Felt Tomato

Yummy tomatoes this time around.

 Tutorial

Instructions for one tomato.
Finished size: approx 4.5cm high, 6cm wide
Materials - Red felt (about 20cm square), green felt, needle, thread, stuffing, sewing machine (optional)

Tomato 'body' - From red felt cut 4 pieces of the tomato template shape.

Take 2 pieces, place one on top of the other and stitch together down one side from one point to the other.  Then do the same with the remaining 2 pieces.  You now have two halves of what will become the whole tomato.

2 halves, both stitched down one side from one point to the other

Open up each half and then match up, right sides together.  Pin along one seam. Stitch from one point to the other. 

2 halves matched, right sides together, pinned ready to stitch

Then match the last two seams together and stitch this final seam to create a 4-piece 'ball' - remembering to leave a 2-3cm opening at one end for turning right side out and stuffing the tomato. 

Turn tomato right side out and fill with stuffing. Hand stitch the hole closed using red thread. This end will be the top of the tomato.

Tomato top or 'calyx' (the green bit!)- Using a sewing machine free motion embroider a circle about 1cm wide and then branch out from the circle to 'draw' a rough skinny armed 5-point star shape outline (about 4-5cm across) with a onto green felt.  Keep going around and over this design to build up the threads.  This will strengthen the felt and also allow it to hold its shape once it is cut out.  When you are done cut the star shape out with fairly sharp 'points' to end up with a star shape approximately 5-6cm across. If using a sewing machine it is easier to sew first & then cut.  Alternatively you could cut out the shape & then hand stitch the detail on later.  I didn't take any pictures of making the tomato tops, but used a similar process to the one I used to make the strawberry tops here

Attach the greenery to the top of the tomato, positioning it so that one of the arms of the star covers over the hand-stitching you did to close the hole used for stuffing.  Use small hand stitches to secure, but only stitch in/around the central part of the green so that you can curl the ends to make it look a bit more real.

Not entirely necessary, but I decided to also stitch a small cross along the seam lines on the base of tomato using 2 strands of a coppery coloured embroidery thread.

Now I just need a few basil leaves and I could have myself a brushetta...mmm...memories of slap up lunches in Spain.

I do also have a cucumber & some beans in pods made up but not yet blogged, and a banana that was almost my undoing!