Monday Project - Felt Strawberries

I have a surprise project started!  Little c is coming down to Phoenix for Thanksgiving and I'm working on something for her to play with that involves making quite a bit of felt food.  I can't tell you what it is yet since her mom and dad read the blog, but I can give you the tutorials for the food as I get it designed.  This weekend I made strawberries.

Materials:
*red and green felt
*red, green, and light tan embroidery thread
*fiberfill stuffing
*patterns found here

1.  Using the patterns, for each strawberry cut out four strawberry pieces and two stem leaf parts.

2.  Using 6 strands of light tan embroidery thread, make short stitches on each of the strawberry sections to represent seeds.

3.  With right sides together, sew two pieces of strawberry in a very narrow seam along one side. 

4.  Repeat until all pieces have been sewn together.  Turn right side out and stuff with the fiberfill.

5.  With two strands of red thread, sew large stitches in a circle around the top.  Pull thread tightly to close the top opening and tie off.

6.  Put the two stem leaf parts together and sew edges together in a blanket stitch, using two strands of green embroidery thread.

7.  Attach the stem leaf piece to the top of the strawberry with one stitch.  Stitch the point of each leaf to the strawberry to tack down.

8.  Tada!  A cute little strawberry!  While I was making the third berry, one of the cats stole the first two and I got to go on a strawberry hunt - apparently roundish felt things are also always toys.  Hmmm ...

Happy Creating!  Deborah