Autumn Table Decor

Get your home ready for the fall with a little bowl of nature-inspired goodness by Sachiyo Ishii. Follow the tutorial to make dainty acorns with caps on, a sprinkling of leaves, as well as a set of pods packed with miniature beans. The best bit? This collection will last throughout this season and beyond. Plus you’ll master key stitches, from ladder through to blanket.

Essentials

Fabric, patterned cotton: pod, 12cm square, beans, three 5cm square pieces; acorn body,
4cm x 10cm, cap, 2.5cm x 7cm; green leaf, 15cm x 20cm, red leaf, 12cm x 20cm, brown leaf, 12cm x 13cm
Felt, scraps: green, brown
Toy stuffing
Embroidery thread: green, dark brown
Twigs, 1cm each
Air-erasable fabric marker

Sizes

Bean pod: 10cm
Leaves: 10 -15cm
Acorn: 3cm excluding the stem

Make a bean pod

Download the templates at sewmag.co.uk, then print and cut out. Mark the fabric and snip out, adding a 5mm seam allowance. With right sides together, sew the outlines from A to B, leaving a small opening. Turn right sides out and repeat for the other half. Press flat with an iron if needed. Stitch the two halves together at the base edges. Sew the panel pieces together at the top edge, a length of 1.5cm on both edges.
For the calyx, work as for bean pod, sewing from C to D. Turn right sides out and repeat for the other half. Stitch to the bean pod. To create the beans, cut out 4cm circles and work a running stitch, 5mm from the edge. Place stuffing in the centre and pull the thread tightly. Sew the finishing ends, and place the beans inside the pod.

Craft the leaves

Mark the fabric and cut out, adding a 5mm seam allowance. With right sides together, sew outlines from A to B, leaving an opening. To make a green leaf stem, cut out felt to the template and sew two pieces together. For the red and brown leaves, fold a 2cm x 3cm brown felt piece in half lengthways, and sew the edges with blanket stitch.
Insert a small amount of toy stuffing into the leaf. Push in the stem and close the opening, making a discreet ladder stitch. With green and dark brown embroidery thread, make short stitches around the leaf edge and embroider the veins.