Small Easter gifts

 

In early March, Morris and Sons advertised a range of Corinne Lapiere kits for Easter gifts. I liked the look of them and figured I could just about make them before Easter, if they arrived in good time. 

I ordered them on 11th March and they arrived on the 16th. I set to work straight away, beginning with the rabbit inside a carrot, which is absurd. I thought my health-conscious grandson might enjoy it (he did!)

It was a lot of fun to stitch, but did require a bit of fiddling.

I chose the beehive next because it had more embroidery. It also had 15 tiny felt leaves to attach. I’m glad I ignored the instruction to cut everything out of the felt before starting. There’s no way I could have managed not to lose some of them. It was also easier to embroider the main body before cutting out, holding the whole felt sheet in your hand, rather than a piece less than 3” square.

Instructions  were only for embroidery on one side, but I added to the back as well

. 

After that I tackled the chicken.

This was  embroidered on both sides. Again, I embroidered it before cutting out the pieces. This was nicely varied. Construction requires patience, pins and a little dexterity.

Then came rabbits. The instructions were for making one in each of three felt colours. Apart from facial features they were not embroidered. I decided they could do with a little embroidery. I had by now decided to give these to the girls. It was clear I could get at least two, and possibly three, from each felt colour. I thought I should embroider each one with a different motif.

On the first one, I chose a native red daisy

then some sprigs of wattle.

then wisteria.

After adding a bottlebrush to one side of the next one, I hesitated to repeat it on the other side. It seemed not only unnecessary, but somehow to detract from the first one.

The same applied to the lemon tree.  One is enough.

These are all quite small, about 2" without the ears.

                                                          

My favourite of the kits, however, turned out to be the last, the Star-Gazing Hare. I had to look up the mythology.  The Star Gazing Hare was the companion of the goddess Eostre, from whom we get Easter. It became a talisman for renewal, Spring, beginnings, fertility. 

She carries a star and a telescope and gazes at the sky.  The body stitching, rounds and rounds of running stitch, was a bit repetitive, but it's a charming figure with a most interesting story. 

 

I found this basket in the Frewville supermarket. It was just the thing for transporting these gifts. 

I added bookmark tags to each figure with the recipient's name and put them in the basket, along with some Ukrainian Easter eggs and some nests. 

They were well received.

There's enough felt to make the best part of another set. 

I've also bought a few more Corinne Lapiere kits while Morrison's have them in stock. It's a luxury. As you can see, I really like them.

               

Easter stitching

 Sometimes I can't - or won't - let go of an idea. A year or so ago I saw a crocheted purse shaped to resemble a chicken, in a charity shop. I loved the idea and thought I'd like to try making one with my newly developing crochet skills. I got as far as buying a couple of 4" zips but no further.

This year, wanting a small challenge before tackling the assembly of my Robins Quilt, I set about working out how to make the chicken purses using supplies already in my stash.

I found some pale yellow 4 ply cotton and, using it double, worked a straight line of single crochet, increasing at each end and in the centre of each row. This gave me the shape I was after.

 I inserted my zip and crocheted up the side and bottom, adding some eyes and felt feathery bits. I had hoped to fill this with small eggs but couldn't find what I was looking for - so went for other chocolate treats.

I made two more of these - one for each of my granddaughters.

On one I used some shells for the tail feathers. Both Niamh and I like shells so I thought this would be a good embellishment.

I didn't think my 12 year-old grandson would be pleased to receive a chicken purse, so I tried out a variation on another item I had seen and liked while in England- felted rabbits dressed in embellished coats. I sketched out a body on paper, cut it out in felt and got stitching. It was pretty rough and ready.

As my grandson is a supporter of the Hawthorn Hawks football team, I gave the rabbit Hawthorn ears



and a Hawthorn coat















I couldn't figure out how to attach an easter egg football, so I crocheted a little basket to sling over his shoulder.






I don't think this will be taken up by the Hawthorn merchandising arm, but I am pretty pleased with myself. When I asked my friend Jennifer to give me some crochet lessons a couple of years ago, this is about where I had hoped to get with the skill.










My final Easter creative effort went into making chocolate crackle nests as my mother did each Easter. She used Arctic Mints as eggs and I can no longer find them. This year I could do no better than jelly beans.

I sometimes think I am completely insane.  Gifts should surely begin with a question of what the receiver would want, not what the giver wants to make - yet I've had terrific fun making these over the last few days, and they did give pleasure to recipients. It also raises the issue of how an idea is passed on and adapted. These are all based on ideas derived from things other people have made, although heavily adapted and certainly not directly copied. I hope my use is legitimate and sufficiently respectful of those from whose work the ideas were derived.

Easter Mochi Mochi

An idea was playing around in my head last week and finally turned into action on Good Friday. I dug out the Mochimochi book I used last year to make elephant and mermaid brooches and checked out patterns for chickens and rabbits.

Armed with my 10cm knitting needles and my basket of oddments of wool, I set about making some little things to add to small presents for Easter Sunday. We were invited to my Adelaide daughter's house. There would be four children and five adults in addition to us. We had modest Easter eggs for the children.

I made chicken necklaces for the girls, which I tied around their Easter eggs and chicken brooches for three of the adults.














The other two adults got a tiny chicken and a tiny fish.




I used safety pins stitched on the back since I didn't have brooch fittings on hand over the long weekend.


I did try an Easter bunny  - but wasn't happy enough with the result to make more of them.  Lucky Mochi Rabbit accompanied my grandson's Easter eggs.


I added jars of my Quince Jelly to the adults' chickens and a few extra bits for the hosts.

Mad? I think maybe.

My favourite; the fish. I should team some up with the mermaid!