Category Archives: Quilts & Quilting

Guest Designer Spotlight: Jennifer Tanner

designed by Jennifer Tanner
click on image for pattern

After a long time without a Guest Designer Spotlight, I’m proud to say that I have a brand new sewhooked Guest Designer to introduce: Jennifer Tanner! Jennifer answered some questions about herself for us so fans of her patterns can get to know her a little better.

First name and where you’re from: Jennifer Tanner; Zimmerman, Minnesota

Website/blog/online store or other place where your patterns or photos of your work can be found? I do not have a website & I hardly think you could call my Live Journal account a blog! But I am going to do my best to learn how to use it. I will keep passing on new designs to Jennifer though, so you can always find them at www.sewhooked.org on the Guest designer page! (Many thanks to Jennifer for creating this part of her website!)

How long have you been paper piecing and/or quilting? The first quilt I made was a baby quilt for my husband’s cousin. I do not remember the exact year but I think it was somewhere in 2001 – 2003. I didn’t start paper piecing until November of this past year (2009). I decided that I was going to get going on the Harry Potter quilt I had wanted to make since 2001. I started to get pretty downhearted when looking for Harry Potter material because it was OUTRAGEOUSLY priced on eBay. I then did a Google search & found Jennifer’s website. (HURRAY!) I had only heard of paper piecing once before so I wasn’t sure this would work either. With the help of Jen’s tutorial & another gal’s YouTube video, I gave it a whirl. Needless to say, I loved it!

What do you use own your blocks for? I am using my HP themed blocks for my Harry Potter quilt top. I designed a Christmas tree for a table runner, a Mickey Mouse outline for a pillow for my son, & a pirate square that hasn’t been tested yet. Once I am done with my HP quilt I would like to make a book bag using some of the HP patterns.

click image for pattern

When did you start designing? I designed my first block December 2009.

Was there a particular inspiration to draw your first pattern? Do you remember what your first design was? Seeing the fulfillment Jennifer got from her own designs inspired me to just go for it. My first block was a Christmas tree. My next block was a train engine that I drew up for my sister after not being able to find a pattern I liked online. That is what led me to design my Hogwarts Express. I just kept going from there.

Do you have a favorite among your own designs? I am equally in love with my Hogwarts Castle & Durmstrang ship. The ship is available for download on Jennifer’s website, www.sewhooked.org, but I decided to keep the castle as my own block.

How has the online community changed the way you craft/quilt/design, etc.? Where do I begin!?! God just blessed me with the crafty online community this fall & it has helped me so much! I would not be designing today if I had not discovered this community. Not to mention I probably would not be making my HP quilt right now either! I can go to YouTube & watch tutorials if I’m stuck on something; Jennifer has been amazing in answering so many questions that I’ve had about paper piecing & designing. The compliments people share with each other is so encouraging. It has inspired me to be a better crafter. I enjoy being able to share something I love with others who share the same passion! And I’m so happy to have found paper piecing. 🙂

What do you use to design your patterns? Paper and pencil, a specific software, etc. I hand draw all of my patterns using pencil & a ruler. I’ve tried & tried to get the computer drawing down. I can get the picture drawn, but can’t figure out how to get the seam allowance in there so old fashioned drawing it is for me!

find more of Jennifer Tanners’ patterns on the sewhooked Guest Designer page

Happy Quilting!

vlog – TTMT – Batiks On Black, Baby!

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In which I announce the winner of the Batiks On Black quilt block drawing!

Congratulations to you know who!

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New Challenge at Harry Potter Paper Piecing

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This one is not to be missed…the biggest challenge ever at Harry Potter Paper Piecing with an unbelievably awesome prize! Click on the above image for full details.

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Batiks On Black Deadline!

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This is it! The deadline for Batiks On Black is next week!

Blocks have been coming in and they are all gorgeous! For a small sampling, check out the BoB Flickr Group.

If you’re participating and haven’t yet sent your blocks in, please get them in the mail and email me the number you’re entering so your name can be included in the drawing!

Click here for more details!

2010 UFO Round Up

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I’ve decided 2010 will be the year I finish some long-standing UFOs. I’ve made a list and added to the dry erase board I keep in my sewing & craft room. Here’s a more visual version to keep me inspired!

To Be Quilted:

Grannie’s Autograph Quilt – This was my Grannie’s and was previously a tied quilt. I’d like to hand quilt it, but I’ve been reluctant to start until I finish my Electric Amish project (see below).

Lost and Found Flour Sack Quilt – A quilt top my mom found when she inherited my Grannie’s house. It was originally much longer with holes in several of the squares. I removed a few rows across the bottom (which is not how it was pieced, so it was a pain!) and the damaged fabrics, then replaced those with some of that fabric salvaged from the bottom. The border is muslin, which is also what I’d like to put on the back.

Yellow/Green Linus X-Quilts (from fabric donated by Laci L) – made from the Layer ‘Em Up book by Sharyn Craig. Easy peasy tops made from just 2 yards of fabric, both are baby-size. To finish by the next Linus meeting, January 16, 2009.

Electric Amish (hand quilting project, about 1/3 complete) – modified Storm at Sea pattern. This is the first large quilt top I completed that I intended to keep for myself. I’ve been quilting on it for at least five years. To say that hand quilting is not my strong point is an understatement!

Tops to Finish:

Brown Bear (blocks are done, need more borders and to be pieced) – from a pass around with my bee. We made the bear paws for each other. I’ve pieced the units, which still need borders.

HP swap received (blocks are done, need layout, piecing) – from various online quilt block swaps 2007-2008. Not all of these will go in the finished quilt because a few were the wrong size. I’ll save those for something else.

Christmas Cottage swap received (blocks are done, need layout, piecing) – blocks received from the 2009 All About Paper Piecing Christmas Cottage Swap. I’m not in a huge hurry for these since I just got them all, but they’re officially a UFO, so they’re on the list.

Layer ‘Em Up 2 for Linus (blocks are pieced, need to be squared and top pieced) – To finish by the next Linus meeting, January 16, 2009.

Batik Beauty (finish blocks) – this will likely be my quilt retreat project for March. I’d like to have this top done by April in order to show the NYB class I’m teaching at Honey Bee.

Sewing:

Pillowcases to donate to Honey Bee for the 1 Million Pillowcases Challenge
New Bag with pockets for BB & camera

Crochet

Twilight Crafts Black & Red Swap Received (layout and finish) – knit and crochet squares. I might make a few more, or I might just border these and make them into a lapghan.

Turn Around Granny Square ‘ghan (more rounds? and finish) – Oh geez, these have been sitting for at least a year. I’m uninspired as to what I need to do next. More rounds? Just put them together? No idea!

Do you have a list of UFOs to finish in 2010? I’d love to see!

Have a sewhooked little Christmas

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A little Christmas Cheer from the sewhooked flickr group!

by sewtobed on flickr

by ramblequeen on flickr

by Jennifer T.

by liljabs on flickr

Lots more great quilts in the flickr Christmas quilts group!

More Christmas cheer from sewhooked:

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.

vlog: TTMT – Hats, Blocks & Sue

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In which I share lots of hats, Christmas Cottage Swap blocks, a few ornaments and an update on Operation Save Sue!

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.

vlog – TTMT: CinnaYum

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In which I talk about swaps, gum, paper piecing classes, Batiks on Black and crocheting for The Linus Connection!

Honey Bee Quilt Store
The Linus Connection
Twilight Crafts

Quilting: Sweet Honey Bee

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Dianne Ferguson, owner of Honey Bee Quilt Store with her Harry Potter blocks

Since the summer of this year, I have had the great pleasure of being the Paper Piecing instructor for Honey Bee Quilt Store in Austin, Texas.

What I didn’t expect was that not would Honey Bee embrace me and my paper piecing classes (which several of the employees have taken!), but both the store owner (Dianne, shown above) and Kerry (who I will get a photo of with her blocks!) would both work on Harry Potter quilts using both my patterns and Guest Designer patterns from sewhooked! Every time one of them shows me their quilty progress, I get more excited about their future quilts. They’re both using gorgeous fabrics for their blocks and their stacks get a little taller each time I visit.

Tomorrow, I’m teaching Intro to Paper Piecing at Honey Bee to a full house!

Stop by the shop on December 6, 2009 at 1:00 pm for Open House to meet next session’s instructors, get a peek at the classes and sign up early before they fill up. I’ll be there along with other instructors for questions and just to hang out and meet potential students!

My intro technique class and a new class, Paper Piecing + Curves (New York Beauty block) will be offered in the Spring. Many of the wonderful kits and projects offered at Honey Bee include paper piecing, so if you haven’t learned yet and are anywhere near the Austin area, join me for a fun technique class in the spring.

Intro to Paper Piecing, February 20, 2009

Paper Piecing + Curves (New York Beauty Block) – Date TBA

For those of you that didn’t catch it earlier in the week, one of sewhooked’s own Guest Designers, Cat Magraith, was featured on the Honey Bee Blog after her visit here to the U.S. and some seriously quilty shopping at Honey Bee!

A Holly Jolly Memory

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“Holly Jolly Christmas”
12″x13″ – 2008

Do you remember this little beauty?

It was a gift that I made for our friends Eric & Dominae. One of my favorite quilty sites, The Quilting Gallery, is having a contest called Holiday Traditions. There’s a small category and I decided that “Holly Jolly” would be the perfect quilt to enter.

The contest is open to small and large quilts and to any winter holiday and there are loads of fantastic prizes. Go see and enter your own holiday quilt!

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.