A Bit of Midwest Fall and Land Art

A Bit of Midwest Fall and Land Art

With our Halloween holiday coming up this week, I decided to make a couple of pumpkins using the pod method.  I used merino and Icelandic fibers.  Fortunately, while working the pods I left the vertical creases to simulate a pumpkin skin.  In order to get the right sized top with stem, I made a rectangle of the same layers. Separately I needle felted a stem.  Then I wet felt the stem slightly, added some of the pumpkin fiber   When I was ready to felt the rectangle, I added the stem and over lapped some more fibers around it to anchor it then proceeded to rub around it until I was certain it was secure enough to continue felting and fulling it.

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I carefully measured each hole in the pumpkins then cut them out of the rectangles and worked the edges to heal them.

When the tops were dry I needle felted a vine and leaf to each top.

Since the landscaping and trees were in full color I decided to put them in several places as Land Art with some felted rocks on a bed of maple leaves.  Which one do you like?

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I made a bigger pumpkin with the intention of making a Jack O Lantern, but I wasn’t happy with the shape. I had planned to have a small hole on the bottom  for a candle, but it didn’t work out that way.

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The little pumpkins were filled with candy and are making their way to my grandsons for Halloween.  Have you done any felting for autumn or Halloween?

 

 

 

14 thoughts on “A Bit of Midwest Fall and Land Art

  1. Hello Marilyn, I love your textured pumpkins. The leaves and curly stems are neat. I also liked your felted stones and the maples leaves are gorgeous.

    1. Thanks Judy! I liked the way th pumpkins turns out. The vines were rolled roving wound around a dowel and the leaves were cut from a piece of Nuno Prefelt I made for my grape leaves. The maple leaves were from our tree. It was fun putting it all together.

  2. Your grandsons will love the sweetie-filled pumpkins! As for which photo I think is the best land art, I have to go with the top one – it’s lovely – a perfect setting for the pumpkins, and that’s a pretty coloured rock they’re perched on, almost as pretty as the felted stones.

    1. Thanks Lyn! I’m sure the boys will enjoy the candy and the new containers! I hope to get pics to post on the forum. The first picture is a section of landscaping in our yard. The sumac turns such a beautiful red kind of making an umbrella over the whole patch. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many leaves left, but at least I have the picture.

    1. Thanks Ruth! My challenge in the yard is always waiting for the wind to die down.

    1. Thanks Teri! I’m sure the kids will love it. I’m not so sure the parents will appreciate it. 😉

  3. Your pumpkins look stunning, Marilyn! It’s funny how a “wet felter’s” mind will work differently from that of a “needle felter,” since I would have come up with a completely (and not necessarily better) idea for the stems 🙂
    I can’t say I have a favourite photo, they all look really nice, very Halloween-y and Autumn-y. And I don’t think your third pumpkin was a fail at all, I like it a lot! What will you do with it?

    1. Thanks Leonor! I find I’m using needlefelting more and more lately for details and definition. But I’m still a wet felter at heart. 🙂

      I’m not sure what I’ll do with the big pumpkin. The top and stem need further attention. Perhaps a fall decoration when it’s finished.

    1. I thanks Zed! It was fun. I’m still waiting for a pic with the boys and their pumpkins. 🙂

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