Patterjack and Tweed have gone Pumpkin-tastic....
Halloween is one of those times of year that tends to be a bit of a mixed bag. Some people love it, some hate it…
Whilst I am not donning my house with scary decorations, I am also not completely against it . I am inquisitive to the different stories behind Halloween and make my own version that fits my family of young children so they don’t have nightmares !
We carve pumpkins for fun as a family activity . We may make pumpkin shape biscuits and watch a ‘witchy’ film. Nothing scary.
This year , I have decided to make these gorgeous fabric Pumpkins ! They are a beautiful decoration, without the scary face ! More of a nod to the harvest we collect at this time of year, the good old vegetable patch pumpkin !
Mine are made from a warm orange tweed and some twigs the children collected in the garden for the stalks !
I have written up a pattern for these , it is so simple my children have even had a go with some help from mummy .
Enjoy !
To make your own pumpkin you will need :
Fabric ( lightweight upholstery fabric works well or a light cotton )
Thread
Fabric scissors
Stuffing
Sewing machine or needle and thread for the ‘body’
Wool or thick thread and a darning needle
Glue gun or fabric glue
Card or pattern paper
Twig for the stalk
Technical terms - Bias -stretch on a fabric , Selvedge - raw edge of the uncut fabric roll, Goodside - if your fabric is patterned then this is your ‘pretty’ side not the reverse.
You can make your pumpkin whatever size you wish. Draw a simple rectangle to the size you would like. I chose to draw my pattern at 6” height x 12” wide which makes a small pumpkin that fits nicely in the palm of your hand . If you want to make it bigger or smaller , just ensure the length is double the height so you end up with a nice squat chubby pumpkin!
Most fabrics have a little stretch in them, even cottons. This is called the Bias. The bias allows the pumpkin to stretch at the right point. You can easily mark this on your pattern piece and line it up for cutting to ensure your pumpkin stretches in the right places! I have drawn on my pattern to show you how to do this.
Cut your fabric out following the pattern you have made.
Pin the short ends of the rectangle together - good side to good side and sew together so you have a ring of fabric .
Stitch a running stitch around the bottom of the ring. Pull the thread to gather tightly so you finish with a little bag. Secure tightly with a knot. Turn the fabric round the right way so the good side is now facing out. .
Stitch another row of running stitch around the top of the rectangle. But do not pull to gather yet !
Stuff the pumpkin with the desired amount of stuffing. You want a good amount so you can create the trademark bumps around the outside afterwards.
Once stuffed , pull the threads to gather and seal the top of the pumpkin. Knot to secure. You should now have a firm ball as your pumpkin’s body !
Using your darning needle and wool, work the needle through the centre top to centre bottom and round the outside of the pumpkin and pull tight. Do this as many times as you wish to create the bumps around the outside . I find odd amounts look better than even.
!!Once done , be sure to secure with a knot to prevent unravelling!!
Now take your twig , place a small amount of glue on the bottom and place on to the top of the pumpkin to create the stalk .
Ta Dah! You have a pretty pumpkin to decorate your home this Autumn.
Kathy-anne @ Patterjack and Tweed