Pumpkin Block Tutorial

Hey there!  As promised, I am back today with a quick tutorial for a pumpkin block.  On Friday, I put together a mini quilt with three pumpkins.  Here's the finished product ...

I did some free motion quilting to make the pumpkin look a little more round.  I think it at least gives the illusion of roundness.  :-)  This mini is about 8" x 17".

Since I had camera "issues" with the photos from the construction, I took new pictures last night and made a smaller, one pumpkin version to show you the process.  Ready?

Start with one 4" square of an orange print.  I used Essential Dots in Orange. You'll also need four 1.5" squares in black solid.  I used Bella Black.

Next, place the black squares in each corner of the orange and stitch along the diagonal.  Since this was a short stretch of stitching, I eyeballed it.  Feel free to mark your lines if you are more comfortable doing so. Trim the corners after stitching.

Press the block.

Now, let's trim your block.  I took 1/2" off the bottom and a 1/4" off the top.  (For the taller pumpkins in the 3-pumpkin version, I took 1/4" off the bottom only.)

Add some borders.  I used 1.5" strips on the sides and approx. 2" strips on the top and bottom.  Add sides first, press and trim.  Then the top and bottom. 

Press and trim your block to 5.5" square.  I left more of a border on the top than along the bottom since I am getting ready to add the stem.  Fuse some interfacing to a brown scrap (I used the Houndstooth in Chocolate) and draw a stem shape.  Cut it out and Fraycheck the edges.  (Fraychecking is my personal preference when doing machine applique ... but I guess you could do without it. :-)

I managed to not get a photo of the applique, but place the stem down and stitch around the edges with a tight zigzag stitch.  (I will work on an applique tutorial for you later this week.)  I hope looking at the next few pictures gives you the idea... sorry about the missing photo!

Cut pieces of batting and backing fabric to 5.5" square.  Stack them with batting on the bottom, block in the middle FACING UP, and the backing fabric on the top FACING DOWN.  (Fabrics are right sides together.) Pin in place.

Stitch all the way around leaving a 1.5 - 2" opening on one side.  Trim corners. 

Turn it right sides out and ease the corners out.  I like to use a bone folder to push the fabric in the corners into place. Press.

Stitch around the whole piece again - close to the edge.  This will seal up the opening. 

Quilt some curved lines on the pumpkin and admire your cute little pumpkin coaster! :-) 

If you want to make a large piece like the 3 pumpkin original, the process is basically the same.  Make 3 pumpkins.  I used a 0.5" border between them (1" strip presew).  I used a 2" border of Essential Dots Black as an outer border and the Essential Dots Orange for the binding.  Certainly, you could make larger pumpkins by changing the size of the starting square and corner squares.  Add some jack-o-lantern faces for more fun. 

If you have any questions, please let me know!  :-)  If you make a pumpkin (or 3!), I hope you'll share them with us and enter the October Stitch and Share Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Sewing!  :-)