Category Archives: Hand Crafts

Harry Potter, A Love Story

Once upon the time, there was a girl that loved Harry Potter.

I don’t mean that she loved The Boy Who Lived. She did, of course, but most of all, she loved his story.

His story captured the world. It gave grown men and women the urge to jump on broomsticks and wear robes. It turned children that did not care for books into avid readers. His story told us that there is a place for everyone and that the brave of heart can also be clever and loyal, and that good will, in the end, conquer evil.

Now, back to the girl.

To show her love for Harry, the girl designed and shared hundreds of quilt patterns about Harry’s adventures. Eventually, others that loved Harry wanted to do the same, and a community grew up around their mutual love of The Boy Who Lived.

After many, many years of waiting with bated breath and following every word of his story, Harry did, finally, conquer Voldemort and the story came to an end.

The girl continued to quilt and to share, but in the back of her mind, there was an idea. A wonderful, scary, huge idea.

It sat and percolated for almost eight years.

Then, one day, she started drawing. Pattern after pattern emerged, and she realized that the joy of this project must be shared with others like her. Somewhere during the creative process, this same girl realized that this project, this quilt, would be the last big Harry Potter project she would take on. This made her both happy and sad, so she gave this very happy project an ominous name.

The Project of Doom.

Imagine the girl’s surprise and joy when she realized that others really did want to share in the adventure of this, her last big Harry Potter project!

It would be months of choosing just the right fabrics, sharing ideas, and making new friends.

Months of stitching, and waiting, and anticipation.

She had no idea, at the beginning how big or how wonderful it all would be or how many talented, wonderful new people she would meet as a result.

The Project of Doom, A Harry Potter Block of the Month

January – August, 2011

Hand embroidery completed September 2011

Top Pieced October 1, 2011.

And now, for those that started the journey together in January, this adventure has ended. For others, it is only beginning.

For the girl? She will be forever grateful to those that joined her in the journey, but most especially to Harry, his friends, and the adventures he shared with us.

Learn more about The Project of Doom

New for 2013 – Get all 30 patterns plus finishing instructions in one zip file on Craftsy!

The Project of Doom was conceived by, designed, written and presented by Jennifer Ofenstein through Harry Potter Paper Piecing.

All patterns are free for personal and non-profit use, and for the love of Harry Potter.

You can find all Project of Doom patterns and instructions archived right here on Sewhooked and on my fandom quilting site, Fandom In Stitches.

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Piecing of Doom

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Guess what I finished the embroidery on last night and will be PIECING today?! That’s right, my Project of Doom blocks will be a quilt top by the end of the day! Many of the participants in my Harry Potter Block of the Week opted to add different elements to their quilt after it was in bookcase format. I am undecided on that. Since I designed it, it’s already about as personalized as it’s going to get for me. There is one thing I might try…but first thing’s first, rows of books!

Learn more about The Project of Doom

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Fabric Friday – Planning for a Project

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I will readily admit to you that it is rare for me to purchase fabric for a whole project. Typically, I dive into my stash of scraps, pulling bits and pieces from here and there until I have just the right mix of fabrics. The hunt is part of what I love best, and that joy is increased by the generosity of my friends, who pass on their bits and pieces to me.

Even so, from time to time, I do things in reverse.

The gorgeous selection of Stonehenge you see here is one of those times. I have an upcoming project that will be done completely from this fantastically stone-textured fabric for no other reason than I think it will capture exactly what I want to say with my project.

What project might that be? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see!

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A Little Happiness

Free Patterns: All About Sewing, Revisited

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These three sewing-themed blocks were some of my first-ever paper pieced blocks to draft. I had just started designing my own patterns and really wanted to make something that said “sewing.” I had seen similar blocks, of course. Jars and spools are pretty classic when it comes to quilting, but having just learned to draft, I wanted to draw my own versions.

The original patterns are six or seven years old and have gotten their first revamp in a long, long time. Compare the original version of the Sewing Machine with the new version, and you can really see how much cleaner and easier to read my patterns have become over the years. It’s cool to me to have this documented evidence of my own evolution.

As time goes by, I plan to update as many of my older patterns as possible. Who knows, maybe even some of those patterns that have been locked away in the Sewhooked Vault will see the light of day again!

I hope you enjoy these patterns for what they are: classic, simple, and representative of the craft we love!

Free Patterns:

5″ Classic Sewing Machine

5″ Classic Spool

5″ Classic Jar

Lots more on the free pattern page!

If you enjoy my free content, you can buy me a Ko-Fi.
Join us on TTMT!
Follow me on Instagram for lots of photos of cats & quilts!
Find my free patterns on Sewhooked & Fandom in Stitches, where you can also quilt along with us!

♥ Jennifer O

Where did my retired patterns go? Read all about that here.

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

Stars For The Linus Connection

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Stars For The Linus Connection a free 12″ pattern

If you’ve been around Sewhooked any length of time, or have watched Talk To Me Tuesday, well, ever, then you know that The Linus Connection is a big part of my life. I started donating blankets to Linus way back in November of 2002. The Linus Connection, in turn, distributes those blankets to children in crisis throughout Central Texas.

Right now, more children than ever before are in crisis in Central Texas because Texas has been burning all week. Hundreds and hundreds of families are now homeless. People have died. I have a friend that lost everything. It’s bad, bad business.

So now, I’m going to do what I do best and give you a free pattern.

But this time, I want a little something in return.

Stars For The Linus Connection

a free 12″ pattern

for best results when printing, set scaling to “none”

Take this free pattern and make a block, or two, or twelve. Make a quilt top, or a quilt, or an afghan (because yarn is fabulous, too!) and mail it to the address on the pattern. Yes, that’s my address there. Please don’t stalk me, but do send me loads of blocks and blankets for The Linus Connection so we can then take those blankets and get them to the children in our area who need them!

Wonky Star, by mkissa

donated to the Bushfire Quilt Project

So, you’re not a paper piecer, but you’d still like to contribute? Inspired by WIP Girl, Kristel, known as Clumsy Chord on Talk To Me Tuesday, I will also accept 12″ (12 1/2″ unfinished) Maverick Stars or Wonky Stars (the same technique, different tutorials). To make a 12 1/2″ Maverick or Wonky star, your nine patch units need to be 4 1/2″. 12 1/2″ Wonky Stars with colorful sashing are appreciated!

See the video with Kristel’s Wonky Star quilt for Linus.

Want to do your own thing? Be sure to check our the Linus Blanket Specifications first. Here’s a summary: 100% cotton quilting fabric for quilts, washable acrylic yarn for blankets, sizes can range from 30” x 30” up to 54” x 70”. Cotton or low-loft acrylic batting and french fold binding. Here’s the rest!

All blocks sent to me will be pieced into quilt tops, quilted and bound by myself or another Linus volunteer. I will make every effort to share finished quilts here on Sewhooked.

Linus has already started getting calls, and the number of blankets needed is going to be huge. My favorite charity and the children of my home state need your help. Whether you make just one block or many, every little bit counts.

If you make a block (or a lot!) add them to the Block and Blanket Drive for Linus flickr group and The Linus Connection flickr Group (the second group show up on the Linus blog in the flickr widget!). As always, you are more than welcome to add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group. I love featuring your photos!

And please, please, please share, tweet, Facebook, tumble and +1 this post. Get it out there, share the pattern with your friends and help us cover Central Texas children in blankets of made with love!

See more of my posts about The Linus Connection.

Donate to The Red Cross of Central Texas

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Feeling Chicken

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Free 5″ Pecking Chick Pattern, by Jennifer Ofenstein

Several years ago, I participated in a year-long birthday quilt block swap. At the time, one of my dear friends and fellow designers, Cat Magraith, was collecting chicken-themed blocks. She was also participating in the same swap. I drafted several before deciding which blocks to share with her.

The above pattern, Pecking Chick, never made out of the sketch stage and is being posted for the very first time today! I think he’d be a sweet little chick with a French knot eye and a few seed beads at his feet for pecking!

The first two were made for the swap, and I believe I sent the egg block on to her as well. It’s one block I’m incredibly proud of. Doesn’t it just look like you’re looking in a full nest?

Cat’s Roosters, free 5″ patterns here on Sewhooked.

Chick for Cat, adapted from this pattern at Patch Pieces.

Three Eggs. Free 5″ Pattern here on Sewhooked.

But wait, there’s more! I’m not the only that’s created or adapted chicken patterns. Cat has quite a few of her own, many of which are available right here on Sewhooked for free!

2 Chicks, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Hen With Chick, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Rooster, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Pecking Hen, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Hen, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Get more great

free patterns right here on Sewhooked

and on

Fandom In Stiches

(fandom quilt patterns by fans, for fans!).

Have a very happy, crafty, quilty Friday!

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5,4,3,2,1 Things…

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Since the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 series started, I’ve been reading with great interest and enjoyment the lists of other crafty-type folks. Since my world revolves around handmade, I thought it would be fun to jump in.

So…here you go!

Me ~ Jennifer Ofenstein, aka ofenjen

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

This one is super easy. It’s the project I just wrapped up earlier this month, The Project of Doom (see what I did there, I even have “project” in the title!). The Project of Doom was a Harry Potter Block of the Week Mystery Quilt that I designed, wrote, edited and hosted from January – August of this year for Harry Potter Paper Piecing. It was my gift to the Harry Potter fandom, which has given me so very much. You can find The Project of Doom archived here (Fandom in Stitches) and here (Sewhooked).

Two Mistakes You’ve Made in the Past

1. Tying my self-worth to how accepting others are of my work. This was an especially hard lesson to learn. I hit a wall a couple of years ago when I had a book contract canceled. The publisher, after months of working with me, decided that my work wasn’t “mainstream” enough, despite having chosen my work for it’s whimsical nature. I had been working on the book project for about a year and a half at that point and it was a big pill to swallow. In the end I realized that my work is what it is because it’s part of who I am and being mainstream has never been my goal. I’m okay with that.

2. Much more fun, but still a mistake; doing too much at once. I love running community projects such as swaps and challenges and craft-alongs, and, and, and…the list just goes on! It’s much too easy to get very caught up in too many things and become overwhelmed. I’ve gotten much better at stepping back and taking a breathe before starting something new and huge.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. My whimsical style. I love hearing from people that they can recognize my pieces just by seeing them. That’s an awesome compliment.

2. I craft happy, and I think that comes through. What miserable person would spend time designing the things I do?

3. My close relationship with fandom. While I do make a lot of non-fandom related projects, both quilts and other crafts, my first love is fandom crafting and the community around it. I’ve been crafting for fandoms of all variety my entire life and am the proud owner of Fandom In Stitches, free fandom quilt patterns by fans for fans, and Harry Potter Paper Piecing, a Harry Potter quilting community.

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. My laptop. I draft my patterns, keep up with my quilting and craft communities, run swaps, challenges and online projects, post a weekly craft vlog called Talk To Me Tuesday, and run Sewhooked, Fandom in Stitches and Harry Potter Paper Piecing. I would be lost without my laptop!

2. My camera/camcorder. Being able to share real images from my life and my work, whether a digital photo or a during TTMT is absolutely invaluable. It makes what I share real and I love that!

3. My sewing machine, of course. It’s the tool I use to make the magic go from paper to reality. My current machine is a Babylock Quest 2. *pets*

4. Recycled paper. I draw on the back of everything. When an idea is stuck in my head and only a paper and pencil will do, I grab a sheet of the pile of recycled paper I keep and start sketching, plotting or calculating!

Five Inspirations

A Little Haunted and it’s inspiration drawing by my son.

1. The first one is easy, my family. They give me so much support and a ridiculous amount of good ideas. I’ll be putting my kids through college on the royalties they should have earned for sharing their ideas with me!

2. The books and movies that I love is obviously a big one. Harry Potter, the works of JRR Tolkien, Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who… The results of many of those efforts can be seen on Fandom In Stitches or in my Craft tutorial archive.

3. Friends, friends, friends! My friends give me so many good ideas, I should have them on payroll! They’ll have to settle for homemade candy at Christmas.

4. Community feedback and comments. I love when ideas unfold through conversations in comments. They’ll often nudge me this way or that, sometimes completely unintentionally.

5. Past projects I’ve worked on. Sometimes I’ll be looking through photos of old project and wonder why I didn’t do it this or that way…and then I do!

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Project of Doom Archive

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You can now find all Project of Doom patterns archived here on Sewhooked.

The Project of Doom was a Harry Potter Block of the Week that took place between January and August 2011. The link above includes a comprehensive archive of all of the patterns that were posted during that time, including fabric requirements and suggested layouts.

Go have a look!

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