Hazel and I have been enjoying a long weekend at my parents' house on Cape Cod. Steve joined us for a night as well, but has already returned home. After a very busy week it was good to get away and be able to relax and visit with my parents. We have some stores that we always visit when we are here. (Hazel considers my parents' house her second home.) I noticed some beautiful but expensive velveteen orange pumpkins at one of the stores. I looked at it with Hazel and thought that would be easy to make. When we woke up this morning the rain was falling. The remains of Hurricane Matthew hit Massachusetts today. It has been raining all day, so my mother, Hazel and I decided to spend the rainy day sewing. I thought it would be a great time to try to make the fabric pumpkins. We headed off to Joann Fabrics to discover they did not have orange velveteen or orange velvet. Instead I bought some orange fleece which is on sale for the holiday weekend for $2.99 a yard. My pumpkins won't be as fancy as the velveteen ones, but they are cute or at least will be once I finish all of them. My mother does not have the stuffing to stuff them completely.
I completed one though with scraps of fabric and quilt batting as stuffing. For the stem I used paper wires and brown felt and wove it all together and then sewed it in. I see that many of the velvet pumpkins use real pumpkin stems (hot glued on) from what I can see on-line.
To make these pumpkins I used a circular object to cut the first circles. I gathered my materials. Orange fabric, orange thread, a sewing needle, stuffing (not pictured since I don't have any here), and stem materials (paper stem wire and brown felt) plus a circular object to trace and scissors. Once you have your circle cut out you thread a needle and pull the ends to be the same and tie a knot.
Close to the edge of the circle stitch a large running stitch (take the needle up and down along the edge).
Once you have stitched all the way around, pull the thread (or pull it if you need more thread to make it all the way around). Pull to gather the stitches and make a small opening on the top.
Before finishing off the thread, stuff the pumpkin. If you want to weight it down add dry beans to the filling. Then pull the thread and make the opening as small as you can. Stitch a few more stitches with the thread and go back over to really finish off the thread and then tie a knot and cut the thread or leave it on to sew on the stem. Now it is time to make the stem or just glue on a real stem. I took two of the paper stem wires and twisted them together and then added a strip of brown felt into it. Since the wires are so long I folded them over each other (twice in the top one and only once on the pictured below) and twisted it all together. Then I stuck the stem into the hole and used the thread to attach it.
Hazel wanted a bigger one so I cut a bigger circle by folding the felt into quarters and cut a quarter circle along the folds. I did what I mentioned above and except we did not have enough stuffing to even attempt it. I stuffed in my extra fleece. I am going to stuff the pumpkin when we get home. My plan is to make it into a pumpkin pillow for Hazel.
I made the stem out of brown felt strips woven and twisted together so it will be soft for the pillow. I'll have to share a picture of it after I finish it when I'm home and have stuffing for it. I am thinking I will try to get some orange and maybe teal velveteen and use the real stem if I can find one. Enjoy!!
Thank you to everyone who shared with us at last party!! It was another great party filled with amazing creations! Below are some features from the party, but this is just a small sample of great ideas shared! This week the features are in three groups: Fall Features, Halloween Features, and Other Amazing Crafts.
Also remember for your child-oriented crafts, activities, lessons, etc. Sharing Saturday is going on!! For any cultural related posts (diversity and/or multicultural as well) be sure to share at the month long Creative Kids Creative Blog Hop.
Fall Features
1) From Nap Time Creations: Fall Felt Playmat & Smiles with My Kids
2) From The Real Thing with the Coake Family: Glitterized Apples
3) From Krafty Owl: Decorative Fall Wood Letters
Halloween Features
1) From Clean and Scentsible: Rustic Halloween Sign
2) From The Scrap Shoppe: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Costumes
3) From Crystal & Co.: Homemade Lego Costume
4) From Pink Heels and Pink Truck: Easy DIY Mason Jar Pumpkin
5) From Bombshell Bling: Easy No-Sew Ghost Costume Tutorial
Other Amazing Craft Features
1) From My Life from Home: Silhouette Challenge: Kitchen Towels
2) From Flamingo Toes: DIY Citrus Earbud Zipper Pouch
3) From Simple {Darr}ling: Scrabble Vase Centerpiece
4) From Nap Time Creations: Womens PJ/Lounge Pants Free Pattern
Thank you to everyone who shared the last week!! I hope you will share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog. I would love the help spreading the word about Crafty Weekends!!
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Please share family friendly crafts here. Just crafts and/or patterns--no recipes, lessons, etc. You can share craft product reviews as well. By linking up here you are giving me permission to share your links and to pin your links. Please follow my Crafty Weekends Feature Pinterest Board to see all the features from these fun link parties!
