Friday, October 1, 2010

Sew and Tell: a plate of pumpkins

Pumpkin tutorials are all over the blogs these days. There are so many cute ones. Fabric. Paper. Wood. And the colors are so seasonal. I decided to go against the grain and created a plate of white pumpkins.


I don’t have photos of the pumpkin making process but you can find a similar tutorial here.

Materials needed:
  • Fabric
  • Beans, rice or kernels
  • Fiber fill
  • Needle and thread
  • Twigs
  • Twine

The fabric I used for my white pumpkins were things I had on hand. White chenille leftover from a baby pillow I made, muslin from various projects, white canvas from I don’t know what -  and honestly…an old towel from the rag bin.

Here are my basic instructions.
  1. Cut a circle out of your fabric. My pumpkins range from 6” – 9” circles.
  2. With a needle and strong thread or embroidery thread run a gathering stitch around the edge of the circle. Don’t remove your threaded needle or tie off. Gently pull the thread and slightly gather your circle.
  3. Add beans, rice or popcorn kernels to the bottom of your pumpkin. You only need a little to add some weight to the bottom.
  4. Fill the remaining pumpkin with fiberfill. There are different schools of thought on this. Some like floppy pumpkins and some like tightly filled pumpkins. It’s a personal choice. Mine are filled somewhere in between floppy and stuffed.
  5. Now pull your needle and thread to close off the top of the pumpkin. Don’t tie the thread yet.
  6. Insert a twig into the center of the gathered top. This should push down your raw edge. Take a couple more stitches to secure and tie off your thread.
  7. Wrap sisal twine around your pumpkin and tie off around the twig. Fray the sisal twine or tie it in a bow.

 
Keep making pumpkins til you have a plate-o-pumpkins.

8 comments :

  1. These are great!
    Melissa
    http://www.burstsofcreativity.blogspot.com/

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  2. Wonderful, even I first thought it would be garlic instead of pumpkin. Sorry! I really like the white version. Thanks for sharing.

    Greetings from Germany ines

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  3. Those are so pretty! I love that you used white. I'll be linking to these.

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  4. These are beautiful. Found you on One Pretty Thing. Love the white.

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  5. Just found these on OPT (catching up this morning). You are one very creative lady! I love these pumpkins - on tap for next fall!

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  6. I've made fabric pumpkins with beige on cream fabrics, white on white, light brown on beige (floral print) and even off white on cream homespun fabric, all very cool. Looks so great with silk fall colored leaves and twisted stems.

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  7. I have been traveling, so this is the first chance I have had to let you know that I featured you in my Friday Favorite Blog Links last Friday. I hope you win. I voted for you.
    Debi @ Adorned From Above
    http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/10/peach-sangria-for-fridays-happy-hour.html

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  8. These are absolutely Gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing this {{{hugz}}} ~Karen M. Roth

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