Monday Project - Felt Fruit Pies

One of my favorite parts of fall is apples!  There's not much better than a crispy morning out in an apple orchard filling up boxes, unless it's eating fresh apple cobbler or pie that evening.  This fall I ended up picking apples on both coasts - in an amazing heirloom apple orchard in New Hampshire and at the base of Mt. Hood in Oregon.  After several years of eating store bought varietals, I'd forgotten how wonderfully sweet and delicious the lesser known varietals and heirloom apples are.

So when I decided to make a dessert for my felt food project, it had to be apple pie!  And I had so much fun with that, I went for a slice of blueberry pie also.  Actually, using these patterns and general plans, one could make this work for just about any type of fruit pie.







Materials:
*felt - tan for the crust, heathered tan and cream for the apple pie, and purple and bluish-purple for the blueberry pie
*embroidery floss - tan for both pies plus purple for the blueberry pie
*fiberfill stuffing
*patterns found here

1.  For the apple pie, cut 2 wedges from tan felt, one wedge from the heathered tan, one 5 1/2 by 4 inch piece of tan, and one 13 by 1 1/2 inch strip of heathered tan.

2.  Using the given patterns, trace an apple and leaf on one of the tan wedges.  Cut out on the outside of the lines.

3.  Pin that tan wedge to the heathered tan wedge.  Sew around the apple and leaf openings with 3 strands of tan embroidery thread, using a blanket stitch.

4.  Place the other tan wedge on top of the tan rectangle, putting the 5 1/2 inch side along the short edge of the wedge.  Sew them together using a blanket stitch and then trim any extra from the rectangle.

5.  Turn over and fold top of rectangle down 1 1/4 inches.  Pin in place.

6.  Pin long strip to long sides of the wedge as shown below, trimming off any extra.  Sew around the entire edge using a blanket stitch.

7.  Cut 6 apple slices from cream felt and attach three to each side, using a blanket stitch.

8.  To flute the crust edge, first sew its left edge together using a blanket stitch.  Bring needle up about 1/2 inch in, near the bottom.  Loop thread over the crust and bring needle from back to front, coming out where you first started.  Pull thread very tightly and make a knot.

9.  Continue across the crust edge.  Sew the right edge of the crust edge together.

10.  Pin top wedge and attach using a blanket stitch.

11.  Stuff pie and sew the final edges together with a blanket stitch.  Mmmm .... it makes me hungry looking at it!

For the blueberry pie, follow the same directions, except cut three small circles from the top crust (instead of the apple and leaf) and attach three circles to each side to represent blueberries.

 I think I need to go make pie!

Happy Creating!  Deborah