Making a Luna Lapin rabbit - Oriental Direct Craft Supplies' very own Luna Lapin rabbit, Pipkin, was born!

As a member of the Oriental Direct Craft Supplies team, with limited sewing experience, I thought I would give myself a challenge. This was to try to make Luna Lapin rabbit using materials that were available at work and items that were in my mother’s sewing box which I inherited almost 20 years ago, the contents of which had not seen daylight since. If I could make a rabbit that was anywhere recognisable as one then I would be really pleased.

After I had dusted it down I also spent time trying to get my mother’s 1960’s Jones sewing machine to work, but having failed miserably I gave it up as a bad job and sewed everything by hand.

I followed the step by step instructions in Sarah Peel’s book ‘Making Luna Lapin’, which I found very easy to follow.

Here is the end result which I am really pleased with and am surprised about how nice it looks (even if I say so myself!).

I really enjoyed making both the rabbit and the dress from materials available from my workplace Oriental Direct Craft Supplies. I purposefully made the ears and feet in stripy grey material to try to make the rabbit look unisex so if I wanted to make some boys clothes (as in the book) then this would be an option for the future.

The grey 100% wool felt fabric is available on our on-line shop, one piece at size approx 45cm x 50cm is more than enough to make one Luna Lapin rabbit and it would work out just fine to make 3 Luna Lapin rabbits with 2 pieces which we generally will cut a continuous piece for any order. For the laces, craft fabric and buttons I used, they are available on our on-line shop too.

I relished the challenge of doing something new and if I’ve managed to make one, and it’s not fallen to bits yet, then I believe that anyone can do it.

Why not take advantage of our current stay at home situation, be creative and try it for yourself.

The grey felt, various dress materials, ear and feet fabric, wool stuffing and the buttons for the eyes are all available from our on-line shop, take a look at the different materials available.

Here are a some photos I took during the stages of the project.