How to Make a Fabric Apple or Pear

Now is the time of year to gather the windfalls ready to make something delicious… whether it’s a pie or a gorgeous little project like this !

 MATERIALS:
■ Cotton fabric scraps
■ Felt scraps
■ Lightweight iron-on interfacing
■ Matching sewing thread
■ Small buttons
■ Embroidery thread
■ Toy filling
■ Beads, wire (optional for making leaves)



Here’s how to make an apple, but if you want to make a pear just use the template (DOWNLOAD HERE), the method is the same. 

There are two sizes of apple to make. The larger is 7cm high or you can tr y the mini windfall, which is only 5cm. The pear stands 9.5cm tall to the tip of its stalk.
Dress-weight cotton is best and with inter facing it holds its shape beautifully. Choose fabrics in two designs or up to six if you’d like each panel to be different.

1. Take your fabrics and add iron-on interfacing. Use the template to cut out six panels in total.

2. Take two adjacent panels and place right sides together. Stitch down one edge using a 4mm seam allowance. Repeat until all six panels are joined together, with the fabrics alternating . To join the fruit up, stitch the edges of the first and last panels together. Stitch down from the top and stop around 2cm from the end, to leave a hole for the filling.

3. Turn your apple right side out ready to be filled. Don’t underestimate how much toy filling you need, keep pushing wisps in until it’s tightly packed. versew the gap to close it and
finish off very securely .

4. Don’t worry if your creation isn’t looking very apple-shaped, because next comes the little trick that makes a huge difference! Thread your needle with brown embroidery thread and secure the thread at the base of the apple. Place a brown button onto the thread and push the needle back into the apple . Bring the needle out again at the top of the apple. 

Pull your thread taut, push the needle into the apple and wiggle it through the filling until it comes out through one of the button’s holes. Pull tight. Keep passing the needle through the apple and pulling until the button is secure. This will form a dimple in the top and bottom of the apple to give it its shape . Secure your thread but leave a nice long end ready to attach a stalk and leaf. And there you have it – one perfect apple!

- Make a leaf from fine wire and beads. Start with one bead and add two for each row until you have 13, then decrease until you have a row of five. Twist the wire ends together and secure into the fruit.
- Add a ladybird or bee (or worm!) by stitching over a piece of felt onto the finished fruit. Add tiny black stitches for detail.
- Roll a rectangle of brown felt to make a stalk or pop a second colour inside to create a swirl. Oversew the edge flat, and stitch to the fruit. Trim the top end at an angle.

- To make a beaded stalk, thread a needle with thread and add seven or eight beads. Use the same thread to attach to the fruit.
- Grab your buttons and stitch onto a felt leaf shape. Aim for buttons that have four holes, so you can show off nice chunky cross stitches.
- To take a slice out, cut six panels but leave one out. Replace it with two from the slice templates.
Join the straight edges, then add a backstitch outline and lazy daisy pips. Stitch the section to the other panel and finish as before. To make the slice, embroider two slice sides, stitch to remaining panel, then stuff.