[make] plump pumpkiny success

I love my new pumpkins.  LOVE them.  They are soft and warm and completely perfect for fall.  I wish you could hold them and hug them and love them like I do, but you can make your very own to love.  I will tell you how.

First you need sweaters.  Mine are thrifted for a whole $3.75 a piece.  I got three in the biggest sizes I could find in the colors I wanted.  Then cut them to pieces. Sorry very nice, and at one time very expensive, red cable knit sweater.  I also chose different knits, tight knit, ribbed, and cable for a little more interest.

1 - Now for the circles.  I used a serving bowl for my pattern on the smaller one and then just kind of eyed it for the larger circles.  I use the term circle loosely obviously.  My smallest pumpkin's circle was about 12" in diameter with my largest being nearly 24".

2 - Time for the embroidery thread.  I just find that with gathering and pulling things really tight, I prefer the heaviest thing I can find.  Plus I have lots of colors.  So pick a matching thread, and start a running stitch around the edge.   You can fold the edges over if you'd like, but I found that just added to the bulk when I gathered.  My sweaters didn't unravel at all, so I ended up just going straight around the edges.

3 - Once you get your running stitch all the way around start gathering.  Don't cut your thread though, you'll need it. When you are mostly gathered, time to stuff.  I started with polyfill and then added rice for some weight and then more polyfill.

4 - Time to finish the gathering, pull it super tight and tie off your thread.  Don't cut it yet!

5 - At this point if you will most likely still be able to see a great deal of polyfill.  Start sewing the hole together and tucking the raw edges down into the body of the pumpkin.  At this point you can start shaping the pumpkin a little too.  Tie off your thread nice and tight but once again, don't cut it.

6 - Now it's time to really give your pumpkin some shape.  Take the thread around the outside of the pumpkin and push your needle straight up through the bottom center  until you can get it out of the top center and pull it a little taunt.  This is your first "crease".  Run your thread around the opposite side of your pumpkin, coming back up through the bottom to the top of your pumpkin.

7 - Continue doing this until you have 6 to 8 thread creases running around your pumpkin.  Tie your thread off and NOW you can cut it if you haven't already had to re-thread and start over.

8 - Now make more!

Oh yeah, the stem.  I explored lots of different options including sticks, shells, burlap, and felt but landed on the more simple real deal.  A little hot glue and all done.

They are perfect, warm, fuzzy, and pumpkin.  The rice gives it such a nice weight and feel, too.  AND I have leftover sweater for a Christmas project maybe?  Or more pumpkins! Let me know what you think, if you try it, and any ideas for the leftover knits!




Thanks to Sherry, Katie, Erin and Ana for hosting the fall edition!  AND, thanks to Rachel at One Pretty Thing for featuring this post!