Bemused bunnies and mad March hares

These little animals were successfully sold, mostly at a regular craft event in Edinburgh, and then I moved on to my first trade show 30 years ago in Ingliston, Edinburgh - the Made in Scotland trade show. Bunnies and bears filled my little stand, and I was delighted to make contacts with a good number of stores, both in this country and overseas. I was also a member of the British Toymakers Guild which was also good for promoting my work.

Not long after, we were preparing for my son Roger to start school so it was inevitable that animals would be dressed in school uniform - bears and bunnies both!

Roger Rabbit, an 18” rabbit which was fully jointed, was designed at this time and he wore red cords - changing to a school uniform when the time was right! The school uniform was complete - woollen blazer, white poplin shirt, handknitted sweater, trousers and tie. Of course, the outfit had to include the hand crafted leather schoolbag.

It was the handcrafted leather school bag that nearly caused a problem with French customs, when a large order of rabbits was on the way to a store in France. They insisted on tests being made which, although they passed it, did cost me a lot of money and delays. France and Germany were the biggest customers for this character, in particular a store called ‘Merry Old England’ in Frankfurt and ‘Territoire’ in Paris. All of these shipments had to include the carrots of course, to stave off the hunger pangs for the poor little animals!

Another rabbit which was to cause a small problem was one that was commissioned by Selfridges in 1983. They wanted a four foot rabbit (including ears) to use as a display model in their shoe department! The carrot alone was two feet in length and I made the eyes by hand using paperweight moulds and resin. He was huge, but he looked great!  The store was delighted but after some time it came to light that children were ‘running up its back and launching themselves from its head’  Poor bunny - I am sure he was not at all impressed, and it was just as well that he was then taken off display.

I have often been asked, how many rabbits (and their carrots) I have made over the years. The answer has to be hundreds if not thousands, especially in those early years when they were never mass produced but produced in batches of 50. Of course now it is a different story - I only make very small numbers and one off creations and all made in mohair fabric.

Although it is a little scary, it is really lovely when someone comes to me at a fair and tells me that they had been given one of my rabbits when they were a baby and they still have it after accompanying them on their travels for so many years. One young woman told me that she has regular ‘rabbit reunions’ with a couple of friends who had identical rabbits when they were babies. She sent me a photograph so that I could see these well loved bunnies with their adult owners - well loved but also a little well worn!

So now it is that time again - Spring! My favourite time of the year with Easter just around the corner; a good time to enjoy the delights of hopping rabbits and Mad March Hares! Although I have made so many over the years I know that tomorrow I will make yet another one...a little different this time...