Felt Avocado

Avocado aficionados will know that avocados come in many colours and shapes.  Bet they never knew though that it is a whole lot easier to make a Shepard Avocado out of felt than a Hass. (And did you know that the flesh of a Shepard doesn't go brown once cut?!?)

Why?

Because I had green not brown felt…because I wasn’t sure how to get the Hass’s wrinkly skin without a lot of work….and because the Shepard shape looked easier to replicate!

Finished size – approx 10cm high.

Materials - light tan felt (about 15cm square), brown felt scraps, dark green felt (small piece) needle, thread, stuffing, sewing machine.

Prepare the pieces - From green felt cut 3 pieces of the avocado template shape for the 'body', and 1 dark brown circle for the 'pedicel'.

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

Then add the 3rd piece. The best way I've found to do this is to take the joined pieces, and fold over half of the top pieces (as seen on the right in picture below) 

Then take the third/last piece of the avocado body and place this on top as shown below, matching up the edges all the way around.

Stitch from top to bottom along the right side seam.

This will leave you with one seam left to sew.

Again, match up the seams and stitch from the top, to bottom - making sure to leave an opening at the bottom end for turning right side out.

Turn right side out & stuff before stitching the opening closed with matching green thread. Don’t worry if it isn’t nicely rounded at the base – a real avocado isn’t!

The Pedicel – 

(or little brown circle where the avocado used to attach to the tree!).

Using matching thread, sew the brown circle near the top of the avocado using a blanket stitch.

For the final step, use the longest needle you have as you need to stitch with a double thread from within the brown circle pedicel all the way through to the base, coming out where the seams meet.  If your needle isn't long enough then squish the avocado down to get the needle through.  Pull the thread tight enough to create slight indents at the top and bottom of the avocado and stitch in place to secure.  

Mmmm...