In which I wear pink and chat about Halloween costumes, swaps and birthdays!
Shae’s Etsy
Laci’s Etsy (which she does with her mom!)
Breast Cancer Awareness:
Crafts, Etc. (I Love This Yarn)
If you make a Sew Awesome Craft or any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.
As seen on Talk To Me Tuesday, September 29, 2009.
Add to your ravelry queue
also on cut out + keep
As I walked around my local craft store last week, I noticed little Halloween displays all over the store. Almost all of them had candy corn.
I spent the rest of that trip repeating to myself, “You do not need candy corn! You do not need candy corn!”
I guess you can see why I jokingly refer to candy corn as Halloween Crack!
Mellowcreme pumpkins?
One bag of those + me = sugar coma. Danger, danger, danger!
I created an homage to those last year with my Mellowcreme Pumpkin Earrings.
To continue the homage to my favorite Halloween candies, how about a candy corn hat? It’s easier on your teeth, works up in a jiffy and isn’t particularly hard on your yarn stash, either!
It sure as heck is easier than taking candy from a crafter baby!
You’ll need:
Round 1: With white, ch 4, 11 dc in fourth ch from hook. Join with sl st at top of beg ch 3. (12 dc)
Round 2: sl st to the sp between the next two dc , ch 3, dc in same sp (cluster). (2 dc) in between each dc around. (12 clusters)
Round 3: sl st to the sp between the next cluster , ch 3, 2 dc in same sp. (3 dc) in between each cluster around. Finish off white. (12 clusters)
Round 4: With orange, join with sl st between any cluster. ch 3, 3 dc in same sp, ch 1, (4 dc, ch1) in between each cluster around. (12 clusters)
Round 5 – 10: sl st to ch 1 space, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp, ch 1, (4 dc, ch1) in between each cluster around. (12 clusters), finish off orange at end of round 10.
Round 11: join yellow in any stitch, ch 1, hdc in same st and each st around, including ch 1 sps.
Round 12: ch 1, hdc in same st and each st around.
Round 13: ch 1, hdc in same st , (2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next st), repeat ( ) around. Finish off.
Easy as candy!
Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!
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:
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
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.
Less Than Three
click on image for pattern
Back in November when I put together the post for Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, I talked about my own penchant for designing heart patterns (see below).
Geeks need love, too, so I present Less Than Three (above)!
click on image for pattern
In addition to Less Than Three, with the Pink & Red season looming and Cupid stringing his bow for another year, I thought it would be fun to find all the heart patterns online that I could get my hands on and then share them with you!
After searching around for a bit, it’s obvious to me that I’m not the only one obsessed with hearts. It doesn’t surprise me greatly, but I didn’t expect the quantity of patterns I found floating around out there.
The variety ranges from simple hand drawn patterns to chic professionally published ones. There were a few websites that I’m sure haven’t been updated in a decade. The patterns are still fun, cute and just waiting to be made!
Make a heart, it’ll give Cupid a target!
Free Heart Patterns:
*site has multiple heart patterns
Not in the mood for all these happy hearts? How about a broken one?
click on image for pattern
Also check out: Paper Piecing: Step By Step
&
Paper Piecing: Seams To Me (adding seams)
Free Paper Pieced Patterns On Sewhooked!
Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support. ♥
Shared by my aunt, Amy, several years ago, Candy Cups have become a gift-giving standard for me. I’ve made them for Christmas and birthdays and with all sorts of candy.
They’re easy, inexpensive, and make gorgeous gifts for the hard-to-shop for. Think teachers, friend,s and anyone who likes candy. Sugar-free candy works, too!
Once all your supplies are gathered, it’ll take you about an hour to make one candy cup.
You’ll need:
Push the bamboo skewer into the Styrofoam ball, all the way through the top. Put it in the glass to and push down until the ball is snug in the glass.
Snip off the excess skewer with your scissors. You can also use large fingernail clippers, a utility knife, or pruning shears.
With the skewer still in the glass, fill the bottom with candy. Ideas are like M&Ms, Hershey’s Kisses, or Peppermints (though you could really use any candy). Another option is shredded paper, but the candy on the ball will make the cup top-heavy, so having a heavier filler keeps it from tipping over and gives the gifted a sweet bonus.
Place a small dot of hot melt glue on either side of the rim of the cup. Gently press the styrofoam ball onto glue, holding in place until it sets. You don’t need much, just a touch for stability.
candies in twisted wrappers
greening pins
Use greening pins to add candy to ball by poking pins through the loose end near the twist of the candy wrapper. Depending on the candy, you can get two or three on each pin.
Start at the bottom and work your way up to the top, moving in a circular pattern.
First Round complete.
Second Round.
Third Round.
Fill in any holes with more candy & greening pins.
Final round complete, all the holes filled in.
Wrap in cellophane and embellish with a bow or ribbon. The cellophane is optional, but it provides insurance that your candy will get from point “A” to point “B” intact.
Gift it!
Variation with M&Ms and Coca-Cola glasses
Variations by Amy Maxey – toffee coffee & bubble gum soda glass.
Find my free patterns on Sewhooked & Fandom in Stitches.
Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links to help cover the cost of my website. I thank you for your generous support. ♥
If I could make one candy to give away every year, it would be peanut brittle.
This is probably my most miraculous of recipes due to it’s ability to cause sheer happiness in it’s recipients. I’ve actually made friends by sharing this at parties and functions.
Every year someone tells me that this is their favorite peanut brittle recipe, which of course gives me a reason to keep making it for them!
You’ll need a good, heavy saucepan and a candy thermometer for this. If you’ve never owned a candy thermometer, it’s really worth having. I recommend investing a few dollars (a very few, really!) in a good quality thermometer. Glass thermometers are cheap, but they tend to break easily. I have a professional metal candy thermometer that I picked up at a local restaurant supply store, but they’re easy to find online and at other stores with cooking supplies, too.
Peanut Brittle
Grease a 10″x15″ baking sheet thoroughly with butter.
Combine first five ingredients (sugar, corn syrup, water, peanuts and salt) in heavy saucepan. Stir using a long-handled wooden spoon.
Boil until candy thermometer reaches 293 degrees F.
Remove from heat and cool for a couple of minutes. Add vanilla and beat. Sprinkle baking soda into the mixture and beat will. It will foam and change colors, which is just what you want it to do!
Immediately pour into baking sheet. Be very, very careful because liquid candy at high temperatures is like lava! Make sure the baking sheet is on a towel or cooling rack because it will be extremely hot.
Allow to cool completely (time will vary, usually an hour or so) then flip over and give it a whack! Break the pieces up however you like, then store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Do not store peanut brittle with other candies because it will absorb moisture and become sticky, sticky, sticky.
For best results, share with friends!
Last week, I shared three paper pieced patterns for Lil’ St. Nick, Mrs. Claus and Santa’s Elf.
ETA July 12, 2010 – These patterns will be available again November 2010 through the Sewhooked Shop.
Over the weekend, those three patterns were combined with a new pattern, Little Wonky Christmas Tree to give you the wall hanging shown, made for our friends, Eric & Dominae.
Little Wonky Christmas Tree
5″ paper pieced pattern
©Jennifer Ofenstein
http://www.sewhooked.org
The wall hanging was created by sewing the blocks two by two with a 1.5″ strip of fabric in between the two rows.
The border is also 1.5″, in the background fabric.
Echo quilted by machine.
The star on top of the tree (which was received as part of a craftster swap!) is attached with fabric glue.
Hand stamped label on the back and large jump rings for hanging.
find more paper pieced patterns on sewhooked
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 craftster, cut out + keep and deviant art
O! Christmas Candy! My house smells like chocolate…and peanut butter…and coconut…and sugar and and… Christmas!
I grew up with my mom making Coconut Bon Bons (which we called Bon Bons) every Christmas. My mom still makes them and it’s one of the candies I make that my friends start asking about in mid-November.
Peanut Butter Bon Bons are a more recent family favorite. My hubby calls them Peanut Butter Cups on Steroids. It’s a fairly apt description of spherical pb and chocolate goodness!
Coconut Bon Bon Filling:
Chocolate Coating:
12 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 pound of food grade paraffin (optional – but the chocolate will look nicer and hold together better if you use it)
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. The mixture should be firm and hold together. If not, add a little more powdered sugar.
Using a cookie dough scoop, scoop out balls. Round them with your hands and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about an hour.
Melt the chocolate chips and paraffin in a double boiler over low heat. Using a toothpick or skewer, dip each of the coconut balls into the chocolate and place back on the parchment paper. Let stand to room temperature and store in an airtight container (unless you eat them all first!).
PB Bon Bons Filling:
Chocolate Coating:
Mix peanut butter, butter and sugar. It will look crumbly, but it’ll hold together.
Roll into balls place on parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Melt the chocolate chips and paraffin in a double boiler over low heat. Using a toothpick or skewer, dip each of the coconut balls into the chocolate and place back on the parchment paper. Let stand to room temperature and store in an airtight container.
Look for more holiday recipes later in the month!
Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post.
Lil’ St. Nick was such a hit that I had to give him some friends! I hope you like Mrs. Claus and Santa’s Elf just as much.
While I’m here, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I rarely design a pattern with a final project in mind. I draw whatever makes me happy and it ends up being wherever it needs to be.
Today, it’s Christmas!
5″ paper pieced patterns
©Jennifer Ofenstein
http://www.sewhooked.com
Santa’s Elf
Mrs. Claus
ETA July 12, 2010 – These patterns will be available through the Sewhooked Shop November 2010..
For more paper pieced patterns, be sure to visit sewhooked.
Just for fun, I created a Christmas Quilts group over on flickr. Post yours and oogle, too!
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 craftster
Lil’ St. Nick
5″ paper pieced pattern
©Jennifer Ofenstein
http://www.sewhooked.org
This adorable wee Santa jumped right out of my head today. I carried him all through the supermarket, telling him to hush, we’d go home soon. The moment the last grocery was put away, my laptop was out, Photoshop fired up, and Lil’ St. Nick was having his say.
I love the way he turned out and I hope he puts you in the holiday spirit!
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 craftster
Sewhooked 