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...

Felt Mandarin

It is mandarin season, so the perfect time to make some of these little gems.

Tutorial

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

Mandarin 'body' - 

From orange felt cut 4 pieces of the mandarin template shape.

Take 2 of the body 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 mandarin.

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

Then match the last two open 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 mandarin. 

Turn the mandarin right side out...

...and fill with stuffing. Hand stitch the hole closed using orange thread. This end will be the base of the mandarin.

To shape the mandarin secure thread where all the seams meet at the top of the fruit with a double thread & then pass the needle all the way through to where all the seams meet at the base of the fruit. Pull tight enough to form a bit of an indent at the top & base & then tie off securely. 

Mandarin top or 'pedicel’ (the green bit, where the flower stalk attached once upon a time.)

Cut a small 1cm square from green felt & then snip away to form a rough 4 or 5 point star sort of shape.

With matching green thread attach this ‘pedicel’ to the ‘top’ of the mandarin.

 And then make another!