Clematis Porch-Lace Bunny – Knitting

A soft heirloom bunny in dusty lilac and cream makes a beautiful gift for spring baskets, nursery shelves, and handmade toy collections. This design pairs a classic rabbit with a lace-panel dress, flower-trimmed garden hat, Mary Jane shoes, a knitted flower vine, a tiny basket, and a small woodland companion. If you love collectible knitted animals, handmade stuffed rabbits, luxury baby shower gifts, and boutique-style nursery decor, this charming set is a lovely project to make for display, gifting, or seasonal shop listings.

Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.

Materials

• Sport or light DK weight yarn in warm oatmeal for the main bunny head, ears, arms, and legs
• Light DK weight yarn in soft dusty lilac for the dress, hat, shoes, and floral accents
• Light cream yarn for soft striping in the skirt and selected flower petals
• Small amounts of plum, mauve, leaf green, and moss green for blossoms and vines
• Tiny amounts of caramel, tan, cream, and brown for the small woodland companion
• A pair of straight needles or double-pointed needles suitable for your yarn
• Tapestry needle for seaming and embroidery
• Stuffing
• Black embroidery thread or very fine black yarn for eyes
• Matching sewing thread for secure finishing if desired
• Thin cardboard circle if you want the basket base to hold its shape better

Finished Size

The main bunny is designed to sit and stand in the same graceful proportion shown in the image, with a large rounded head, a softly tapered body hidden beneath a full dress, and long relaxed ears that fall down from under the hat.

The finished bunny measures about 12 to 14 inches tall from feet to top of head, not including the hat crown. With the hat on, the full height is slightly taller. The small woodland companion measures about 4 to 5 inches tall.

The basket is tiny and decorative, sized to sit beside the bunny rather than be worn. The flower vine is long enough to drape from the basket and loop gently over the bunny’s paw.

Gauge and Fabric Notes

Use a firm, even gauge so stuffing does not show through. The fabric in the image is smooth stockinette with clear stitch definition, so choose needles that create a dense but not stiff surface.

The dress should be softer and slightly drapier than the body pieces. The lace panels need to open gently, not stretch wide. Flowers should be small, crisp, and lightly dimensional.

The hat brim must hold a neat shallow curve. The shoes should feel snug and rounded. The basket should be worked firmly enough to stand upright.

Color Placement Overview

• Main bunny: oatmeal head, ears, arms, and legs
• Dress: dusty lilac upper section with pale cream and lilac vertical shading in the skirt
• Lace detail: narrow eyelet columns placed in the front skirt panels
• Hat: dusty lilac with a slightly deeper brim edge
• Shoes: dusty lilac Mary Jane shoes with strap detail
• Flowers: mauve, lilac, and pale cream petals with yellow or cream centers and green leaves
• Small companion: tan and cream head, brown arms and legs, lilac dress, tiny hat with flowers

Construction Overview

The set is made in separate pieces. Knit the bunny first, then the dress, hat, shoes, flowers, leaves, vine, basket, and small companion. The face is added near the end so placement can be balanced after stuffing.

The body underneath the dress is simple and slim. Most of the visual volume comes from the gathered skirt. Keep the shoulders narrow, the belly soft, and the limbs understated so the clothing remains the focus.

Main Bunny Head

The head in the image is almost round, but not perfectly spherical. It is slightly taller than it is wide, with a broad forehead, softly filled cheeks, and a gentle narrowing toward the lower face.

1. Cast on using your oatmeal yarn and work the head in the round if preferred, or flat if you prefer mattress seaming later.
2. Increase evenly to form a smooth dome. Avoid sharp shaping lines. The top should look polished and calm, not pointed.
3. Work several plain rounds for the fullest part of the head.
4. Begin gentle decreases, but leave enough depth for a softly projecting muzzle area.
5. Before closing, stuff firmly at the crown and cheeks, but more lightly near the lower center front so the nose shaping can be drawn in later.

To capture the image accurately, the cheeks must feel plump while the muzzle stays subtle. This rabbit does not have a pronounced snout. The face is sweet, minimal, and refined.

Head Shaping Details

• The face width should be generous, nearly equal to the width of the dress yoke
• The forehead must be rounded and smooth under the hat
• The lower face should taper only slightly
• The chin should be soft and short

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Main Bunny Ears

The ears are long, narrow at the tips, and gently widened at the base. They hang down from beneath the hat rather than standing upright. Each ear reaches to about shoulder level.

1. Cast on in oatmeal and work each ear flat in stockinette.
2. Begin with a slightly rounded tip using a small cast-on or by decreasing rapidly from a few initial rows.
3. Increase very gradually through the upper and middle ear.
4. Work the lower section wider so it folds naturally where it joins the head.
5. Make two identical ears and block them lightly so the edges soften.

Do not overstuff the ears. In the image they are supple and relaxed. A tiny amount of filling at the base is enough, or leave them unstuffed entirely for the best drape.

Main Bunny Body

The body is hidden under the dress, so keep it neat and compact. It should be pear-shaped with a narrow upper chest, slightly fuller lower torso, and a flat enough base to help the bunny stand when supported by the skirt and feet.

1. Cast on in oatmeal.
2. Increase gradually to create the lower belly and hip area.
3. Work the center body straight for a short section.
4. Decrease toward the shoulders so the dress can sit smoothly without bulky lumps.
5. Stuff moderately. The body should feel stable but not hard.

Keep the neck short. In the image the head appears to sit close to the dress neckline, giving a childlike toy proportion that feels gentle and old-fashioned.

Main Bunny Arms

The arms are simple cylinders with slightly rounded hands. They angle downward naturally and are sewn high on the sides so they emerge just under the flutter sleeves.

1. Cast on in oatmeal and work each arm from hand to shoulder.
2. Shape a rounded mitten-like hand with modest increases.
3. Continue straight for the forearm and upper arm.
4. Stuff lightly, focusing more stuffing near the hand and less near the top.
5. Flatten the shoulder opening before sewing so the arm lies softly against the body.

One arm should be positioned to hold the flower vine loosely. The other should rest near the dress side seam. Avoid stiff or overly lifted arm angles.

Main Bunny Legs

The visible legs are short and straight beneath the hem. The feet are hidden by the shoes, but they must be shaped enough to support the footwear cleanly.

1. Knit two small legs in oatmeal.
2. Work a rounded foot end, then continue into a slim lower leg.
3. Stuff the feet more firmly than the upper legs.
4. Leave the top edge open for joining into the lower body or sewing on separately.

The distance between the legs should be modest. In the image the bunny stands balanced, with both shoes visible and evenly spaced beneath the skirt.

Facial Embroidery Placement

The face is delicate and extremely important to the likeness. The eyes are tiny black vertical ovals, spaced fairly wide apart, and placed slightly above the midpoint of the head front. The nose is a small stitched triangle. The mouth is a short vertical stitch with tiny outward curves.

• Place the eyes evenly and keep them understated
• Do not use large safety eyes for this look
• The nose sits low between the cheeks
• The mouth should be brief and centered

A slight inward sculpt at the nose base will help produce the gentle contour visible in the image.

Dress Overview

The dress is the visual centerpiece. It has a rounded neckline, short flutter sleeves, a fitted upper bodice, a gathered waist seam, and a full skirt with soft lilac and cream tonal striping. The front features narrow lace panels and a diagonal floral arrangement that travels from the left shoulder across the bodice and down the right side of the skirt.

The dress must feel airy and boutique-like. Keep the neckline clean, the sleeves ruffled but not oversized, and the skirt full enough to bell outward slightly.

Dress Bodice

1. Cast on in dusty lilac for the neckline.
2. Work a narrow neck edging in garter or a subtle firm trim.
3. Increase evenly across the yoke to create a softly rounded upper body.
4. Shape shallow arm openings.
5. Keep the bodice short so the waistline sits high, just under the bunny’s chest.

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The bodice in the image is plain stockinette, allowing the flowers to stand out. Do not add extra lace here. The beauty comes from simplicity at the top and detail lower down.

Flutter Sleeves

The sleeves are tiny and fluted. They sit just at the shoulder edge and angle down softly rather than sticking outward.

1. Pick up stitches around each arm opening.
2. Work 2 to 4 rounds or rows in stockinette.
3. Increase lightly in the final section for a modest flutter.
4. Finish with a delicate picot-like edge, a tiny eyelet edge, or a loose bind-off that creates a small frill.

These sleeves should be feminine and light. Keep them short. Their role is to soften the shoulder line without covering the flowers.

Dress Skirt

The skirt begins at the high waist and expands generously. In the image it falls in soft vertical sections, with alternating smooth stockinette bands, lace columns, and pale striping that looks hand-dyed or softly shaded.

1. At the waist, increase significantly so the skirt gathers and falls in rounded folds.
2. Arrange the skirt into repeated sections: plain lilac panel, lace panel, pale mixed panel, plain panel, lace panel.
3. Use cream and lilac together in subtle striping or blended rows to echo the watercolor look seen in the image.
4. Place the most visible lace columns near the front center.
5. Work until the hem reaches just above the ankles, leaving the shoes clearly visible.

Suggested Lace Panel Rhythm

The front skirt shows narrow vertical eyelet and decrease columns that resemble small leaf ladders. Use a delicate repeated motif rather than a wide lace chart.

• Each lace panel should be narrow
• Separate lace with stockinette bands
• Keep eyelets small and tidy
• Do not open the lace too much during blocking

A simple leaf-lace effect works beautifully here: centered decreases paired with surrounding yarn overs, repeated every few rows so the eyelets taper inward and outward like tiny climbing leaves.

Hem Finish

The hem is clean and soft, not ruffled. Bind off loosely so it curves naturally around the lower edge. Light blocking will help the skirt hang in an even bell shape.

Dress Assembly and Fit

The dress may be worked as a back-opening garment or made to slip on from below if the bunny’s arms and ears allow it. A back opening is the easiest route for a neat finish.

When fitted correctly, the neckline sits close to the neck, the sleeves rest at the top of the arms, and the waist seam sits high. The skirt should spread outward, almost like a small garden bell.

Floral Embellishment for the Main Dress

The floral trail is essential. Without it, the design will not match the image. Flowers begin high at the left shoulder, travel diagonally across the chest, then continue downward over the right half of the skirt. Additional blossoms cluster near the hem and on the vine.

Small Five-Petal Flowers

1. Use lilac, pale lavender, plum, and cream yarns.
2. Knit or shape each petal individually, or work tiny flat flower motifs and join five petals around a center.
3. Make flowers in at least three sizes: small, medium, and a few slightly larger blossoms.
4. Embroider tiny centers in pale yellow, cream, or soft green.

The flowers in the image are flat but not lifeless. They lift slightly from the fabric. Sew them down mainly at the center so petals keep a bit of dimension.

Leaves

1. Knit small pointed leaves in two shades of green.
2. Shape them with a central decrease line if desired.
3. Make more leaves than you think you need because the arrangement looks lush and layered.

Place leaves under and between blossoms. Let them peek out rather than dominate. The flowers are the stars, but the greens give the trail its natural movement.

Placing the Floral Trail

• Start with a flower cluster at the left shoulder near the sleeve edge
• Curve the trail toward the center bodice
• Continue diagonally downward to the right side of the waist
• Scatter blossoms and leaves along the right front skirt
• Add a few flowers near the hem and lower side for balance

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The arrangement should look like a climbing clematis vine draped across the dress. Avoid perfect symmetry. The beauty comes from a natural flowing diagonal line.

Main Hat

The hat is a soft garden hat with a rounded dome and a downward-angled brim. It sits low enough to overlap the top of the ears but still reveals most of the face.

1. Cast on in dusty lilac and work the crown from the top down or brim up, whichever you prefer.
2. Create a shallow rounded dome rather than a tall pointed crown.
3. Increase outward for the brim.
4. Work the brim wide enough to frame the face and curve gently downward.
5. Bind off cleanly so the brim edge stays smooth.

The brim in the image is not floppy. It holds a refined shallow curve. If needed, work the brim on slightly smaller needles or add a concealed fine thread for stability.

Hat Floral Trim

Attach a tiny cluster of blossoms and leaves near one side of the hat. Keep it smaller than the dress arrangement. The trim should feel coordinated, not crowded.

Main Shoes

The shoes are tiny Mary Jane slippers in dusty lilac. Each one has a rounded toe and a narrow strap crossing the instep. They sit close to the foot and are not bulky.

1. Knit a small sole and upper for each shoe, or work each shoe in one piece if that is your preferred method.
2. Shape the toe softly rounded.
3. Keep the opening shallow so the shoe covers most of the foot but leaves a neat top opening.
4. Add a slim strap across the instep and sew it down on both sides.
5. Fit the shoes snugly to the knitted feet.

The strap is visible and important to the likeness. Keep it delicate. The shoes should align evenly and sit flat beneath the dress.

Flower Vine

The vine drapes from the basket, loops upward into the bunny’s paw, and falls naturally. It is narrow, flexible, and decorated with tiny leaves and blossoms.

1. Using moss or medium green, make a long knitted cord or i-cord.
2. Work a second shorter cord if you want branching stems.
3. Sew tiny leaves along the stem at uneven intervals.
4. Add several small flowers, clustering some lower near the basket and a few near the upper loop.

Do not make the vine too thick. It should look light and trailing, almost like a picked garden stem rather than a heavy garland.

Basket

The little basket is cylindrical and knitted in a warm clay-brown shade. It has a firm base, straight sides, and a green handle wrapped with vine and blossoms.

1. Begin with the basket base in brown.
2. Work a flat circle or oval depending on your preferred construction.
3. Pick up around the edge and knit the sides upward in a tight stitch pattern or plain stockinette with firm tension.
4. Keep the basket low and straight-sided.
5. Finish the rim neatly with a narrow rolled or bound edge.

Basket Handle

1. Create a green i-cord or narrow knitted strip for the handle.
2. Attach it to opposite sides of the basket.
3. Wrap or stitch a second vine around the handle.
4. Add two or three tiny blossoms and leaves near the lower side and along the curve.

If you want the basket to stand perfectly, place a cardboard circle inside the base before final closing, but this is optional.

Loose Flower Sprigs

Several blossoms are shown resting on the table. These are small decorative extras and help complete the garden styling of the set. Make a few extra flowers and leaves and leave them unattached for display or photography.

• Use the same flower colors as the dress
• Keep the scale tiny
• Mix blossoms with single leaves
• Use them as removable props

Small Woodland Companion

The image includes a very small companion figure wearing a matching lilac dress and hat. Its face is more deer-like than rabbit-like, with small upright ears, a tan face, cream muzzle, dark nose, and slim brown limbs. Reproducing this little figure adds the storybook charm seen in the image.

To stay faithful to the image, keep the companion tiny, narrow, and lightly stuffed. It should stand just below the main bunny’s elbow height.

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Companion Head

1. Knit a small oval head in tan.
2. Add a cream muzzle area by duplicate stitch or by knitting a pale lower-front section.
3. Shape the face with a slightly pointed lower center.
4. Embroider small dark eyes and a tiny dark nose.

The expression should be simple and calm. The muzzle is more pronounced than on the main bunny, but still very delicate.

Companion Ears

1. Knit two small upright ears in tan with pale inner details if desired.
2. Shape them as short pointed ovals.
3. Sew them near the top sides of the head so they angle slightly outward.

Companion Body and Limbs

1. Knit a very slim torso in tan.
2. Make narrow brown arms and legs to match the darker lower limbs in the image.
3. Stuff lightly.
4. Keep proportions elegant and miniature.

Companion Dress

The little dress mirrors the main bunny’s palette. It has a lilac bodice, short flutter sleeves, and a pale-to-lilac skirt with tiny eyelet detail near the hem.

1. Knit a short bodice in lilac.
2. Add tiny sleeve flutters.
3. Increase for a miniature bell skirt.
4. Work a simple eyelet row or delicate lace band near the lower edge.

Companion Hat

The companion wears a tiny matching hat with a rounded top and small brim. Add one or two flowers and tiny leaves to one side so it echoes the main bunny’s styling.

Extra Small Bonnet or Hat Piece

A small lilac bonnet-like piece is placed on the table in front of the companion. To match the scene fully, make this as an optional accessory. It resembles a tiny rounded cap or shallow bonnet with soft rib-like shaping lines converging toward the top.

1. Work the piece in pale lilac with faint vertical shaping lines.
2. Keep it shallow and petite.
3. Finish with a tiny top knot or gathered point.

This accessory may be displayed loose beside the companion as shown.

Assembly Order

1. Sew the main bunny head, body, arms, and legs together
2. Attach the ears so they fall down naturally
3. Embroider the face
4. Dress the bunny and secure the back closure if used
5. Add shoes
6. Fit the hat and secure with a few hidden stitches if needed
7. Sew the floral trail to the dress
8. Make and attach the basket handle
9. Arrange the vine and tack it lightly to the paw if you want it held in place
10. Assemble the small companion and dress it
11. Place the extra bonnet and loose blossoms as final props

Styling Tips for an Accurate Look

• Keep all embroidery minimal and refined
• Use soft matte yarn, not shiny yarn
• Favor dusty, muted lilac instead of bright purple
• Blend cream softly into the skirt so the color transitions feel gentle
• Do not overfill the limbs or ears
• Let the dress carry the volume
• Keep the flowers abundant but still airy

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The overall mood should feel like a quiet garden portrait. Nothing should appear heavy, loud, or oversized. The beauty comes from soft proportion, restrained shaping, and carefully placed trim.

Final Assembly and Facial Detailing

After full assembly, sit the bunny upright and check balance from the front. The head should face forward, ears should fall evenly, and the hat should frame the face without covering the eyes.

Adjust the eyes before tying off permanently. They should be small, evenly spaced, and slightly above the nose line. Embroider the nose as a tiny soft triangle, then add a short center line and a gentle split mouth.

Sew the flowers last after the dress is on the body. This makes the diagonal vine easier to place and helps the blossoms sit naturally over the dress folds.

Care Notes

• Handle the flowers and vine gently when moving the toy
• Keep the set away from rough play if used mainly as decor
• Store the loose accessories together so nothing is misplaced
• Reshape the hat brim and dress hem by hand after display

Quick Checklist Before You Finish

• Face centered and symmetrical
• Ears attached low enough to drape under the hat
• Dress waist sitting high on the body
• Lace panels visible on the front skirt
• Floral trail running from shoulder to lower skirt
• Shoes matched and level
• Basket standing upright
• Companion styled in matching colors
• Loose bonnet and extra blossoms prepared for display

Detailed Cleaning and Preservation Guidelines

Dust the set lightly with clean dry hands or a very soft brush. Do not pull on petals, leaves, or the vine. Spot clean only with a barely damp cloth and mild wool-safe cleanser if needed.

Lay flat to dry and reshape the dress, hat brim, and flowers while damp. Do not wring, twist, or hang. Keep away from direct sun for long periods so the lilac shades stay soft and even.

For long-term storage, wrap each piece in acid-free tissue and place it in a breathable box. Keep the basket, bonnet, and loose flowers together so the full display remains complete.