Felt Apple

Tutorial

Instructions for one green apple - but you could choose any 'apple-y' colour of your choice.
Materials - Green felt (about 15cm square), brown felt scraps, needle, thread, stuffing, sewing machine (optional)

Apple stem and 'calyx'
From brown felt cut a 1cm x 1cm square & then snip away at this to get a rough 6-point star shape - this will become the little brown bit you find on the base of an apple (the Nature Ranger in me recalls this as the calyx- the green bits that originally covered the flower blossom!)...but I digress...

From brown felt cut a rough 5cm x 2cm rectangle for the stem.

To make the stem roll the rectangle up lengthwise & stitch & wrap matching thread around & around to form the stem & hold it in shape.

Apple 'body' - From green felt cut 3 pieces of the basic template shape.  I'm thinking this  basic 3-piece ball pattern is going to work with minor adaptions for a number of fruit & veg.

From green felt cut 3 pieces of the basic template shape. 

Stitch 2 of these pieces together down one side from one point to the other.

Add the 3rd piece and stitch in place down one side.  Then stitch the final seam  to create a 3-piece 'ball' remembering to leave a 2-3cm opening at one point (where all the seams meet) for stuffing. 

The end with the hole will become the top of the apple.

Turn apple right side out and fill with stuffing.  Poke a finger down into the hole to create a bit of a gap in the stuffing to poke the stem into. Hand stitch hole closed and also stitch through the stem a few times to secure it in place. 

For this next step, use the longest needle you have as you need to stitch from the top of the apple all the way through to the bottom.  If your needle isn't long enough then squish the apple down to get the needle through.  Firstly position the small brown 'calyx' on the base of the apple and secure in place with a few small stitches.  Then finally give the ball a bit more of an 'apple' shape by bringing the top and the bottom points in towards each other.  Do this by running the thread from the base of the apple up to the top (near the stem) & back down a few times, pulling the thread tight enough to create slight indents at the top and bottom of the apple.  Tie off & you are done.

I might add a leaf to the next apple me thinks.