Felted Pumpkin Tutorial

You start with your felting needle and 'stabbing foam'.

Gather your pumpkin colored wool.

Needle felt the orange wool into a soft orange ball. I gather the sides up to the top and poke until they stay put, sort of like a drawstring purse.

Next you start defining the pumpkin's 'bumps'. I turn the pumpkin on its side, once I have determined what is top and bottom, and needle felt top to bottom-bottom to top a few time to define the 'grooves'. Do that until you have segmented the pumpkin bumps until it looks like a peeled orange. Then start 'tapping' the bulges, from top to bottom, until they are as firm as you would like them. The flatter they get, the more you will also have to redo the indentations to keep the 'hill and valley' happening for the pumpkin shape. Repeat, repeat, repeat, until you have the entire pumpkin as fluffy or firm as you wish.

View from the top of finished pumpkin.

     View from the side.

 Take some wool fluff for the stem, I am using natural and tan wool here. If you prefer green, go for it!

I pluck and pull the two colors to blend them. Then fold in half and twist.

Needle felt the stem, rolling it over now and then as you felt, so you get a roundish stem shape. I grasp the fluff on one end to keep my fingers safe from the needle and then use that un-needled fluff to attach the stem to the pumpkin.

Apply the stem like a little hat onto the top of the pumpkin.

With the needle, start poking the stem fluff down into the pumpkin body until it is well attached and the stem sits at an angle you approve of. (if you want the stem to curve realistically, just needle more on one side and that will 'pull' the stem into an arc)

And there you go! Fine, finished, furry pumpkins that are fun to make and cute to gift, not to mention a necessary Halloween and Thanksgiving decoration. Just add a few leaves, maybe a sheep or turkey, ghost or scarecrow. Oh, you could needle felt a mini crow to sit upon the pumpkin, or...
Have Fun!

Promises, promises...

I promised my last two customers Sunday afternoon that I would come home and put a needle felted pumpkin tutorial on my blog. I keep my promises, so tomorrow is officially, "How to build a pumpkin with wool and needle". Stay tuned! :?}

Summer Treelaine

Everyone loves Summer, our favorite time of the year. Blond and beautiful, this Summer has her tan on, her beach accessories ready, her yellow polka dot bikini donned, and her belly button jewel shined and sparkling!

Take a break...

Even quilters need a break now and then, even woolly quilters. So, to celebrate 6 years married to Rick meant a trip to Victoria, BC. Gorgeous!

The back yard of the B&B and the sun porch, everyone's favorite!

The harbor just behind the BnB.

A nearby home, so charming!

A curious old house with Captain and Stork on the roof?

We loved this music teacher's fence!

It was a wonderful trip.

Meet Sirena of the Sea

Sirena is, obviously, a mermaid...a needle felted mermaid.

 Her pet star fish, Punkin, joined her for the photo shoot.
 

 The gentleman I bought the gorgeous rock from last weekend at the farmer's market rattled off the rock's pedigree, but I will have to research it to know what it is! My brain didn't retain the scientific genre.

 

Crystal Treelaine

Crystal is the oldest of the Treelaine sisters. She is all about sparkle; ear bobs, necklace, snowflake, and even her skirt has hints of Angelina fibers that glint and glimmer.

I seem unable to stop 'tweaking' the Treelaine Sisters... here is Crystal's latest update, just a change of mouth shape.

And a close up of her snowflake.