Author Archives: Jennifer Ofenstein

About Jennifer Ofenstein

Owner of sewhooked.com and fandominstitches.com. #quiltforgood advocate. Quilt designer, instructor, Talk to Me Tuesday founder & contributor, cat mom, and craft enabler.

Challenge: Winner!

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Thank you so much to everyone that participated in the first ever Friends of sewhooked Challenge! We had a handful of entries, and I appreciated each and every one!

The only requirement was to make any craft or pattern from sewhooked or the sewhooked blog and then post a photo either on the Friends of sewhooked flickr group or on the sewhooked_talk Livejournal community. I also accepted emailed challenge entries.

The winner was chosen at random. Thanks to my friend Cat for indulging me by choosing a number without any idea what I was up to. 😉

Without further ado, our winner! ferraras on flickr!

ferraras stenciled the back of a black jacket with the Cullen Crest Stencil

A big congrats to ferrars, who will receive a hardback copy of Scrap Basket Crafts: Over 50 Quick and Easy Projects to Make from Fabric Scraps.

Happy crafting!

Faux Rocher

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I love chocolate.

It’s possibly unhealthy how much I love chocolate, but there you are!

Ferrero Rocher are one of my favorite indulgences, so much so that my lovely sister gave me a lovely heart shaped box full of them for Valentine’s. I haven’t opened them yet…letting the anticipation build!

A friend of mine shared a recipe for a clone recipe. The original came from Australia (love my Aussie friends!) and asked for packs of nuts and other ingredients without specific amounts included. With my friend’s help, I worked out the “how much” and then gave the recipe my own U.S. touch.

These aren’t identical to Ferrero Rocher, but they’re a darn good facsimile and will be a lovely Valentine’s treat for me and my sweetie!

Faux Ferrero Rocher

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tbs shortening
1 cup chopped lightly roasted peanuts, chopped
½ – 1 cup hazelnuts or macadamia nuts (the real thing uses hazelnuts)
1 (13 oz.) jar of Nutella
miniature muffin tins and liners (approx 1 1/4″ size)

I used Hershey’s, but you can use any combination of milk and dark chocolates.

Line miniature muffin tins with wrappers.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir, adding chopped peanuts. Mix thoroughly.

Place small teaspoon chocolate nut mix in base of pan or wrapper.

Place a nut in center.

Cover with about ½ tsp. Nutella.

Cover with chocolate nut mix.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Eat!
Makes approximately 30 really yummy candies.

more recipes

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Make A Mini Valentine

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One of the best things about paper pieced patterns is that they are so easy to scale.

The great majority of the patterns I design finish 5″, which makes the math a bit easier. Want a 10″ block? Print at 200%. Want a 1.5″ block? Print at 30%.

Miniatures have long been a favorite of mine. They work up quickly and are just so darn adorable when you’re done!

Use Scrappy Heart in miniature and some card stock and you’ve got yourself a cute, fast handmade Valentine for your sweetie!

When choosing a paper pieced pattern to miniaturize, the simpler the pattern the better. Choose a pattern that is all one piece or only a few individual pieces. The more paper pieces you have to work with, the trickier your pattern will get and the thicker the seams will be.

For the Valentine’s Card you’ll need:

Scrappy Heart (pattern updated Feb. 2012) or other heart pattern, printed at 30% OR use my 1.5″ heart sets with 12 patterns per page
scrap fabrics in reds, pinks and whites
pink or red thread
a piece of card stock, whatever size pleases you, but big enough to fold in half OR pre-folded blank cards
a sewing machine
scissors
rotary cutter & ruler
wall paper or seam roller (optional)
dry iron

What to do:

Print your scaled pattern (shown here with the original 5″)

OR use the 1.5″ pattern sets created just for this tutorial (added Feb. 2012)

Piece the block like you would any other

Paper Piecing: Step By Step

When piecing in miniature, the smaller your seam allowance, the better. I like a scant 1/8″

This is your block finished from the back and the front.

Follow the stitching line around the block. This will make it possible to remove the paper without stretching the bias edges. Contrasting thread shown.

Remove the paper from the block.

**note – normally, the paper needs to stay on the block until it is pieced in it’s final destination, but because we are appliqueing it, that’s not an option here**

card stock and wall paper or seam roller

Fold the card stock in half, and press the crease with the wall paper roller. The same effect can be achieved with a scoring tool.

Position the block on the front of the card. Use a zig zag or other decorative stitch to applique in place.

Now fill the inside with sweet nothings and you’re ready to give it to your Valentine!

Get lots of free patterns right here on Sewhooked!

Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post.

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Oh Wavy Baby!

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printable pattern

This is yet another baby blanket I designed specifically with charity blankets in mind. A local charity receives the great majority of my crochet efforts and because crochet is so portable, I get a lot done. I crochet in the carpool line, when I watch telly or when I have to wait for an appointment. If my hands are busy, I tend to be happy!

Use up your scraps, go solid, variegated or ombre. Each works brilliantly with a wavy ‘ghan!

For the scrappy version, you’ll need:

odds and ends of a worsted weight yarn (sample made in Red Heart)
K hook

Finished size is approximately 40″, depending on your gauge. This is a homey pattern and I don’t fuss about the gauge, as long as it’s crocheting up nicely.

Note: When changing colors, join new color with a sl just before you ch 3 for a new row.

ch 132

Row 1: 1 dc into third ch from hook and in the next three ch, *skip 2 ch, 1 dc into next 4 ch, ch 2, 1 dc in next 4 ch*. Repeat * to * until the last six ch. Skip 2 ch, 1 dc in next 3 ch, 2 dc in last ch. Ch 3, turn.

Row 2: 1 dc in first st, 1 dc in next 3 st, *sk 2 st, 1 dc in next 3 st, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) into ch 2 sp. 1 dc in next 3 st*. Repeat * to * until the last six ch. Skip 2 ch, 1 dc in next 3 ch, 2 dc in top of last dc. Ch 3, turn.

Pattern: Repeat row 2 until blanket is approximately 40″ long. Finish off.

For a more delicate pattern, try a lighter-weight yarn with a smaller hook.

Happy crafting!

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Sewing: Hem Extension (aka unhemmed)

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You probably know by now, I’m a big thrift store shopper, especially for clothes.

I found a great pair of Gap jeans that fit perfectly, and only paid $1.25 for them! The only drawback was that they were too short, even for my average-length legs.

This was my easy-peasy solution. It works with or without the extra trim. I just love adding a little flavor to my thrifted goods!

You’ll need:

One pair of too-short jeans
seam ripper or razor (use razor with care, I don’t want anyone losing a finger!)
steam iron set to “cotton”
optional: trim, ribbon, etc.
sewing machine
thread
scissors

What to do:

Rip out the hem using a seam ripper, or, if you have a steady hand, a razor works great to get through the heavy duty stitching.
Press the legs out, removing any bits of thread left from ripping out the seam. You may need steam for this step to get the old hem lines nice and flat.
If the previous location of the bottom edge is a holey or ragged, you can add ribbon, leftover quilt binding, or any other washable trim by pinning around the outside. Tuck the ends under and then top stitch both edges.
For an unfinished edge, zig zag around the edge of each leg or use a decorative stitch. Once they’re washed, they’ll fray nice and even.

I’ve got several pairs of jeans like this, all of them found for super cheap and all of them with their own distinctive look. Love them!

Happy crafting

Find my free patterns on Sewhooked & Fandom in Stitches.

♥ Jennifer O

Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links to help cover the cost of my website. I thank you for your generous support. ♥

Announcement: Guest Blogger on Quilting Gallery

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It’s Guest Blogger Month on Quilting Gallery. Yours truly is today’s Guest Blogger!

I had a great time writing up the post and collecting quilty photos and would like thank Michele from Quilting Gallery for including me in such an awesome project.

There’s a prize from me for the first five commenters, so be sure and have a look.

Don’t forget about the Friends of sewhooked challenge!

Craft: Pet Name Tags

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I have kitties.

Lots of kitties. Okay four, that’s lots, right?

My fur babies all stay indoors, but I still feel safest if they’re wearing a name tag with our address and phone number on it in addition to their city tags. They’re sneaky, ya know?

After numerous lost collars, a couple of which turned up years later under a pile of boxes in the garage, I started making replacement tags instead of buying. It’s easy and inexpensive.

The first one I made is about two years old now and is still in perfect shape!

You’ll need:

Polymer clay (like Sculpey or Fimo; also called polyclay)
polymer clay pasta machine OR poly clay rolling pin
**please note: if using a pasta machine, it needs to be used only for polymer clay. DO NOT use the same machine that you’d make pasta with**
parchment paper
1 to 1 1/2″ cookie cutter with a uniform shape (don’t be tempted to make the tag larger, the larger it is, the more likely your pet will be able to get into his or her mouth)
Bic Cristal Pen lid
toothpick or skewer
alphabet stamps (optional)
small cookie sheet
regular or toaster oven
acrylic paint
large jump ring
Sculpey Glaze

Knead a small amount of clay, then roll out with a clay roller or pass through pasta machine on the next to thickest setting. On my machine, that’s an 8.

For more information about handling polyclay see Working With Polymer Clay on Crafts-For-All-Seasons

Place clay on a small on the parchment paper. Press the cookie cutter straight down, making one blank. If you’re making more than one, now is a great time to cut them all out.

Tag blank.

If you have alphabet stamps, use them to stamp on your pet’s name by gently pushing the stamp straight down and lifting straight up. Shown are jewelers stamps, which need to be cleaned well if used with polymer clay.

If not using alphabet stamps, use the directions for finishing the back of the tag.

Finished front with a fun star stamp added.

Take the lid off the Bic pen. It makes a perfect circle cutter for the jump ring hole.

Press the pen lid down into the clay, removing gently to avoid distorting the tag shape. Remove the plug from the lid with a toothpick.

For the back (and the front if you don’t have stamps), use the toothpick to gently write your address or phone number.

Place parchment paper with tag(s) on cookie sheet and bake according to manufacturer’s directions.

Once the tags are cool, rub a small amount of paint onto the front and backs with a paper towel, wiping away the excess. This will make the letters stand out. Allow that paint to dry for a few minutes (it won’t take long) and then coat with glaze. Allow to dry.

Add jump ring.

Because your pet will be wearing this and safety is always first, let the tag dry at least 24 hours before attaching it to his or her collar.

Merlin, wearing his custom kitty tag

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

also posted on cut out + keep

Don’t forget about the Friends of sewhooked challenge!

Recipe: Pull-Apart Bread

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*sniffs*
Do you smell that?

Ooooo, baking bread! I can’t think of anything that makes a house feel more like a home than the smell of baking bread. My mom is a bread baker and I am always reminded of coming home from school on cold days and smelling her sourdough bread baking. Nomnomnom…nothing better!

This is a favorite recipe of mine originally from a very old community cookbook. I’ve edited and changed it until it’s just the way we like it. If you’ve never made homemade bread before, this is an easy recipe to start with.

Pull-Apart Bread
sometimes called Monkey Bread

1 pkg dry yeast
1 c lukewarm water
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. sugar
1/2 c. (1 stick) melted and cooled butter + another 1/2 cup
3 1/2 – 4 cups flour (AP works just fine)

In a large mixing bowl*, dissolve yeast and lukewarm water. In a small bowl, beat the egg, add salt, sugar and 1/2 cup of melted and cooled butter, beating well. Add to yeast mixture. Mix well.

Slowly mix in flour, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well as you go. Mix until the dough is elastic and pulls away from the edges of the bowl.

*If you have a stand mixer, add ingredients into the mixer bowl, using the standard attachment through the first two cups of flour. Change to the dough hook and mix until dough pulls away from the bowl.

Cover and let rise until double in bulk. Time will vary based on the room temperature. Approximately 2 hours.

Once the dough has doubled, place remaining 1/2 cup of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds at a time until just melted. Stir to help any unmelted bits finish melting.

Prepare two loaf pans by spraying lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Place dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Roll out to about 1/4″ thickness. Use a pizza cutter or a dough knife and cut into 1 1/2″ to 2″ pieces. Dip each piece in melted butter and place in loaf pan, evenly distributing pieces between the two pans.

Cover with a towel and let rise until double again, approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake loaves for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then turn out on a plate or cooling rack.

A lovely loaf of Pull-Apart Bread

The pieces will just fall apart and are lovely to have with dinner!

more of my recipes

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Deco-“paged” Hobbit Wall

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When I was in high school, I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for the very first time.

Tolkien’s world wrapped me up and captured me. I fantasized (and still do!) of taking off for middle earth, walking the road with Bilbo and visiting the elves.

Once a fandom girl, always a fandom girl.

Part of my Hobbit collection

When my hubby and I bought our home ten years ago, I had already been stockpiling paperback copies of the The Hobbit. I’ve been collecting interesting Tolkien covers for years and have a lovely collection. More than one sad, falling-apart copy of The Hobbit came home with me, just to have for that special project I knew I’d be doing some day.

It’s been a good seven or eight years ago that the “The Reading Room” came in to existence. I still remember the wicked happiness I had knowing that I was permanently attaching words from one of my very favorite stories onto a wall in my house. Part of it was the joy of Tolkien, and part of it was rebellion at years in rental places with cream colored walls!

When we have new visitors for the first time, and they ask to use our restroom, it’s always with a bit of glee that I direct them to the proper door. Most people hold on to their calm until they’ve exited the room, but we get the occasional guest that will shout out through the door after they’ve entered. It’s incredibly striking to stand face to face with a wall that is book pages top to bottom!

And hey, we’ve always got something to read in the bathroom!

Decoupaged Wall with pages from two copies of The Hobbit

Note: This is a permanent application. Do not use this technique unless you are absolutely sure you want a permanent change.

Supplies

● books (something you’re willing to recycle paper back books, maps, picture or comics, newspapers or letters) – amount will vary depending on the size of the wall and the materials used to cover it

● Minwax® Polycrylic® Protective Finish or other clear protective finish

● High Quality Paintbrush (check finish container for suggested brush)

● parchment paper

● large piece of cardboard

● masking tape

● newspaper or drop cloth

● latex gloves

● mineral oil

● rags

Instructions

Protect floor, baseboards, etc, with newspaper or drop cloth and masking tape.
Gently remove the book cover (I framed mine and hung them in the same room as the deco wall).
Peel apart the individual pages (this works best with paperback books).
Tape a large piece of parchment paper to the cardboard.
Wearing the latex gloves, put place several book pages on the parchment paper.
Using the paintbrush, cover each with Polycrylic.
Start applying pages to the wall. For a neat effect, line pages up side by side, or overlap and vary (as shown) for a more staggered effect.
“Cut in” by placing pages side by side or slightly overlapping to frame your wall then working your way in.
Use the brush to smooth out any air bubbles. You only have a minute or so to work with each page, so make sure you’re happy with it before moving on.
Allow pages to dry and then apply another coat of Polycrylic over the wall.
Use mineral oil and rags for clean up. Be sure to follow all manufacturer’s safety instructions.

Thror’s Map, a reproduction that hangs in “The Reading Room”
drawn by Jennifer Ofenstein, 2003
black inck on tea stained paper

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from Sewhooked, share it with the Sewhooked flickr group for a chance to see it posted right here on sewhooked.com!

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