This adorable plushie, designed by Amanda Walker, is very straightforward to stitch and has been made using linen fabric. Winnie has movable arms and legs so that she can sit down, and comes complete with a knitted scarf to keep her cosy on those chilly spring days. What’s more, her embroidered features make her the perfect cuddle buddy for a young child or baby!

Essentials

Fabric: natural linen, floral Yarn, four-ply, pink
Knitting needles, 3mm
Toy filling, polyester
Bias binding, pink
Embroidery thread: black; cream
Blusher brush

Sew the rabbit

Download and print the templates from sewmag.co.uk. Using the linen fabric, cut out two arms, two legs, two pairs of ears, and two head and body pieces. Snip a 17cm length of bias binding. Fold the arms in half along the fold line marked on the template and stitch with a 3mm seam allowance. Start from the edge of the fold, around the curve, down the straight edge, to the opposite curve finishing on the fold. Leave a small gap in the stitching line on a straight part of the seam.
Clip all the curved parts of the seam, then turn the arms right side out. Stuff each arm with filling and close the gap by hand slipstitching. Fold the legs in half, and sew from the edge of the fold up to the top straight edge. Turn the legs right side out, tease out the seams and stuff with filler. The seam should be the centre back of the legs. Flatten the tops, then stitch across to seal.
Divide the ears into two sets with the right sides of the fabric facing. Sew each pair together around the curved edge, leaving the base open. Trim any bulk from the tips and turn right side out. Tease out the seams and press flat. Brush blusher into the base of each ear, fading the colour as you brush, finishing halfway up the ears. Fold in small pleats at the base of each ear and edgestitch in place. Position and stitch the ears to one of the head pieces.
Sew the head to the body along the neck edges. Position the front head and body over the back pieces matching the edges together, then stitch all the way around leaving the base open, sandwiching the ears into the seam. Clip the seam allowance around the neck and shoulder areas, then turn the body and head right side out through the gap at the base. Hand-stitch the tops of the legs to the back open edge at the base.
Pack the body and head. The body can be filled a little more solidly than the limbs. When the desired shape is achieved, stitch the base of the body closed, covering the entire seam allowance from the tops of the legs. Sew the arms to the side of the shoulders by hand-stitching from the top of the arm, through the shoulders to the opposite side. Attach the remaining arm, making sure to fasten off the thread.
Mark the eyes, nose and mouth position onto the head with a pencil. Using black thread, embroider the eyes with a back-stitch, then Winnie’s nose and mouth. Brush blusher onto each of her cheeks.

Make a skirt

Cut a rectangle from floral fabric, 12cm x 45cm, and a 17cm length of bias binding for the waistband. Fray along one of the long edges of the fabric rectangle. Sew two rows of gathering stitches to the opposite long edge. Pull up the threads to gather the fabric until it fits the length of the bias binding.
Fold and press the bias binding in half lengthways, then slot over the gathered edge of the skirt. Edge stitch in place. Match the back seam of the skirt together and sew from the base right up into the waistband.

Stitch the scarf

Cast on 18 stitches, then continue to knit until the scarf is 10cm long. Slip the first stitch of every row, so the edges stay neat. Cast off, then sew the two ends together, making a ring. Pull the accessory over Winnie’s head, fold over a cuff and position it around her neck and shoulders.