I'm so delighted to be able to participate in Melissa's Easter blog hop and show you how I made these fun little bunny treat bags for my kid's Easter baskets. This tutorial is for day two of the blog hop... so click on over to these awesome blogs all week for cute Easter inspiration.
Monday, 3/4 Melissa from Lilac Lane with a patchwork bunny
Tuesday, 3/5 Nanette from Freda's Hive with Easter Egg Cups Table Runner and Carroline (me) from Sew Can She with Bunny Treat Bag
Wednesday, 3/6 Sabra from Sew a Straight Line with a Patchwork Easter Egg Pillow and Clara from Clover and Violet with an Easter Basket/ lunch bag
Thursday, 3/7 Megan from Quilt Story with a bunny shirt and skirt and Jenny from Sew Pretty Dresses with a quiet book
Friday 3/8 Melissa from Happy Quilting with an Easter bunting and Robin from Create Kids Couture with a Girl's Patchwork Skirt and Coordintaing 18" Doll Pattern
Like all the projects in our Easter blog hop, these treat bags were made with a Happy Ever After Stacker Pack from Riley Black. It included twenty one 5" squares, and I was able to make 5 treat bags with one square left over (each treat bag requires four 5" squares). The only place I could find this particular fabric online is at Fat Quarter Shop where they carry FQ bundles, a Jelly Roll, and yardage.
So let's get started! For each treat bag you will need four 5" squares of fabric (cutting them into squares before hand will make them quicker to stitch up and reduce waste - I promise) and about 16" of 1/4 - 3/8"ribbon. Download your bunny treat bag templates {here}.
Cut the ear and bunny face shapes out of the paper along the dotted lines. Do NOT cut your fabric into these shapes, just trace the shapes onto the backs of two charm squares as shown, two bunny ears on one charm square and one face shape on another. Make sure there is at least 1/4" between the bunny ear shapes. You are going to stitch along these lines. Use a washable marker or heat-erasing pen (I used a Frixion heat erasing pen).
Take the two charm squares you have chose for the bag (face) and iron the top edge down 1/4" and then again 1/2" to make the ribbon casing. Don't stitch yet.
On the square that will make the front of the bag, draw a 3/8" vertical line for a button hole. The button hole should be in the center just under the folded edge.
Open out the folds you just ironed (important!) and sew a button hole over the line you just drew. We have a great buttonhole tutorial in the {techniques section} of our free tutorial archives. :)
Here you see my finished button hole. Next, pin the four charm squares right sides together. Pin the one with a button hole to the other one with creases ironed to the top, but open out the creases for this step.
Stitch over all of the lines you traced, starting at the top of the charm squares. See how I opened up the casing for the bag? that's important. And there's my injured finger... almost healed. :)
Now trim away the extra fabric and cut the ears apart, leaving about 1/4" of seam allowance (it might be less between the bunny ears). Cut the point off the bunny ears, but don't cut your stitching!
Turn the ears right side out and press. Don't turn the bag right side out yet, but press the casing back into place. Then on the back of the bag, tuck the ears under the casing and pin. The side of the ears that are showing here will end up being the back of the ears on the finished bag. Pin the casing down on the front with one pin, if desired.
Unless you have an itty-bitty free arm on your sewing machine, you will need to carefully flip the bag right side out for this part. Stitch the casing along the folded edge, stopping and starting at one side seam and catching the ears in the casing as you go. Be sure to backstitch.
Turn it right side out and you're almost done... just thread about 16" of ribbon through the buttonhole to make the drawstring. So cute!
Now make a whole basketful! I think the tracing and stitching method really helps to cut down on time. I made all five in just a couple hours - and that was stopping to take pictures too.
Follow our blog hop all week for more early Easter inspiration. If you are a new visitor to SewCanShe, be sure to visit our home page to see today's featured free sewing tutorial... we have a new one every day and if you sign up for the daily newsletter you won't miss a single one. Happy Spring!
