Rabbitat revisited

Posted on by

With the coming of spring and Easter, I think it’s a good time to revisit Rabbitat, which I completed 13 years ago. The piece was an experiment of sorts, for the purpose of reintroducing a sense of play into my working process. At the time, I was transitioning from the all-consuming 4-year job of researching, illustrating, and launching Pocketful of Posies and I felt the need to make something that wasn’t restricted by size and textpe placement specifications. I also wanted to be free to change things around as I went along.

When I set out to make Rabbitat, I had just 2 elements in mind — a driftwood house and a rabbit topiary. I let the landscape evolve as I worked on it, adding rabbit characters and a garden details as the imagined scenario unfolded. I told my husband Rob that I was making a habitat for rabbits and he immediately said, “Oh, it’s a Rabbitat!” The scene is available as a note card and a children’s jigsaw puzzle in my Etsy Shop.

RABBITAT note cards and a children’s jigsaw puzzle are now available in my Etsy Shop.

Homespun Note Card Sampler

TOPIARY
I frequently draw thumbnails sketches of visual impressions that pop into my head. For years, ideas for animal shaped topiaries kept showing up in my notebooks.

In Rabbitat, I wanted to expand the topiary concept that was introduced with the cat and bird in the “Molly, my sister and I” rhyme from Pocketful of Posies.

RABBITS
To make the rabbit figures, I used the same methods taught in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk, with furry adaptations, including long pointy ears sewn on top.

RABBITAT FILM
Before the piece was finished and all of the parts sewn to the background, I asked local cinematographer (and friend of my son Peter), Daniel Cojanu to make a short documentary about how I work (see the Rabbitat film below). We had such fun coming up with different ways of showing my art, from stitching closeups to gathering driftwood to stop-motion animation. In the years since then, Daniel has gone on to build an impressive career producing science and environmental documentary films.

DRIFTWOOD HOUSE
To make the house, I combed through all of my driftwood and selected pieces which I could see as a roof, side beams, and a doorway. I carved them in spots, so that they fit together and lay down as flat as possible.

I decorated the house walls with an embroidered chain-stitched vine pattern on felt. This was the first time that I made mossy patches using lots and lots of French knots.

RABBIT TOPIARY
For the rabbit topiary, I cut separate parts out of dark green felt and embroidered branches and leaves. The eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers are wire wrapped with embroidery floss. I also sewed wire along the scalloped outside edge, so that the pieces could be bent and shaped. Two glass leaf beads make the eyes.

The piece is large compared to my book illustrations, measuring 24″ x 30″ , with a depth of 1 1/2″.

SLIDE SHOW
I hope that you enjoy this slide show of details from the piece.

BRIAR BORDER
At some point, I decided to add an arched border with a curved and thorny briar made of felt covered wire.

EXHIBITION
The next opportunity to see the original Rabbitat will be July 27, 2024 – March 2, 2025 at the Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY. Bedtime Stitches and Social Fabric will be displayed together.

To keep up with new posts, please subscribe to this blog. Your contact info will not be sold or shared. If you’d like to see more frequent photos tracking the projects in my studio, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and BlueSky.

14 thoughts on “Rabbitat revisited”

  5. Absolutely wonderful. The time and imagination is such a God given talent that you have honed. It is really a joy to see your work. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply ↓

  6. Thank you for sharing your process! I love your work and have all your books. I share them with my grandchildren and we have created wonderful stories around the pictures in your books. This is in addition to the stories and poems in your books. Thank you again for sharing your beautiful work!

    Reply ↓

  8. Good morning, Thank you for showing the details of your artistic process!  I really enjoy seeing the behind the scene-how it works pictures.  Your beautiful tiny stitches amaze me.  What happy playful imagination! I spoke with Chad Coker (someone I know from my church) and he is busy installing your exhibit at the Upstate History Museum.  I’m looking forward to visiting the exhibit with my grandchildren soon.  I’ll send you some pictures. Several years ago we began raising rabbits.  I’ve attached a little movie of four day old kits making the funniest sounds after I disturbed the nest box.  It makes me laugh every time I see it.  I also attached a  picture of one of the babies in the garden- I’m thinking about making a little blue felt jacket with brass buttons and dress one up for a photo shoot in the garden this spring. Congratulations on the arrival of your newest family member.  Are you going to make a book for your grands?  I hope so! Sincerely, Anne Burfitt

    Reply ↓

      • Hi Sally,

        Thank you so much for your unexpected reply. If you do reprint the poster, I will be first in line. I live in Guelph, Ontario Canada and a few years ago I emailed, but never heard back, the Textile Museum in Toronto asking them if they would consider a show of your wonderful work. Maybe one day I’ll be able to get to the States to see a show as I’m sure seeing your work in person and up close would bring out even more of the intricacy and detail.

        Kind regards,
        Tracey

        https://textilemuseum.ca/

      • Hi Tracey, I appreciate your reaching out to the Textile Museum in Toronto. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t. A few years ago, a longtime admirer of my work contacted the Albany Institute of History and Art in Albany, NY about showing my work. I’m happy to say that they will be hosting a large exhibition later this year, July 27, 2024 – mid-Feb. 2025. I know that Albany is a bit of a drive from Toronto, but this exhibition will probably be the closest opportunity for you to see my work in person.

      • Hi Sally,

        Thanks for bringing my attention to the relative closeness from Toronto of your upcoming show in Albany. I’ve got to trip to plan! Thx!

        Tracey

Leave a reply to Debby Hupp Cancel reply