I love Halloween and decorating. This is the time of year that I like to make things with wool/felt. This project was inspired by actual decorating. For years I have purchased all kinds of mask and placed them on pumpkins big and small!. Heres a simple project to make in time for the season. I hope you enjoy!
I trace all my shapes by taping the pattern to a glass door and then putting freezer paper, paper side facing you to trace on. I like to trace entire pattern and cut out at one time so everything is ready when I sit down for the night.
I used gray burlap as my background. So when I did this I cut a fairly big piece and then appliqués all my shapes and trimmed everything before adding my borders. FYI burlap has a lot go give and stretches. I also attached this by machine but you could hand appliqué too. I did hand stitched the tiny shapes.
I pinned the tree down, The final gray burlap background is 14 1/2 inches by 18 inches(includes seam allowances) so I cut my burlap probably 18 x 21″. The tree needs to be along the edge so when you sew your border on some of the tree is hidden. I also wanted my top of the tree to be hidden by the top border as well so see all the extra burlap I cut.
I pinned the tree and also pinned the moon behind the tree branch for placement. I sewed the moon with a programmed blanket stitch and also stippled the moon at the same time, no rules quilting here.
Then I did the tree
The fence was the most difficult to cut out, I used small sharp point scissors like Karen Kay Buckley Perfect Scissors, and it was fine really, no tears or swear words. I pinned it down and then put the big pumpkin on top of the fence for placement ( this piece of orange I tea dyed for another color of orange felt). I pulled back the top edge of fence and sewed the pumpkin with blanket stitch and quilted him too with curved up and down lines and a zig zag edge indicating the cut line of the pumpkin.
Then I did the fence, Just pin it down well and take your time, no biggie, machine sewing went fast. I hand stitched the pumpkin stem, the bat and little moon onto the fence pumpkin.
Then I just added the stack of pumpkins.They are all machine blanket stitched and again machine curved lines indicating the normal ridges of pumpkins. The mask, pirate eye and tied bandit was all done by hand as was the cat in the tree.
I trimmed my burlap down 14 1/2″ by 18″ and sewed a tiny border of solid black for a pop and definition. cut1 inch strips and apply top and bottom, trim and then add sides.
For the border, I cut strips 1 inch – 2inch in various sizes from white, gray, black and orange. I just made a strip set long enough for the top and bottom. They are 3 1/2 inches (for a final 3 inch border)wide x length of your bottom/top. This is just a fun piece we aren’t entering it in any competition. sew top and bottom borders on
For the sides you will have to add strips sets together and may need to take away too. The corners are 1/2 square triangles that are black and white and also 3 1/2inch for final 3 inch block. measure your long sides and add 1/2 inch seam allowance. add your 1/2 squares triangle to top and bottom with black triangle to inside. sew to your project.
Now quilt it, the gray burlap was free motion quilted with left to right wavy lines for “wind”. The tree also machine quilted in big long wavy lines for textures even added a few curls for the knots in the tree. The hole in the tree was done in echo quilting, following the oval shape. The border was just a back and forth arc with a medium gray rayon for a little shine, bind in black. Don’t forget your owl button!
Don’t forget your pattern!
You are ready for the holiday for sure! So cute