There was a time when I automatically thought of orange when I thought of a pumpkin. Now they come in all colors. And a lot of colors have meanings. They signify different physical conditions. There are four that are seen most often for health conditions.
A blue pumpkin shows autism awareness. A teal pumpkin is for allergies. If on the porch, it shows that allergy free treats are available. A child carrying a blue pumpkin bucket lets you know that he has food allergies. Purple is another clue. Purple is for epilepsy, letting people know that the householders are familiar with it. It has only been the past few years that the color hints have been used. Personally, I think if there are any such issues, then the adults shouldn't rely too much on the pumpkins.
Many people go with the colors as part of their decorating schemes. I've seen many pumpkins created from sweaters and shirts. It's very easy to make one by using a sleeve, Just cut the shape you want, gather the bottom, stuff, put in a stem and gather the top. Easy Peasy. Circles can be cut to cover an artificial form, or stuffed. These can be made with hand sewing and glue. No sewing machine necessary.
I really like the idea of using shirts for keepsake pumpkins. I have seen some that show the placket and pockets.
I made only a few pumpkins this year. I used some vintage orange velvet and antique lace. I will still be adding some leaves and berries to it. Maybe I will use vintage buttons. Another velvet pumpkin is the base for assorted brooches. I've also seen forms covered with decoupaged napkins. After all, if they don't have faces on them, they can stick around in November.
Stems are getting a lot more creative lately too. Sticks picked up from the yard have probably been first choice, but I have seen corks, vintage silverware- tarnished or shiny, crumpled brown paper, wire, and wooden clothespins.
Many years ago I decorated small pumpkins to sell. I added leaves and flowers and some ribbons to the top and they were pretty unusual at that time. When my oldest son got married, we decided that they would be unusual centerpieces. My new daughter-in-laws mother couldn't picture them on the tables, so she brought centerpieces too. So each table had my rustic country craftsy decor and a shiny mylar covered sparkly vase. It all worked out and we laughed about our different styles.
I really like this nineteenth century pincushion. I have seen several versions of this in my old needlework books. Someday I'll make one. Maybe.
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