Needle-Punch Pumpkin and Mat (From BHG)

What You Need

• 11-x-11-inch square of weaver's cloth
• Ultra-fine-tip black permanent marker
• 1-1/8-inch star button
• 7-inch locking hoop
• Three skeins each of ecru and black embroidery floss
• 3-strand punch needle
• 8-x-8-inch square of burnt orange wool felt
• Fabric marker
• Black frame with 6-x-6-inch back opening and mounting board
• Fabrics glue

How to Make It

Transfer the Pattern to Fabric

1. Download the free pattern and trace onto white paper.  You can find the free pattern at http://www.bhg.com/holidays/thanksgiving/crafts/needle-punch-pumpkin-and-mat/
2. Tape the pattern to a sunny window or light box. Center and tape the weaver's cloth over the pattern so the direction the fabric stretches is from top to bottom.
3. Use the permanent marker to trace the solid pattern lines onto the fabric.
4. Using the dashed lines as a guide, position the star button on the fabric and trace the shape onto the fabric with the marker.

Punch the Design

1. With the pattern side up, very tightly secure the fabric in the locking hoop without distorting the design.
2. Separate the strands of floss and thread the punch needle, following the manufacturer's instructions.
3. For this design, the needle indicator pin, which controls the height of the loops on the front, was set to 1.
4. Use the shortest needle length that you feel comfortable with to punch the design.
5. To begin, outline the pumpkin just inside the outer shape line with black.
6. Make the stitches very close together so no space shows between them. To ensure a perfect fit for the button, punch directly on the lines for the star.
7. Fill in the pumpkin; do not punch inside the star shape. Continue with black, punching directly on the lines for the pumpkin vine and the scalloped inner border.
8. In addition, punch directly on the outer border line and then again just beyond it to create a border that's two punch stitches wide.
9. Using ecru, start the background by outlining each of the previously punched elements.
10. Continue adding consecutive rows of punches just beyond these outlines until the outlines meet. Fill in any remaining spaces to complete the background.
11. Trim any long or loose pieces of floss, including beginning and ending thread tails, to the same length as the punched loops.
12. Snuggle the button into the unpunched star space and sew in place.

Prepare the Mat

1. Measure the size of the finished design. Using a fabric marker, center and draw these measurements on the felt.
2. Cut along the drawn lines.
3. Blanket-stitch around the opening with three stands of black floss.

Frame the Design

1. Stretch and mount the finished design on the mounting board.
2. Place the mat on the mounted design so the buttonhole stitches of the mat are up against the outer punched loops.
3. If desired, apply dots of glue to the back of the mat to hold it in place.
4. Take care not to saturate the felt with glue, or it will show on the front.
5. Trim the mat even with the edges of the mounting board and place it in the frame.