Category Archives: Hand Crafts

TTMT #769 – Quilt For Good & Travel Prep

Hello, my friends! I’m back this week with six more finished quilts, finally wrapping up the backlog of charity quilt tops sent to me by friends. I no longer accept donations personally and encourage you to find somewhere local to you for future donations. All quilts shown will be donated through Project Linus in Albuquerque during an upcoming visit with Jewells!

I also share a couple of other odds and ends, including some Cricut crafts.

♥ 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. ♥

Totally Okay Press (Homemade Spray Starch)

Happy Sunday!

I was loooking for a link to the homemade spray starch recipe I use when quilting and realized that though I’ve mentioned it many times over the years, I’ve never given this super simple recipe its own post.

When I first started quilting, I exclusively used Best Press because that’s what my LQS told me to use. It is a wonderful product, but it’s pricey when you sew as much as I do and, for total honesty, I have allergies that are easily set off by artificial and strong scents. Best Press is no exception. When I first started quilting way back in 2003 or so, I could never get my hands on the unscented, which is much easier to find now. Real lavender doesn’t set off my allergies, and I love the way it makes my sewing room smell!

You can find variations of this recipe all over the internet. This version has been tweaked and adapted for my own personal preference, light scent, light starch. You can add more scent or none at all, as well as more starch if you want your fabric to be crispier. If you don’t have vodka on hand, you can buy a 2 oz single just for this recipe, or a small bottle of “bottom shelf” which will work just fine. I don’t recommend flavored vodka. I haven’t tried it so have no idea what it might do to your fabric.

Despite my best Googling, I can’t find a definitive reason why vodka works in this recipe, but I can tell you from my own personal experience that it really does. I make two 32 oz bottles at a time and I use the spray liberally when pressing my fabric.

Update: I asked my favorite scientist, and they that vodka is also not only a starch, but it is a disinfectant as well. It will also help the moisture evaporate while it’s being ironed. There was a lot more detail, but I am a quilter, not a scientist and cannot repeat it verbatim!

Totally Okay Press

(affiliate links below)

Add all ingredients to the bottle, tighten the lid, give it a good shake, and use as often as needed to press wrinkled or musty fabrics.

♥ 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. ♥

TTMT #768 – Quilt for Good: 8 Quilts…Again!

Hello, friends! I’m back this week with eight more charity quilt finishes, two of mine, and six from other TTMTers. All of these quilts are destined for Project Linus in Albuquerque, NM during an upcoming BFF visit!

The first two quilts were made by me from donated orphan blocks, Mermaid quilts were made by Kristel, baby animals by Susan P, and scrappy quilts by Sarah in Houston.

All 8 quilts were free-motion quilted by me on my Grace Q’Nique 15R. My little Singer 301 got a workout doing binding, so much so that I’ve had to order a part for the bobbin case!

♥ 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. ♥

TTMT #767 – Sewing Machine Covers!

This week I share the matching sewing machine covers I made for my sewing room. I LOVE how they turned out and am so happy I finally tackled this project. Believe it or not, it’s been on my To Do list since 2019! Mark this one DONE. ♥

The machines I made covers for are a Brother PE770 (2016), Baby Lock Celebrate (2022), Juki TL-210Q (2015), and a Singer 301 (1952).

♥ 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. ♥

TTMT #776 – Quilt for Good: EIGHT QUILTS!

Hello, my friends!

This week I share eight finished charity quilts destined for Project Linus in Albuquerque. I also have a couple of fun things to show from a package of goodies from Jewells, new-to-me Raggedy Ann goodness, and a sneak peek of my swap!

♥ 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. ♥

Raggedy Rescue: Adding New Hair

Raggedy Rescue: Adding New Hair

Welcome back for a new Raggedy Rescue Tutorial! This time I’ll be adding hair to the gal I cleaned up in my last video. If you enjoy this video, please consider liking and subscribing. I hope to see you next time!

BIG thanks to my Ko-Fi members for supporting my content. ♥

I used and/or mentioned a couple of products in this video. I do not have any sponsorships, all items were gifts or purchased by me. Get them at your local shop or find them here:

At the time of this writing, there were a couple of the Raggedy Ann & Andy patterns like I’m showing here available on Etsy.

More stuff:

♥ 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. ♥

Raggedy Rescue: How I Clean my Raggedy Ann & Andy Rescue Rag Dolls

Hello, friends!

Today I have a bonus video for you explaining how I clean my Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for my #raggedyrescue projects. This is prep and cleaning only. If you’d like to see more, drop me a comment!

Please note that this is the way I do it. I strongly believe that Raggedies are meant to be loved and if they can’t be washed, they can’t be given to a child. ♥

BIG thanks to my Ko-Fi members for supporting my content!

I mention several products in this video. I do not have any sponsorships and purchased these myself. Get them at your local shop or find them here:

More stuff:

♥ 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. ♥

Easy DIY Halloween Cauldron

This is a super simple DIY Halloween Cauldron we made in 2021. This is one of my all-time favorite Halloween decorations! I made a very short video to show how it’s done. Enjoy!

  • Large Plastic Cauldron bought years ago, I think at Party City
  • Color Change Halloween Lights (affiliate link)
  • Lighted Mister with auto shut off (affiliate link)
  • Cake cover/bowl from Dollar Tree, holes closed with hot glue, and painted black. This one took some trial and error until I found something that fit correctly. You want whatever you use to hang just inside the cauldron so the mister is up high.

If you enjoy my free content, you can buy me a Ko-Fi. If you enjoy my YouTube content, be sure to subscribe!

♥ 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. ♥

TTMT #747 -This One’s For Abbie

In which I share all three of Abbie’s finished Raggedies! It was such a joy working on them. Abbie made it easy by having so much done already. The two small ones were more of a UFO project than a rescue, but still very fun! The lanky girl was my favorite to work on, a true restoration, and extra special to know I was working on Abbie’s own doll!

♥ 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. ♥

TTMT #746 – Halloween Crafts & New Raggedies to Work on!

In which I share a new Halloween quilt top, the (almost!) finished pumpkin candle holders from BFF Retreat, a new-to-me thrifted blouse, and Abbie’s beautiful Raggedy kiddos in need of both finish & restoration!

signature-2016

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. ♥