Category Archives: Quilts & Quilting

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.

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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. ♥

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

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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. ♥

Free Pattern Friday: I hear there’s a football game?

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

I’ll be completely honest with you and let you know that I’ve never really been a sports fan. My youngest kid was a marching band guy and I went to a LOT of games, enough to learn that what I did while there was watch the musicians and the crowd!

That said, a lot of people I care about LOVE sports, so for those of you who fall into that category, I have a round-up of some of my football-inspired patterns from over the years!

Whoever you are rooting for, I hope it’s a good game!

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. ♥

go team fabric

Go Team, 10″ paper pieced

Go, Team! is 10″ paper pieced (10 1/2″ with seam allowance), and can be made in whatever team colors that best suit your purpose. My version was made in school colors for my eldest child. 🙂

Simple Football 

5″ paper pieced

Football With Laces

5″ paper pieced

If you enjoy my free content, please considering 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. ♥

Happy 10th YouTube Anniversary, Paper Piecing Art!

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Posted to YouTube on January 31, 2014, Paper Piecing Art is sitting at 92k views today; it’s the video I still get the most comments on!

I was originally contracted to record this as a multi-part online class. When the rights to the video reverted to me, I put the whole thing on YouTube. I have no regrets!

It makes my heart especially happy to hear from brand new quilters who used my workshop to learn to paper piece because of something they saw on sewhooked.com or fandominstitches.com. ❤️

Did you learn to paper piece from my workshop? I’d love to hear from you!

It has genuinely been my great honor to introduce so many people to the love of foundation paper piecing.

learn to paper piece

Want to learn? The young lady in the video is happy to teach you!

Print Waiting for Rain, the free pattern used in the video above.

♥ 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 – Spread the Love!

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Some of my favorite things to play with over the years have been hearts, love, and general happiness!

With Valentine’s Day coming up, it seemed like a good time to share some old favorites. I’d love to see what you can do with these in modern fabrics. If you make any of these, please do share!

All patterns were designed by me and are free for your personal & non-profit use.

Need paper piecing help? I’ve got you!

First, we have some complete quilt patterns:

Big  Heart Quilt, 44″ x 49″, tradionally pieced
cross my heart title
Cross My Hearts, Blocks – 6” & 12” paper pieced, Quilt As Shown in pattern 58” x 58”
full_1155_12956_CrossMyHeartspaperpieced_2
Cross My Hearts as a blocks – 6” & 12” paper pieced, Quilt As Shown in pattern 58” x 58”
mug-o-love-free-pattern
Mug O’ Love, 5″paper pieced
woven-heart-free-pattern
Woven Heart, 6″ paper pieced
yellow ribbon heart
Heart With A Cause, 6″ paper pieced
heart
A Simple Heart, 5″ paper pieced
log cabin heart
Log Cabin Heart, 5″ paper pieced
cupid's arrow 2
Cupid’s Arrow (a heart pattern), 3″, 5″, or 8″ paper pieced
braided heart by me
Braided Heart, 5″ paper pieced
less than three by me
Less Than Three, 5″ paper pieced
scrappy heart by me
Scrappy Heart, 5″ paper pieced
scrappy heart 2 by me (1)
Scrappy Heart 2, 5″ paper pieced

Fun Fact! Scrappy Heart 2 resulted from a Photoshop design tutorial I shared on YouTube 14 years ago! If you’re interested, you can find Part 1 and Part 2 on my YouTube channel. I currently design in EQ8, but the principals are the same.

Hearts Go Round title
Hearts Go Round, 10″ paper pieced

Just need a hug? How about a virtual hug?

hugs title
Virtual Hugs, 6″ or 12″ paper pieced
ASL I Love You v2, 6″ paper pieced

And, in case you’re not feeling the Valentine’s love, a Broken Heart for anyone who needs a little therapeutic sewing. ♥

broken heart
Broken Heart, 5″ paper pieced

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

♥ 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 #758 – Snow Flowers & More

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This week I’m delighted to share my finished Christmas quilt based on Running Doe Quilts’ May Flowers. I dubbed mine “Snow Flowers” and it is mine, all mine!

I also share another fabric Christmas tree, a Danish Woven Heart, and a new festive tee for me! Have a lovely rest of your week. ♥

♥ 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 – Holiday House Revisit

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Welcome back to Free Pattern Friday!

As a thank you to my wonderful Ko-Fi supporters, I wanted to share some extra free content in December.

Holiday House was first shared as part of a blog hop back in 2011. I updated the pattern in 2017, adding a 10″ version for your piecing pleasure. I’m sharing it again here today because I have lots of new quilting friends here on Sewhooked and I wanted to make sure you knew about this sweet block.

holiday house 2017

Holiday House

5″ or 10″ paper pieced (5 1/2″ or 10 1/2″ unfinished)
a free pattern for personal & non-profit use© Jennifer Ofenstein
sewhooked.com

Holiday House Quilt

Wouldn’t this make a great swap quilt?!

Find more Free Pattern Friday Posts!

Need help with paper piecing? I’ve got you!

You’ll find more free quilt patterns in my Quilt Pattern Archive.

Looking for more fandom content? You’ll find it on Fandom in Stitches!

Thank you for stopping by. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to share free patterns again. If you make this or any of my other patterns, let me know: drop me an email or tag me on Instagram @sewhookedjen.

I hope to see you for my next Talk to Me Tuesday vlog! If you haven’t joined me for TTMT, be sure to stop by to say hello to yours truly and catch up on what I’ve been working on. Want to join the TTMT community? Find out how here!

♥ 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. ♥