Pumpkin Envy

Well, I guess we know who owns this pumpkin!

Love this design! It's a free chart generously provided by With Thy Needle and Thread and found on Brenda's website here.

An alternative to a wooden frame is a fabric one. Here's how I do it - backing fabric, batting, and finished stitched design . . .

Batting was sandwiched between the orange fabric and the cross stitched design. The backing fabric was then pulled around to the front and stitched down to frame the piece. (Make certain the backing is cut larger than the stitched design so you can fold the edges over. I cut this one inch larger on all 4 sides.)

Indian Summer by With They Needle and Thread
18ct ivory evenweave
DMC cotton floss
Seed beads

The batting was used to create puffiness when quilting the three layers together - just like making a quilt. To create that puffiness I quilted around the bird and the pumpkin and inside the zigzag border to add depth. I also quilted inside the fabric border to help stabilize it.

Here’s a closer picture of the pumpkin . . .

It’s been a while since I’ve done any quilting. As you can see, the stitches on the back are not as neat as I would like but, hey, who’s going to see the back, right?? Right??

And I just couldn’t leave well enough alone so I had to add some beads to the ‘frame’ - not too glitzy, not too bright. In fact, they can’t even be seen from a distance. Hmmm, maybe I should take them off and replace them with buttons. I even thought about embroidering a green vine crawling up the orange border. Is more better? There’s only so much you can do to one piece!!! The hanger is cord I found in the scrapbook section of the craft store.



I can't wait to do Brenda's May Day Sampler and am already thinking of ways to finish it.