Inspired by the change of season and motivated by a need to bust my stash, here's a little wool pumpkin for you.
Buy your wool at the local quilt shop or use blanketing, wool felt, or reused wool coats or slacks.
This is a great projects for bringing a little Halloween/ harvest magic into your home. Mid-October is when you want to start buying gourds; buy them earlier and you risk them rotting or molding right on your table or porch. Especially, if you get an Indian summer heat wave between now and Halloween. What you need: wool pumpkin templates 9x12 piece of orange wool fat eighth piece of contrasting wool fabric for base and stalk scraps of wool for petals, nose, eyes, and mouth 2 buttons stranded cotton embroidery floss - in autumn colors embroidery needle 3" doll making needle stuffing
SUGGESTION: If you use
polyester fill, the pumpkin will have almost no weight and may not sit
solidly. Try stuffing VERY well or use a wool, kapok, or cotton
stuffing. PUMPKIN: Trace and cut six of the pumpkin wedges. Match two of the curved sides together and hand stitch about 1/8" (4mm) from the edge using a 2 strand length of matching embroidery floss. Sew two more pairs together and then sew the pairs together until you have just one opening in the ball shape.
Stitch from where the points meet toward the center of the opening about an inch and a half. Tie off. Stitch from the other end of the ball where the points meet on the other side and stitch toward the center about an inch and a half. This leaves an opening in the center of the last seam for turning and stuffing. Turn the ball right side out and stuff well. Ladder (invisible) stitch the opening closed. Wrap a 6 strand length of coordinating floss around the ball about 5 times. Cut this piece off, double knot the end, and thread a long doll-making needle.
Bring the floss through the hole where the points meet on one side and through to the other place where the points meet in the other side. Wrap the floss along one seam and insert the needle in the same place as the first time. Keep wrapping the pumpkin along the seams and knot and tie off when done.
STALK:
Trace and cut one stalk piece from the wool. Cut another in reverse.
Stitch right sides together using a 2 strand length of floss, leaving the flat bottom open. Clip the inner curves and turn right side out. Stuff well, leaving the last inch unstuffed. Sew a gather stitch around the opening close to the stuffing, trim off any excess fabric leaving at least 3/8" of fabric, pull to gather and stuff the gather into the stalk. Stitch the stalk to the center of the top of the pumpkin. If you like, bend the stalk a little and tack it to look curled.
FACE:
Cut out two eyes, one nose, and a mouth from contrasting wool scraps.
Sew one button in the center of each eye and set aside. Make 5 french knots along the mouth and set aside.
Position the nose in the middle of a wedge and slightly higher than lower. Whipstitch into place using a 3 strand length of floss. Position the eyes on either side of the nose and attach in the same way. Place the mouth below the nose and sew the same way. BASE: Cut two base circles and stitch right sides together using a 1/4" (7mm) seam allowance. Leave about 2 inches open for turning and stuffing. Turn the base right side out. Stuff well. Stitch closed using a ladder stitch. Use a 6 strand length of floss to embroider a feather stitch and french knots to cover the seam.
Cut 3 petals from contrasting wool and another 3 petals from another contrasting color. Whipstitch to the top of the base. FINISH THE PUMPKIN:
Position the pumpkin onto the center of the base. Use small taking stitches around the base of the pumpkin to attach it to the base.
Now you can get in the autumn mood with your very own pumpkin decoration! Make several and line them up along a windowsill.
Cross stitch is not my go-to embroidery, but I do enjoy it. It's structured and easily accomplished.
This week, a local shop owner asked me to review a Bucilla product - the Ready to Stitch Aida cloth. Basically this is a 14 count piece of embroidery Aida already stretched onto a square wooden frame. It comes in white, natural, and black.
I chose the black canvas and embroidered a Victorian rose on it.
So what do I think of the Aida canvas on a frame?
I love that it's pre-stretched and square. It's a nice change from round hoops. It's a standard size for most patterns, 14 count. The wooden frame is sturdy and can be hung easily on a small nail. It's lovely for highlighting a small pattern.
That makes it great also for budding young stitchers who want to make a gift that can be instantly displayed on an honored wall. Because it's sturdy, it will also stand up well on a shelf or mantle.
Here's what I didn't like about the frame.
Like any Aida fabric, it can stretch during stitching. But because it's already on a frame, it can't be blocked once the work is done. Stab method, in and out stitching, is necessary rather than being able to stitch through from hole to hole.
Another problem was that borders and designs have to be inside the edges of the frame because, obviously, the frame is in the way of stitching. This means about an inch all around can't be used for stitching.
This pattern, by the way, is the new free pattern you can
download when you sign up for my weekly newsletter. If you are already a
subscriber, you'll see the link in the newsletter.
Bottom line for me is that I would use this product again. While I would rather be able to create borders closer to the edge, this frame does allow for gluing on a lace or ric rac border. It's a great size for small projects, and it's easy to hang up to display. Have you done any cross stitch on one of these ready-to-stitch frames? What did you think about it?
If you're getting a head start on your Christmas making, then here's another Christmas in July pattern for you.
This is the original Santa advent calendar I made in 1989, when my son was two and my daughter just born.
To this day, it has to go up on November 30 and by gosh, it must be filled by elves overnight with little treats so that on the morning of December 1, when the kids wake up, there is evidence of the magic of Christmas.
Of course, this only happens when we all manage to have Christmas together, but don't think that adult children will let you off the hook when it comes to family traditions.
It's pretty easy. All you need are some fabrics in holiday colors, iron-on fusible web, a bit of batting or a layer of flannel between, some ribbon, a few buttons, and a hanger.
Floral embroidery patterns from between 1915 and 1935 intrigue me. I find them simple, almost primitive, and yet elegant.
Here's a redesign of a 1930s vintage embroidery pattern along with a little saying that suggests that flowers cannot be judged by our appreciation alone.
Remember the old song - "I love New York in June, how about you? I love a Crafternoon, how about you?" Okay, maybe those aren't the exact lyrics.
But taking my sewing and stitching with me is essential. I'm thinking: knitters with their big totes of wool and bamboo needles. It should be just as easy for me. This week I fixed that little issue for YOU time and ME time. This tote holds all the necessities of embroidery:
hoops
threads
needles
scissors
patterns
Plus plenty of room for other items like transfer pencils, carbon paper, and more.
Where can YOU time happen?
trains, busses, and planes
the beach
hospital waiting rooms
family gatherings
lunch with the girls
that favorite cafe
picnics and barbecues
Take this tote with you anywhere.
It's really quite a simple pattern with three layers plus pockets inside. The handle slips through a loop - no added zippers, snaps, or buttons to attach. The pattern fits hoops up to 9". NOTE: The embroidered design is NOT provided. I made my Embroidery YOU Time Tote from a partially stitched pre-printed panel from a 1984 Better Homes and Gardens kit. It was a thrift score. The back of the tote shows the original print.
Use a single piece of favorite fabric for each layer or piece together two sides per oval as I did so you can use scraps, upcycled pieces, or make a patchwork cover. And there's a little needlecase to match. I used the embroidery linen panel, a women's chambray shirt, and some cotton batting for my tote.
Click this link to get your free Embroidery YOU Time Tote sewing pattern and tutorial. I love to share my projects with you!
Looking for an embroidery project to put IN that new tote? Feel free to wander through my shop. I have downloadable patterns and pre-printed fabric panels to get you going. If you are an inspired newbie, sign up here to get a free pattern ebook. My gift to your hands and YOU time.
And just in case you're mad about books and love a Crafternoon, here's a little blast from the past with all the correct words:
