Pumpkin Patch Pin Cushion Tutorial....

It is so cool where we are this morning, I can feel the AUTUMN 
in the air...which of course got me thinking pumpkins...
and thanksgiving....we are are now in September. ...
I am not ready to say goodbye to summer but I think
Mother Nature has her own plans...
Soooooo let's embrace it...


( I did this up for Shelly, years ago and still many were asking for a return and update...)

So here you are. With the long weekend for so many of us, I decided this was a perfect time

to share this with you) 

Hi, Pumpkin Patch Pin Cushion Wantobe Designer… 

 Have you purchased patterns in the past and was determined to create what the pattern cover looked like only to find there were many “missing steps’? No, then you are sooooooo lucky. And you are possibly a Genius at making any patterns.  Don't even bother reading anymore, this will not interest you in the least...

 I on the other hand have not been so lucky, I cannot even tell you how many patterns I have in boxes and cabinets that I have purchased and will never ever make…Do you know why?????? Because I could not figure them out, I must be a terrible student, but after hundreds of books and patterns I just don't get it, I  QUIT. I swore I would never ever purchase another pattern unless it had lots and lots of photos. LIKE every step –so all I have to do is follow them-- kind of pattern. ( and I  get the same results) 

I am so over it, purchasing patterns for their lovely cover page only to find that what I really spent my money on was  that 1 photo. There was nothing else in the pattern, lots of instructions and poorly written at that.  If there were diagrams, I could not even figure those out. Tell me I am not the only one who has experienced this? 

 Did you know that most creative individuals who come up with great ideas do so because they could not find what they were looking for? Out of desperation, lot’s of $$$’s wasted, they invent something or develop a technique that works for them. 

( and possibly others). Yep!

 WEllllll I am one of those creative people. I am a visual learner. God knows it has taken me years to figure that out but I get it now. I purchased my last pattern book last week, it cost me $49.00. Not to embarrass the author but realllllllly her book was a marketing tool for her art quilts. There were no “special hints and clues” as documented on the cover of her book, no mastery techniques that will have me drafting better patterns…. In fact the only credit I will give her was she mastered to get $49.00 out of me. We move on, lesson learned. ( I know I said I was not buying any more, but she had lots of photos…just not any that would have helped me in my quest)

So where am I going with this..... I will tell you, I wanted to share a pattern- ( this one) , if you have not seen any of my patterns to date...I fill each pattern with tons of photos...and here is the most amazing thing, I have had  1 complaint and that was regarding toooo many photos in my pattern. And yes my patterns are pages upon pages of photos and notes, and yes sadly I only offer them in PDF format...BUT I will tell you, I very seldom get any emails saying they were not successful in getting results. And most create many many duplicates of my patterns, I am told some of them are a bit addicting...

 Soooooo, here I am today, after 20+ photos to help you make a very simple pin cushion. WEllll let’s just say it looks simple. Most of you would think “I can do that, and mine will look as perfect as hers”. This pattern will not be for YOU! Wink!

 It is for those who want to make it exactly like this… And yes it is easy- one very simple pattern piece, but here is where this pattern will be different than many others you have purchased. I show you every step, every detail, every trick, every hint, nothing held back. 

I even tell you where to get your needles, threads.... In fact for future ideas especially pin cushions or DOOR STOPPERs .. YOU will be successful in your creative zen.  If you choose any of these pumpkins in the pumpkin patch , I swear yours will look the same if you follow all the photos and purchase the same material or similar..or my name is not Mdm Samm!

Ok, are you ready to make a very simple 
PUMPKIN PIN CUSHION?

Fabric requirement

1/4 yard for your pumpkin pieces
10 inches x 2 inch for your stem, alternate colour...brown, black, green...whatever..
rice about 1/4 cup  ( you can also use polifil pellets) 
fiberfill ( stuffing) about a handfull
Presencia thread
Gutermaan or Aurifil thread

( pattern is at the bottom of this post) 

Now why place your pattern piece towards the selvage edge...?

Quilting Fabrics have more stretch ( crosswise grain) and less ( lenghtwise grain)

YOU want it to stretch from the top to the bottom of your pumpkin...( crosswise grain)

If you are not sure which is which...TRY this stretch test...

YOU want your stretch of fabric to go from the top of pumpkin to the bottom,

not across, otherwise your shape will not be pumpkin like.. Make sense?

I tripled my fabric, pinned and cut and repeated again with 4 pieces of fabric...

YOU need 7 individual pieces...

Use a hot dry iron so it does not stretch your fabric. 

I love love love my Reliable Sensor iron...most dependable iron that I have ever used...

Sew one at a time until all of them have been stitched, when you get to the last one... #7 leave 2 inches open from the top and backstitch where you place your last stitch...

Here is what you will need....NOT all that rice or stuffing goes into that pin cushion..

this day I was making 5 of them....The bowl with rice in it, makes it easier for clean up...

The black piece of fabric there is for your stem...more on that below..

I love Aurifil thread for many reasons, our machines love it, it is very thin, so you don't see the stitches

and it holds up like no other on the market... Ohhh and those wee Dovo scissors my favourite

scissors in the whole wide world...YOU can find them here at Anita's online store..she has a wide variety. These are the 3 1/2 size..perfect for hand sewing and cutting....

Take your 10 inch piece and roll like a pipe...trim off end pieces when completed stitching...

it will fray and that will look just fine.... now put that stem aside for now....

Turn your pumpkin right side out.. and place pumpkin shell in your rice bowl...

I used a small teaspoon to pour into opening...

Leave enough room for some stuffing...this will just look better and the pins will stay in your pin cushion...

I chose some Orange Aurifil thread and stitched close to the edge seam...in and out...

not over the top stitching...

See how my stitching is close to the edge and almost invisible...

now Place your stem inside, push in about 1/2 inch...

Now stitch right through stem to other side of pumpkin shell...

Piecemakers needles are perfect for any stitching where you need a longer

needle...they are sharp and ideal for making dolls ( for future -blog hop

use when adding head and limbs

to your doll)

 in this case....perfect for squeezing pumpkin together to give a full look...

Here is their link for these doll needles. They are 3 1/2 inches long...

I use Presencia thread #8 for the thread to squeeze the pumpkin from top to bottom..

That bubble gum casing is just great to keep your thread together...

Those you can find anywhere...

Double your thread and begin at the bottom and knot there, then insert needle towards

the top and thread and pull each time to bring it all in....I do this 3 x ...

YOU have completed your pumpkin when you knotted your theads on the top and bury

it is closest to the stem...

For A large variety of theme buttons, you can go to SHELLY BUTTONS AND MORE...

she has allllll of these buttons and so much more...

 I just turned the pattern this way so you could see it...you can copy this and print 

and it should print 5.5 in length and 2 inches wide.  

Nobody ever achieves any success without others. So to Reliable a Reliable Sensor Iron, 

Shellys Buttons and More for Buttons, Anita at Anita little stitches for Dovo Scissors,

Colonial Needle for Presencia Threads and Aurifil for their BEST in threads... PieceMakers doll Needles, Thank you for creating and providing such terrific sewing and quilting tools. 

Ohhh this gingham fabric was from a collection Now we are going Places...by Monica Lee

who has retired from fabric making....sadly too...she was really good!  
The top gingham pumpkin is no other than Riley Blake Designs gingham ( 1/2 inch)
LOVE love love their ginghams!

By the way this simple pumpkin patch pin cushion pattern, took me ONLY 1 week to create, 63   23 hours ( thanks to TJ for the note)  to take photos, edit, and write...simple YOU BET ...wink!  ( been up far too many hours)

and ps...since last writing this I have purchased 
a couple patterns.. so my feelings at the time have certainly changed
for the better...

if you would like this pattern in  A FREE downloaded format, just let me know

and I will send it to you in an email. 

Because you matter!