2023 Year of the Water Rabbit

I am so proud of this pattern that I made for Spoonflower’s latest Design Challenge. This challenge gave me the opportunity to showcase my love of creating patterns that tell stories and include cute characters celebrating the 2023 Chinese New Year.

Our family has never celebrated the Chinese New Year, however, my younger kids got me interested in the celebrations a few years ago. Reading up on the different animals associated with each year, and the myriad of foods and festivities has been a fun learning experience for us all.

To get to share what it feels like to celebrate this year’s Chinese New Year with a new pattern was like an exciting mini journey for me. As it turns out, my husband is a rabbit, though not a water rabbit. I learned that I am a horse, which is not surprising as they were my favorite animals growing up, though I rather preferred them with a unicorn horn… and wings were always a bonus. Yes, I loved My Little Pony. At times you can still find me on the couch watching the newest version with the littlest littles.

I think this year we will explore some traditional dishes that are included in the Chinese New Year festivities like sesame seed balls and rice dumplings. It just depends on which little I can wrangle into the kitchen with me. Something definitely to look forward to this Chinese New Year.

Here is my design on a pillow from Spoonflower.

Honestly, I want this pillow. It’s so darn cute. And if I had to pick which bunnies are my favorite, well, that’s almost like picking a favorite child and I swear up and down that I don’t have favorites with my girls. But I said almost, so, I really love the bunny just lounging, looking so relaxed, in the boat with the parasol and the bunny with the dragon, love, love, love. But oh my gosh, really I do love them all and this pattern was so much fun to make and I hope you love it too.