Category Archives: Quilts & Quilting

TTMT #792 – Of Magic Cats & Gaming Turtles

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In between a lot of really un-fun adulting, I’ve been trying to squeeze in some happy projects. First up is a Halloween Quilt finish that I’ve now passed on to my quilt-loving eldest kiddo. I also completed a really fun gift for a good friend’s birthday.

(The sound in this video is a bit weird and I apologize for that. I was trying a new microphone setup and though my couple of tests sounded fine, this did NOT. I’d already given the quilt away when I realized and as I’m no voice-over expert, I decided to do my best to edit the audio and will go back to my regular set up next week.)

Links for items listed in this video are below. These are not affiliate or sponsored links; I receive no compensation if you use them. If you want to support my content, like & subscribe or check out my Ko-Fi link below. ♥

In case you missed it, I shared a new freebie last week:

Sherlock Holmes’ Churchwarden Pipe Bookcase Block

designed by Jennifer Ofenstein

10″ paper pieced

free for personal use only

(machine embroidery not included)

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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. ♥

Free Pattern Friday: Sherlock Holmes’ Churchwarden Pipe Bookcase Block

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free-pattern-friday

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to Free Pattern Friday!

As mentioned in recent videos, I’m working on a bookcase quilt for my husband. I’ve been sharing these new designs here and on Fandom in Stitches, both free for your personal use.

We both love Sherlock Holmes, so adding our favorite fictional detective to his quilt was a no-brainer!

Next up is Sherlock Holmes’ Churchwarden Pipe, inspired by my favorite Holmes portrayed by Jeremy Brett. This will be my last Holmes’ themed designed for now.

Special thanks to Peterson’s Pipe Notes for the info on this pipe.

I hope you enjoy this pattern. I look forward to bringing you more new bookcase blocks as I design them!

The following patterns are designed by me, Jennifer Ofenstein, and are free for your personal use. Links go to Google Docs that you can save or print. ♥

Sherlock Holmes’ Churchwarden Pipe Bookcase Block

designed by Jennifer Ofenstein

10″ paper pieced

free for personal use only

(machine embroidery not included)


Need some summer reading? 

Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain! 

You can access all the stories for free at Project Gutenberg.

10

Find my Fandom patterns HERE

More Sherlock Holmes on Fandom in Stitches!

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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 #791 – Nifty Thrifty

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I had a very busy week with some fun thrift store finds, including two quilt tops that I share with you today. I also made a little progress on the bookcase quilt I’m working on for my husband as well as my #ttmtbom!

Austin Creative Reuse is THE BEST thrift store. If you’re ever in the area, you have to check it out!

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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 #790 – It’s Who Again

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Woo! I completed the repairs on my eldest’s Doctor Who quilt, which is now back in their hands! This was a bigger job than I first anticipated. It’s been a journey and I am ready for what’s next!

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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. ♥

Free Pattern Friday: Sherlock Holmes’ Persian Slipper Bookcase Block

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free-pattern-friday

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to Free Pattern Friday!

As mentioned in recent videos, I’m working on a bookcase quilt for my husband. I have already designed several new blocks that I’ll share here and on Fandom in Stitches as they are ready. 

We both love Sherlock Holmes, so adding our favorite fictional detective to his quilt was a no-brainer!

Next up is Sherlock Holmes’ Persian Slipper. This is inspired by one of our favorite quotes from the short stories:

“But with me there is a limit, and when I find a man who keeps his cigars in the coal-scuttle, his tobacco in the toe end of a Persian slipper, and his unanswered correspondence transfixed by a jack-knife into the very centre of his wooden mantelpiece, then I begin to give myself virtuous airs.” 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,

The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual

I hope you enjoy this pattern. I look forward to bringing you more new bookcase blocks as I design them!

The following patterns are designed by me, Jennifer Ofenstein, and are free for your personal use. Links go to Google Docs that you can save or print. ♥

Sherlock Holmes’ Persian Slipper Bookcase Block

designed by Jennifer Ofenstein

10″ paper pieced

free for personal use only

(machine embroidery not included)


Need some summer reading? 

Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain! 

You can access all the stories for free at Project Gutenberg.

10

Find my Fandom patterns HERE

More Sherlock Holmes on Fandom in Stitches!

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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. ♥

Free Pattern … THURSDAY? L’amour sous la Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower)

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free-pattern-friday

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to Free Pattern Friday on a Thursday for a bonus freebie for the Opening Games of the Olympics beginning tomorrow in Paris, France!

To celebrate, I’ve decided to bring an old favorite out of retirement: L’amour sous la Tour Eiffel!

Eiffel Tower inspired design by Jennifer Ofenstein

Originally inspired by my eldest child’s international travels, L’amour sous la Tour Eiffel, is a 5″ x 10″ (finished) pattern to paper piece and is easy to incorporate into all kinds of projects!

The following pattern is designed by me, Jennifer Ofenstein, and is free for your personal use. Links go to Google Docs that you can save or print. ♥

eiffel title

L’amour sous la tour Eiffel

(Eiffel Tower)

designed by Jennifer ofenstein

5″ x 10″ paper pieced (5 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ with seam allowance)

free for your personal use ♥

eiffel quilt

Years ago, I was asked for a sample rainbow quilt inspired by L’amour sous la Tour Eiffel! How fun is that? This simple version includes multiple colors of the Eiffel Tower with 2″ sashing and cornerstones.

How to Enlarge & Reduce Patterns using Adobe Reader

Need another size? I can help!

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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. ♥

Free Pattern Friday: Sherlock Holmes’ Deerstalker Bookcase Block

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free-pattern-friday

Hello, my friends, and welcome back to Free Pattern Friday!

As mentioned in a recent video, I’m working on a bookcase quilt for my husband. I have already designed several new blocks that I’ll share here and on Fandom in Stitches as they are ready. 

We both love Sherlock Holmes, so adding our favorite fictional detective to his quilt was a no-brainer!

Based on my 2011 Deerstalker pattern, today is Sherlock Holmes’ Deerstalker Bookcase Block. I hope you enjoy this pattern. I look forward to bringing you more new bookcase blocks as I design them!

The following patterns are designed by me, Jennifer Ofenstein, and are free for your personal use. Links go to Google Docs that you can save or print. ♥

Sherlock Holmes’ Deerstalker Bookcase Block

designed by Jennifer Ofenstein

10″ paper pieced

free for personal use only

(machine embroidery not included)

Deerstalker (2011)

5″ paper pieced


Need some summer reading? 

Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain! 

You can access all the stories for free at Project Gutenberg.

10

Find my Fandom patterns HERE

More Sherlock Holmes on Fandom in Stitches!

If you enjoy my free content, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi. Your support is greatly appreciated.

♥ 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 #771 – A Tale of Two Swaps

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Today on TTMT, I do a little post-BFF retreat roundup, share my Talk to Me Tuesday swaps both sent and received, and announce a little giveaway for my viewers!

♥ 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 #769 – Quilt For Good & Travel Prep

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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)

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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. ♥