Level: Beginner - Intermediate

Halloween is the first holiday of fall in America and is gaining in popularity around the world. This fast and fun serger project are sure to please all the little goblins at your house. Level – Beginner to Intermediate. Time – less than ½ day.

Janome Supplies Required:

• Any Janome Serger
• Janome Overlock thread J360
• Janome Woolly Nylon thread J304
• Janome Serger needles size 11

Fabric and Notions Required:

• 1/4 yd. Orange cotton fabric
• 1 black felt square
• 1 green felt square
• Polyester stuffing
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• Permanent fabric glue
• Black permanent marking pen
• Hand sewing needle
• Seam sealant

Instructions

1. Cut one of pattern piece"A" from orange fabric
2. Cut five of pattern piece "B" from orange fabric.
3. Cut the eyes, nose and mouth from the black felt.
4. Cut three leaves from the green felt.
5. Set up the serger for a 3-thread narrow Rolled Hem.
   Note: Depending on the Janome serger you own, you may need to use a Rolled Hem plate for this stitch.
6. Thread the right needle and lower looper with Janome Overlock thread.
7. Thread the upper looper with Janome Woolly Nylon thread.
8. Adjust needle thread tension to 4, upper looper tension to 2, and lower looper to tension to 7.
9. Set the ST/RH lever to RH.
10. Set Stitch length at 1. Set differential feed at 1.0. Be sure to test stitch on scrap fabric.
11. Start with at least a 4" thread tail. Do not cut beginning thread tails.
12. Serge section "A" to one piece of section: "B", starting at the straight edge with wrong side together. Do not cut beginning thread tails.
13. Continue to serge the remaining "B" sections together until you reach section "A".
    Note: The seams need to overlap to close the bottom. It should resemble a basketball with all the thread tails hanging at the top. Do not cut thread tails.
14. Dab seam sealant at the bottom and top.
15. Stuff the pumpkin with polyester stuffing.
16. Tie opposite thread tails together, and then tie three tails to three tails to close the top.
    Note: It is suggested that you completely secure the top by hand sewing the opening closed.
17. Draw vein lines on the leaves with the black permanent marking pen.
18. Secure the eyes, nose, mouth and leaves to the pumpkin using the permanent fabric glue.
19. Cut a small circle from cardboard to cover the opening on the bottom of the pumpkin.
20. Cover cardboard with a circle of orange fabric. Cut circle a couple inches larger than the cardboard.
    Hint: Use a running stitch around the raw edge of the fabric to draw in the edges to fit the cardboard circle.
21. Glue the fabric-covered circle to bottom of pumpkin.