Crewel Embroidery Kit ~ BUNNIES & BUTTERCUPS

Crewel Work    * Intermediate – Beginner *

I recommend Bunnies & Buttercups for embroiderers with a little experience in thread painting. It is a great project if you are familiar with common embroidery stitches. The detailed instructions and diagrams will help guide you step-by-step through the project however, you might find it helpful to have a stitch directory at hand.

I found my inspiration for Bunnies & Buttercups in the well-known design ‘Brother Rabbit’ by William Morris. I greatly admire the work and designs by Morris and find endless inspiration in the swirling patterns and organic shapes in Morris’s textiles and wallpaper.

As with Morris’ design, this symmetrical design features a pair of facing bunnies. They are nestled under a vine of white flower puffs and surrounded by sunny yellow buttercups. The flowers and foliage are embroidered using common embroidery stitches and the bunnies are stitched mostly in long & short stitch to create soft-looking fur and shading of colours. Each bunny has a fluffy, pompom-like tail created with tufted Ghiordes knots.

Bunnies & Buttercups is stitched onto taupe linen twill using 15 shades of Appletons crewel wool and 3 shades of Gumnut shaded wool to create the soft fur of the bunnies. The bunnies and buttercups are embroidered in long & short stitch and the foliage around them is worked using common embroidery stitches.

The embroidery design measures 15cm x 35cm (6” x 14”) wide. It is printed on a twill panel measuring 40cm x 50cm wide (16″ 20″).

It is the perfect size for a decorative bolster pillow or a fabulous work bag, and would look super cute framed in a nursery. I made my Bunnies & Buttercups into a bolster pillow with a cute pompom trim to match the bunnies’ fluffy tails.

(Please note, the kit does not include supplies to make the pillow.)

I hope you will get as much pleasure embroidering your Bunnies & Buttercups as I did.

Happy Stitching, Anna