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Sunday, October 11, 2009

Pumpkin Tutorial


Oh my gosh, I am so happy to have my computer finally up and running again. It's been a very challenging couple of weeks for me with out my studio or my computer! I had to come up with something to satisfy my creative urges so I got out my sewing machine and these pumpkins are what I came up with. A few weeks ago Deb over at Hummadeedledee spoke about a tutorial for making pumpkins out of sweater sleeves. You can find that post here. I thought it was such a cute idea but I wanted to something a little different. Now I want to share them with all of you because I think they are so darn cute and I know you will want to make some too!


This is the basic shape for a medium sized pumpkin pumpkin. The total length is 16.5 ". The width is 5.5", the stem length is 5" and it's 2 " wide. The bottom tab is 1.5 ". It doesn't have to be exactly like mine, but you get the idea. You can change the look of each pumpkin by playing with these dimensions.


You will need six of these.


Sew right sides together. Then clip your seams all around.


Cut 6 pieces of twine a little longer than the length of the pumpkin, and tie a knot in the end.



Insert the knotted end inside the pumpkin...


and then wrap a rubber band around the short stem on the bottom.


Now turn the whole thing right side out.


Fill your pumpkin with beans...


so that you have a layer about 1" deep filling the bottom of your pumpkin.


Now stuff it!!! I like to use a lot of stuffing. (It seems to look the best)


Now pull your twine up to the top, placing each strand in the center of each panel.


Wrap a rubber band securely around the base of the stem.


Pull on each string so the pumpkin takes it's shape.


You will probably have to fiddle with the fabric by pulling on it too. This will help take out some of the wrinkles at the top of your pumpkin. Just keep playing with it until you're happy with the way it looks.


I put a small rubber band at the top to help hold all the strings in place. Cut off the excess twine.


The next part is an old macrame knot that I learned from my mom back in the 70's but it works great for all kinds of things. Start by leaving a long piece that will eventually become the vine.


Bring the twine down the stem and make sure it touches the pumpkin, then go back up to the top and start coiling the twine around the stem from top to bottom. Keep your coils fairly snug and close together. You will have to keep moving the long piece at the top out of your way.


When you get to bottom cut your twine and put the end inside the loop you created at the bottom.


Now pull on the long piece at the top. It will pull the loop up through the coil and bring the end you just cut up with it. You can cut off any excess that didn't pull up.


Make sure you hold the long piece out of the way and carefully cut off all the extra fabric and twine that is sticking up.


Unravel the long piece that is left to make the vine.


I use FolkArt "CountryTwill to paint the top of the stem. It matches the color of the twine really well once it's dry.


And that's it!!!! Pumpkins galore!!! I hope you enjoy making some for yourself. There are so many lovely fabrics out there to choose from. I'll be back in a few days to share some before and after photos of the house! See you then!

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen! These are sooo adorable; thanks for the tutorial! Love your neutral colors too so they can actually stay out all the time! Can't wait to see your studio! I desparately want to get rid of carpeting in my craft room too! I'm tired of beads and threads and needles getting stuck in it!!Ouch!lol Glad your computer problems are solved too! Have a great week! Sincerely, Jeannette

Julie Ranae said...

Glad to have you back Karen! Cute project as well!

Chandra said...

Oh.my.gosh! Too stinkin' cute!! Thanks so much for the tutorial! I love their rustic flair. ;)

Charlene said...

Very CUTE!!!! Glad you are back in Blogland. Nothing worse than no computer. Kind of like junkies aren't we? :) Have a great week.

Brynwood Needleworks said...

Welcome Back, Karen! Thanks so much for the pumpkin tutorial. Hmmmmm...I wonder if I have any stash that will work? (just kidding. OF COURSE, I do!!) I'm going to have to try these. I'd love a little pumpkin grouping in my entryway for fall!
xoxo
Donna

debi said...

Oh, your pumpkins are beautiful! Love, love the colors! Thanks for sharing the step-by-step.

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

Thank you so much for the tutorial on the pumpkin making...and it is so detailed! They are adorable!~Patti

Amy Kinser said...

I think these pumpkins are absolutley fabulous!! I have no sewing talent at all and certainly wish I did so that I could make some of my own. Your fabric choices are just great. Thanks for sharing your gifts and talents.

NicNacManiac said...

Those the most freakin' cute little pumpkins ever!! Thanks so much for the tutorial, your fabric is really pretty!!

Unknown said...

Hey girl! Glad you're up and running again. I know I would go CRAZY without my computer. Love the pumpkin tutorial. They are super good looking!
Denise

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Karen,
So glad to have you back in blogland. But hey! Look at these pumpkins..I love them and I can even follow your instructions...:0) I will save this tut in my sidebar. Thanks so much for sharing your creations.

Let's see, you have a new floor, right? So glad your computer is working again.

Hugs, Stephanie

Unknown said...

What a great tutorial!! Thank you so much for sharing it with us :)

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

Hi Karen,
The pumpkins are so cute and your tutorial is great with its step by step instructions. So happy to hear you have your computer back too. I've been away for a while, I have to check to see if you've shown your slipcover yet... if not, I'll be waiting!
~Tracie

Lora said...

oh my gosh... those are the cutest pumpkins EVER! i may have to try to make these even though i never sew.

SharDon Exclusives said...

Great tutorial! Thank you soooo much for sharing with us!
Sharon

Judy said...

What a wonderful pumpkin! Thank-you for sharing this with us!!!
Many Blessings~Judy

Unknown said...

This is a project I will just have to try!! Great tutorial!

Monica said...

Oh my gosh! These are just terrific!!! And so very simple to make!
By the way, love the neutral hues you chose!
Monica.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Glad to see that you are back to blogging again. The pumpkins are so cute and your tutorial is fantastic! I wish I knew how to sew. I keep saying I will give a go at hand sewing, but just haven't done so yet. Everything in its time. All the best to you! Look forward to your next posts. :) Tammy

Pat @ My Tattered Elegance said...

Thanks for sharing the cute pumpkins and the tutorial. You did a great job on both. So glad you are back.
Have a great day!
Hugs, Pat

Maria said...

This is so cool. Thank you so much for sharing this. I will try it as soon I've got some materials.
I love your blog!
Maria

Anonymous said...

Wow, I totally wasn't expecting that! Your pumpkins turned out great, and the tutorial was really helpful.

Glad I stopped by!

Lorraine said...

Welcome back! Great tutorial Karen.

Lisa said...

These are just adorable! Thanks for sharing with us!

Stacey said...

WOW Karen, you make it look so easy, but for me . . well something like this could take awhile! LOL LOVE, Love, LOVE your cute pumpkins . . and I *might* give it a try sometime myself. :) Thanks for posting your tutorial. Have a wonderful week! ~Stacey

Sara said...

Thank you Karen for sharing this great tutorial with us. Those pumpkin are so cute!

Sara

Ann said...

Thanks so much for the tutorial. I've never made one like this with the stem treatment the way you are showing. I'm headed to the sewing room right now to try it out. ~Ann

Lisa said...

Karen,
SOOOOOOOO cute!! I want to pull out all of my fabric right now and start sewing. Thanks for such a detailed tutorial. Lisa

Anonymous said...

Hi again Karen! Thanks for the tip on the floor - I love IKEA but never thought of them for flooring! I'll check it out! Thanks again - Have a great week.
Sincerely, Jeannette

Polka Dot Moon said...

Those are fabulous pumpkins! Thanks for sharing :)

Sarah said...

Wonderful Pumpkins!! Thanks for the tutorial, I may just have to make me up some!
My name is Sarah, I live in beautiful NC with my hubby and our 4 furbabies. I love all things crafty. Visit my blog @ any time! I love making new friends! :)
*God Bless!

The Old Cupboard Door said...

Thanks for the pumpkin tutorial. It was fabulous. My name is willa, I live in VA. Come by and visit me at my blog http://theoldcupboarddoorprimcrafting.blogspot.com/
Love your blog!

Unknown said...

Welcome back, Karen! How do you like your new floors?? Was it worth the wait?!
Love the pumpkins. Too bad I can't sew worth a lick!!
Lynn

Ana said...

Hi Karen,
I am so excited. I've been wanting to make some fabric pumpkins... without having to buy a pattern. But I really didn't know where to start and here you are sharing a tutorial. Yay!!! Thank you so much for sharing these cute pumpkin ideas with us. Can't wait to give it a try. Thank you again. Have a wonderful evening.

Hugs,
♥Ana

Julia @ Vintage with Laces said...

Karen, I love your pumpkins! I have already made some for this year's decoration but next year I will sew some with your instructions. Thank you very much for the tutorial! Julia :-)

Chrissy...The Apothecary Shop said...

Oh wow!!! First of all I am glad your back up and running too,now about your post,man do you have talent and patience,those are amazing!!! Hope you are well,talk soon!!

Lynn said...

I love the style of your pumpkins Karen, great design, and super tutorial:)
I have sewn many pumpkins but I like how you do the top of them and I may just give this a try if I can.

I have used cinnamon sticks as the stalk on top, glued inside a little, and have sewn stalks from felt, just incase either of these interest anyone, but I like your's much better :)

Chris said...

Those are so cute. At first I thought they were real! I love the colors you used.

Faded Charm said...

These pumpkins turned out awesome. I love them and thanks for the how-to. Hope you're enjoying your week so far.

Take care,

Kathleen

Unknown said...

WOW Karen, they turned out awesome! So great!!

:) T

Sarah said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! It means so much to me!
Here is a link to the site where I get my fonts:

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/tutorials/how-to-use-a-cute-font-for-your-blogger-post-titles.html

& here is the name of the font that I am currently using:
pea so lovely (blog font)
pea devon caps (blog titles)

happy font hunting! :))

Donna said...

These are gorgeous! Thank you for a wonderful tutorial!

Anonymous said...

Even though you have already had 42 comments on this post, I had to join in and will be signing up to follow. GREAT tutorial. You have a wonderful blog, and I look forward to visiting. I've been investigating collage and mixed media and it looks like I can learn a bit about that too!

Please stop by my blog, and if you are so inspired, I would love for you to follow.

I've got some followers, but I don't think that half of the people are "real"...really, I think it's some kind of spam. I'm not 100% sure though.

Anyway, I love your blog!

Jan

http://wwwbobbypinsboardwalk.blogspot.com/

Reflections from the Stone Nest said...

Oh, I love this tutorial. Thanks so much for explaining it so well. I've got to give it a try. And thanks to "Mom" for the macrame knot! :) Have a wonderful week,

Kitty

Kimberly said...

I've been looking at fabric pumpkins and yours are by far that most attractive. Thank you for sharing your tutorial!

Unknown said...

Karen, what beautiful pumpkins!

Thanks so much for sharing how you made them . . . I'm inspired!

Blessings,
Teresa

Gail said...

Karen, these are so cute. Thanks for the tut. I love pumpkins and I am thinking I need a few of these.
Hugs
Gail

Claudia Protti said...

Wonderful your pumpkins, congratulations! I saw one of VerdeSalvia and I come to admire yours. Very good! Claudia (Italy)

maman O said...

Thanks so much for the tutorial.
These are just adorable!
kisses Ornella from Italy

carol gourley said...

Karen, this is the cutest project. Not sure How I got to your blog, but I will be checking in often. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I know it's only Jan/11, but I am going to be making pumkins all of spring.
carol g.

Nightbird said...

Love, love, love the fabric pumpkins. Is there a way to print the tutorial and a template for the pattern?

Creative Grammie said...

Aloha Karen,
I absolutely love this tutorial! Your pumpkins are so gorgeous. I've made pumpkins that look similar, however your method is much easier! I just love it. Thank you so much for sharing this great project with us all.
Hugs to you,
Wayna

Yeta said...

Génial ! I love this idea and I'll try soon to do it. Thank you so much for sharing.

Debi Ward Kennedy said...

Sweet Karen, HOW did I not see this post YEARS ago?!!!!!! I *just* found it through a Pinterest pin! You are so sweet to mention me and my sweet sweater pumpkins on my Hummadeedledee blog... thank you so much!

And I really love your wonderful fabric pumpkins - very classy ;)

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