Bingeing On Pumpkins ~ Creating My Own Pumpkin Patch

Hi Ya'll!

Hope you all had a great Halloween!

Was just thinking today we are closing close up on

the first day of winter....Dec. 21st is just around the

corner.....brrrr! Believe it or not, we are having

some very chilly temps this weekend here in Florida

already! It was 49 degrees last night! Now that

is cold! Well for us down south folks it is!

Really wondering what our winter will bring

us this year.

Halloween was very chilly and windy this year!

Don't remember a cold Halloween in a long time.

Normal for us is "sweating it!

I always hate seeing Summer end, but I do love the Fall.

It's not as fun here as we don't have all the beautiful

Fall colors as I remember from home in Michigan. I

really miss that so much. I miss being able to go out

to find those huge pine cones, and big acorns to craft

with also. So much I miss about home at different

times of the year! Christmas time will be the next time.

Speaking of acorns....I did gather up a bucket full to

use in some of my Fall decorating, but they are so tiny

compared to what I am use to. I also had a little fun

making some pretty colorful acorns. I found some glass

beads that I was planning for something a long while

back, and never used for what ever that was, as I can't

remember. I saw somewhere some acorn jewelry with

some beads, so I thought, I'm going to make some

beaded acorns. I loved the colors and they had a Fall

color to them. So, I got my glue gun, several acorn tops

and I glued the beads into the tops. I liked them.

I went on a pumpkin binge this year also. I had wanted

to make some pumpkins for the last couple of years

out of different fabrics and vintage chenille's I had

set aside to do that with, and other than a couple I

had made from a mans white tank tee, I ran out of

time and never got to them. This year I was determined

to do it! And boy did I, but I still have a few left on my

list I didn't get to. Some velvet pumpkins was one on

the not done list. Oh well, another time. I got so crazy

into it I ended up with "Thirty Eight Pumpkins" total!

I got my own pumpkin patch! I think I was addicted!

Now I am pumpkined out, maybe lol! My hubby is glad

my steam is running out for sure...he was beginning to

think the next thing I would use was the curtains!

 I was seeing everything I looked at as a pumpkin!

These are ALL the ones I did for this year...except for

one....it's made, but not finished. It will be a fancy one

but her full vision hasn't hit me yet so she sits.

I made pumpkins out of chenille's, sweaters, painters

drop cloth, twine, checks, and plaid fabrics, and even

garlic bulbs....some are fancy, some just plain, some

simple.

I already posted a few in earlier posts so you may have

seen a few of these. But here is the whole nine yards

of them! It's a lotta pumpkins but I loved making them!

Update!......I finally got the last little pumpkin done!

After I got it finished it looked Gothic to me, not at

all what I had envisioned when I started it. I named

her "Chalice"...that is supposed to be a girls Gothic

name. I used black lace with rhinestones and black

and white feathers. Used black yard to wrap the stem

and on the base of the pumpkin. Used the sleeve of an

off white sweater for the pumpkin itself. Now on to the

fun of Christmas crafting!

This is the last one I did. This is a sweater pumpkin

made using the turtle neck part of the sweater

I made from the same sweater pumpkin named

"Purity" shown down below. This was a cowel neck

turtle neck... so was pretty wide and full. I used some

wired twine on this one that I had ordered in the mail

and had finally arrived....a bit late from all my pumpkin

making. So much easier to use than making

my own curly vines. Making my own is messy too! 

This is so soft, pretty plain, but I decided I liked it just

like this.

These are the white chenille ones made using four different

vintage chenille bedspreads in different designs. There is a

tall one, a short squatty one, a little round ball shaped one,

and a couple of large wide around ones. I love white

pumpkins! I used sticks for stems and twirled some twine

around a wooden spoon using Mod Podge smeared all

over it to get it to stay twirled. That was a messy job!

I liked these a lot!

Then I tried some twine pumpkins. I saw a tutorial for

this type but didn't want to spend the same time they

did making them. So I just cut several lengths of twine

the same size, glued the ends together, and lathered

them with Mod Podge to get some stiffness. I used a

stick on one, and a cinnamon stick on the other

wrapping them around each with another long length

of twine using my glue gun to adhere the start of the

twine and end of the twine in place. I stuck a bay leaf

in and done. These look rustic to me and I found

smaller seemed better. They hold the stiff shape better.

The larger one is a bit floppy still. Not as thrilled with these

though, but they are ok...like the little one the best.

I loved these little guys....black and cream checks and

plaids. I made a couple of each along with a couple

navy blue and cream checked ones. The others I placed

in this oblong wooden crated, or whatever it is with some

of the small drop cloth and orange chenille pumpkins I

made. They all looked nice together playing off each

other in colors and textures.

    

I had bought this orange hob nob chenille as some

call it, off of eBay about eight or nine years ago to

make pumpkins with. There was a lady on eBay that

I had purchased several things from that made pumpkins

using orange chenille. I thought them so cute. She had

dyed the chenille to get her orange color. One day I came

across an orange chenille on eBay and snagged it up. I

wanted to make some for myself and this would save me

from having to do the dying process. The shade of orange

was such a pretty color and the bedspread had a couple

of holes in it, so this would be perfect to use for pumpkins.

I can't believe it has taken me this durn long to actually

make the pumpkins! I really love these little sweeties,

and the color is a beautiful orange!

Shortly after I did this post, a lady contacted me on

Face Book saying she loved the chenille pumpkins and

wanted to know if I had any blue chenille. She had a blue

kitchen and wanted to display some there. I took photo's

of the different blues I had and she picked this one, which

was my favorite too. I used the brown wired twine I had,

and I just love the contrast! Didn't know how blue

pumpkins would look but I have to say I love these!

And here I thought I was done making pumpkins!

 

These little guys were made using painters drop cloth.

I just cut three round circles, did a running stitch

using embroidery floss (doubled) around the edge,

stuffed it with pillow stuffing, stuck a stick in it and

then gathered it up by pulling the ends of the floss to

close it up. I wrapped some twine around the bottom

of the stick and cut some leaf shapes out the the fabrics

I used for the plaid and checked pumpkins, and glued

them in place. They are all together in the wooden

oblong crate.

All the smaller ones together in the wooden oblong crate

sitting on my coffee table. 

 Then I decided to go a little fancy! These are the sweater

pumpkins I did that are shown in an earlier post. I had

so much fun with these! I had an idea of what I was

going for, but once I got started they just took their own

course and I was so surprised how they turned out!

This is my Victorian Pumpkin.... here. This little gal was

made using a taupe colored sweater I couldn't wear any-

more, some vintage lace, a couple of different types of

rhinestones, and a necklace I made from parts I had

left from another necklace I had used on the "Princess

pumpkins. I used the cuff of the sweater to wrap around

the twine stem and rolled it down just a tad. Then I

added a string of some rhinestones just below the rolled

down part of the cuff. I took some more of the string of

rhinestones and wrapped it around and around to cover

up the edges of the sweaters stem on the very top. I also

added one larger single rhinestone to the middle right at

the top. Her name is "Victoria."

This is another sweater I grew out of here. I used a portion

of the sleeve to make this one and the one above so they are

little but so sweet. This has some more vintage lace that

I cut off of a lace doilie. I wrapped a strand of pearls

around the stem on this one all the way to the top and

then continued it around the very top to hide the sweater

edges, then added one larger pearl in the center. I placed

a few more pearls on the lace in certain places, added

some feathers and one larger jeweled piece for some

sparkle. She turned out gorgeous! Some of my friends

said it reminded them of Zsa Zsa Gabor...I think so too

now lol! I had named this one "Purity", but now she

is called "Zsa Zsa." That gave an idea for another

pumpkin that I'll get to later. She has to have her man!

(wink!)

These pretty pink chenille sweeties posted here:

were made with my sweet little granddaughter Emma.

She wanted to make princess pumpkins. I let her pick

out all the things she wanted on them, and the chenille's.

Then I showed her how to make them...no sewing involved.

The only pumpkins that had any sewing to them at all,

was the drop cloth ones. These are all easy and fun, and

quick to do! My Emma had a great idea and showed

great taste in what she wanted to create. We loved how

they turned out. Emma is quite the visionary! A little

girl after her grandma's heart!

These were the first sweater pumpkin's I made. One more

sweater too small to wear anymore. This is a bit of a

bulkier knit but so soft. These are in a sculptured look just

like "Victoria" and "Zsa Zsa" above. These are in a cream

color and I used twine, drop cloth leaves, and some

rhinestone jewels to give them a rustic chic look. These

were posted here also. I got six pumpkins out of this

sweater with still the top of the front and back I can

use for a couple more!

These pumpkins were made using strips of drop cloth

wrapped around some toilet paper rolls! Yep toilet

paper! These were really fun to create. I cut the leaves

out of some green burlap, used the loose strands of some

natural burlap for a rustic look, and added sticks for

stems and a sprig of tree moss. Those were posted here.

This was made by stacking two rolls of toilet paper

on top of each other....my silly hubby wanted me to

see how that would look and he picked the fabric.

I had dubbed these, "pumpkins on a budget."

And last was this crazy idea that actually went viral lol!

I took garlic bulbs and painted faces on them like ghosts,

tied little bows with twine for the tops and came up with

"garlic ghost pumpkins!" They are so cute! Those are posted

here. My hubby had thought I had completely gone over

the edge on this little idea! I said earlier I was on a

pumpkin binge and I was seeing everything I looked at

as possibly being a pumpkin! The cool thing is, is

they are still looking great and no rotting or shriveling

up yet. Curious to how long they will last!

Well for now I'm done with pumpkins, well kinda sorta!

I got still more ideas and things to make them with before

I'm totally done, and then probably not! I had fun,

went way beyond what I had planned for them, but hey,

isn't that what being creative is all about. There is never

an end or non-stop vision to that! Plus, I still have this

little white and black one to finish.

I even had some friends ask me to buy some from me!

So I'm whipping those up to get them mailed out this

week...that was a nice plus and surprise! I guess going

pumpkin crazy can have some unexpected benefits!

TaTa Till Later! (or the next pumpkin idea!)

Thinking Christmas now....but wait, are pumpkins

in the scheme of Christmas too!? I dunno know!

I'll get back with you on that!

Have a great day!

Sweet And Chic Embellished Sweater Pumpkins

 Vintage Victorian Inspired Embellished Sweater Pumpkin

Don't you just love to recycle things?  I do too! With ideas

of my own or being inspired by other things people do. I

have pumpkins on the brain and I decided this is the time

to finally get done what I have been meaning to do in

forever. I made a bunch of them out of several different

type of materials and fabrics, but I wanted to take it up

a notch and make some dainty special ones. And, I knew

just the stuff to make them with.

I have a box of sweaters I had been saving that, let's

just say had shrunk in size on me hoping that one day

they might shrink up to the size I'm wearing now! Well,

that hasn't happened in two years so, I decided they

would make pretty pumpkins. I finally got inspired

to create with them, although it killed me to cut them

up. They were all in really good shape so what am

I thinking!

This WAS a beautiful cashmere sweater in a taupe

color...a good fall color and so soft, so this was my

first pick to work with.

My hubby starting choking when he saw me taking

the scissors to this one asking "what the heck are

you doing!?" I said, "Making a sweater pumpkin!"

LoL! Then I got that look...you know the one that

if there were words printed on his face would say,

"have you lost your ever loving mind again woman!"

He seems to say that quite often to me lately.

Then he left the room saying, "I can't watch this

slaughter!"

I have to admit, I had to turn my head while I put

the first cut into it cringing at the same time! Gosh

that was hard to do! Oh well can't turn back now!

I had some sweet vintage crocheted lace, a bit stained

up but I liked it just the way it was, and knew I wanted

to use it along with something sparkley. I had victorian

on my mind but that was about it on where it was going

to go from there.

I got the pumpkin made and added the lace. I decided

I wanted to cover the twine that was wrapped around

the top of the sweater to create the stem, so I cut a piece

of the cuff off the sweater sleeve and wrapped it around

the stem, and rolled over the top of it just a little bit. I

wanted to cover the top of the stem so I took a strand

of rhinestones and did a wrap around and ended by

putting a larger square rhinestone right in the middle.

It doesn't show up well in the pictures. Then I wrapped

some more of the rhinestone strand just under where

I rolled the sweater down to on the top of the stem.

Next I clipped four little rhinestones off the chain

of a necklace I had used when making my

"Pink Parfait Chenille Pumpkins"and set them each

in the centers of the flowers in the crocheted lace. It

still needed something. On that same necklace there

was a silver teardrop that I loved that was next to the

clasp, so I took the rest of the silver chain I had left over

from that necklace and redid it to create the little necklace

here on this pumpkin. That was just what it needed! Now

I was satisfied. My four-o-clock in the morning creation.

I get those alot. Might be why I drag all day!

Her name is "Victoria" of course!

I really loved her when she was all done and even

my hubby was amazed how sweet it turn out too!

See I'm not out of my mind yet! Next up.....my

Dainty Creamy White Pearly Feathered and

Vintage Lace Sweater Pumpkin

  

Now I'm really getting inspired! Next I take another

sweater that I loved in a creamy off white. Again I

wanted to use another lace doilie I had that was a bit

whiter than the sweater. I love different shades of white

together. I wanted to do something with pearls on this

one. I had this idea and set out to do it, but it came out

far different from what I had planned! I had planned

on sewing little pearls throughout the entire pumpkin,

but once I got the pumpkin itself made, I was trying to

figure out how I wanted the stem on this one. Just

fiddleing around, I wrapped the pearls around the stem

and that was it! I finished the top off that way too with

one single pearl set on top of the wrap in the middle. I

added my lace....put some single pearls in places around

the lace and then decided to add some feathers. I loved

it but it needed something for sparkle. I just can't get

away from sparkle! In my stash I found this oval

rhinestone that already had some feathers of another

kind glued to it from when I made lace crowns last

year. I set it on the pumpkin and that was it! Now I

was happy with her. When looking at the finished

pumpkin I envisioned wedding...so her name became

"Purity"....well we are supposed to be pure at that time.

I have lots more left of this sweater and the taupe one to

create more pumpkins another day. The inspiration to them

will come when another vision gets in my head. Could be

soon or next year. I got some ideas swimming around in

my brain for the white sweater with Christmas in mind.

We'll see if those pan out!

Next is my......

Creamy Sweet & Chic Sweater Pumpkins With Bling

The last sweater I wanted to use was more of a bulky

type knit sweater in a soft cream color. Cream is a great

fall color too, don't you think?

I got six pumpkins out of one sweater with no

sewing involved. The largest is from the lower

body of the sweater, all the small ones are from

the sleeves of the sweater. I still have the chest part

of the sweater left to make one more if I sew the

sides together to create a tube, or use the front and

back separately by cutting large circles and laying

some pillow stuffing in the middle. Then gather up

the edges to tie off with a rubber band or tie it off

with twine, and continue wrapping the gathered

edges with the twine to create the stem. To get the

sculptured look I can take six strands of the twine

and starting at the bottom underneath the pumpkin,

lay them out evenly spaced with the center of each

strand centered under the pumpkin, take a hold of

both ends, pull it up the sides tightly, then wrap

the ends of the twine around the stem. Once done

with all the strands you get the sculptured look.

Glue the ends in place and trim off the sweater

edges to get the flat look at the top. Then I would

have eight pumpkins...I'll do that later, I'm finally

getting pumpkined out!

I have a pack of pumpkins coming on my next post

made of chenilles, drop cloth, gingham, and checks

to share. I have been on pumpkin overload this year!

It's all the pumpkins I had planned on making for the

last couple years and never got around to it. Nothing

like doing them all in three weeks, but I'm finally getting

them done and out of my system....maybe lol.

I got a pretty good amount of  pumpkins out of one

sweater though....now what to do with all these pumpkins!

I cut leaf shapes out of painters drop cloth for the leaves.

I creased them down the middle, pinched the bottoms

together and then just stuck them under the twine strip

that creates the sculptured look around the sides.

The largest of the pumpkins is made from the bottom

half of the body of the sweater. Below all the little

pumpkins made with the sleeves of the sweater and

each are embellished with different rhinestone jewels.

My two favorites.....The little bitty....this was wrapped

in yarn then I decided to go with twine on the rest. I

think I liked the twine best. It looks rustic but dainty.

Maybe I'll redo her so she doesn't look like the odd man out.

And the.....itty bitty!

and lastly the chenille princess pumpkins my

granddaughter and I did posted here. These aren't

made from sweaters, but they are part of the "Up A

Notch" pumpkins with being dazzled and jeweled

and just sweeter as far as pumpkins go!

The Pink Princess Parfait Collection

Well that's it on my fancy smacy embellished pumpkin

kick. Not sure that I am done, but for now yes. I think

that's enough for one day!

Thank you for sharing your time here today!

TaTa For Now!

With a grateful heart and sincere appreciation,

I would like to thank the following for featuring

my embellished pumpkins. You are so kind!

Craft Gossip And Also Facebook Craft Gossip

Oh My Heartsie Girl ~ Friday Features

Between Naps On The Porch 

  

Thank you so much!

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