Hey Pumpkin! Show off your Quilting Skills with wearable Pumpkins this Fall

Holly Reynolds
Oct 20, 2024
3 min read

How would you make patchwork designs on clothing? I created these pumpkin cuties to show off my quilting skills. (Don't worry, it's easy!) This is a perfect project to practice free motion quilting. I wanted a new fall shirt, and my inner 90s teacher was coming through.

I wanted a patch-worky vibe, so I picked 5 coordinating fabrics for the pumpkin, and one for the stem. I did get a green for the leaf, but ultimately decided it detracted and left it out.

Scrappy Pumpkin Supply List

tshirt or other clothing item - Comfort Colors are quality fabric

5 small pieces of orange fabric

fabric for stem and leaf, if desired.

thread that coordinates with fabrics

batting scraps

cardstock for pattern

washable fabric marker

optional:

fusible batting

flannel that either matches your clothing or patchwork color

*I earn a small commission from the links above. Thanks for using the links here to order.

Tshirt

Get a good quality shirt, like Comfort Colors. If you size up for a roomier fit, make sure your pumpkin is placed high enough up that you can still tuck in your shirt if you want.

Choose Color Palette

I wanted a shirt that would take me from Halloween through Thanksgiving, so I chose sherbet orange colors. Traditional Halloween orange would be an easy palette. You could also go wild here! Any color in the shape of a pumpkin will read as a pumpkin. You see a stack of fabrics above because I made 4 shirts.

This project was a win-win for me, because I got to play with free motion quilting and make some gifts. I did tell my daughter that when she is done with hers, she can't give it away. It comes back to me and I will turn it into a pillow or something.

Pumpkin Pattern

I did look at a printable pumpkin, but wanted a larger design, so I drew a pumpkin on cardstock.

Important: Hold it up to you to see if the size works for where you want to place it.

Draw 5 segments. The segments look like melon slices with a blunt tipped oval in the middle. Cut the segments apart and trace onto fabric. Cut out. My segments are slightly different sizes, so I numbered them with a washable fabric marker to keep them in order.

Optional felt underlay

Think about a rag quilt with its fluffy raw edges. I wanted a raggy raw edge on my shirt, so I put a layer of felt under the fabric pieces. I couldn't find sherbet orange felt, so I used colors that matched my shirts. Use your pattern pieces to cut out flannel shapes the same size as your fabric pieces.

Batting

I used a fusible batting, which I decided wasn't strictly necessary. Its only benefit was that it might have kept the pieces on place before they were sewn on. With glue side down (if fusible) trace your pattern onto the batting.

Tip: If you don't want the batting to show on the edges, cut it out 1/4 inch inside your traced lines.

Cut out the batting and make your quilt sandwich (batting-felt-fabric). Lay all the segments back on your shirt to determine placement. Pin just the center pumpkin piece in place on your shirt. Iron it down if you are using fusible batting.

Sewing

You could sew these down with any stitching you like. This is essentially raw edge applique. I wanted a bunch of free motion lines on all the edges. This look is super forgiving because the multiple passes of stitching cover a multitude of imperfect lines. Play with your thread color. The more it contrasts with your fabric, the more it stands out. Have Fun!

Once the center piece is in place, continue adding your fabric sandwiches, moving from the center outward. Add stem and optional leaf, switching thread to match those parts.

Tip: I got each segment stitched in place, then proceeded to free motion quilt along the edges without ever lifting the foot. I just created a thread line across the bottom of the pumpkin to move from segment to segment.