Category Archives: paper piecing

Seeing Stars

Well, well, would you look at that fun quilt top! Above is the very first Stars For Linus top, made from your donations, to be quilted this week and donated to The Linus Connection, which in turn will distribute it to a child in crisis in Central Texas.

And boy, has Central Texas been in crisis recently. Drought. The hottest summer on record for any state in the U.S. Ever. Fires that have left thousands of people scrambling to find a new home.

Isn’t that a good reason to make happy quilts?

This second Stars for Linus top went together absolutely beautifully, and I still have another stack of blocks that’s just a few shy of having enough for another top!

Stars For The Linus Connection

a free 12″ pattern

for best results when printing, set scaling to “none”

Because The Linus Connection is such an important part of my life, I will continue to collect Stars for Linus indefinitely. Use them for my organization, or your own favorite blanket charity! Get your friends together for a sewing day and bring the pattern along to share! It only takes 12 stars to make a comfort quilt for a child. 20 blocks will make a wonderful teen-sized quilt.

Wonky Star, by mkissa

donated to the Bushfire Quilt Project

So, you’re not a paper piecer, but you’d still like to contribute? Inspired by WIP Girl, Kristel, known as Clumsy Chord on Talk To Me Tuesday, I will also accept 12″ (12 1/2″ unfinished) Maverick Stars or Wonky Stars (the same technique, different tutorials). To make a 12 1/2″ Maverick or Wonky star, your nine patch units need to be 4 1/2″.

See the video with Kristel’s Wonky Star quilt for Linus.

Check out the updated list of Stars for Linus contributors in this post!

Sew Something in Leander is hosting their first ever Linus Work Day tomorrow, October 8, from 10-1. I will be there, taking photos and helping in any way I can. I hope to see you there!

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Fairy Tale Femmes

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Fairy Tale Femmes

It took me by surprise to realize how long it’s been since I’ve shared a new pattern from the Sewhooked Shop!

Enter the latest addition to Sunbonnet Sue’s Magical Friends: Set 6 – Fairy Tale Femmes.

These lovelies are my own interpretation of some of Fairy Land’s most popular pretty ladies: Rapunzel, letting down her hair; Little Red Riding Hood, off to visit Grandma; Snow White, contemplating the poisoned apple; The Princess and the Pea, trying to get comfy; A Little Mermaid, dreaming of a human Prince; and Cinderella, fleeing at midnight.

Just a reminder, in honor of my participation in the Quilting Gallery’s Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along, right now through November 1, 2011 get Holly Jolly as an instant PDF download pattern for half price using coupon code CELEBRATE or get 10% of your total Sewhooked instant download purchase instead with coupon code QUILTOBER!

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Happy stitching!

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Quilting Gallery’s Christmas Quilt-Along: Sweet Sue Tops The Tree

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Welcome Quilt-Along visitors!

I have been excited about Quilting Gallery’s Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along since the very first moment of my involvement. What an amazingly talented bunch of designers Michele has brought together. I’m absolutely thrilled to be included and to bring you today’s pattern!

Am I always this excitable? Yes, yes, I am!

My goal was to share a pattern that would reflect both the theme and my personal design style. With that, Sweet Sue was born. Sunbonnet Sue has always been a personal favorite, and I’ve designed oodles of patterns that feature Sue characters. More on that later…

Presenting, for your Christmas quilting enjoyment

Sweet Sue Tops the Tree

Sweet Sue Tops The Tree – a free 12″ paper pieced pattern

For best results, print with scaling set to “none.”

New to paper piecing? Visit my Paper Piecing Resource Page!

See this block on Quilting Gallery.

Isn’t she just a sweetie?

I’ve been designing patterns for quite a few years now, and it never gets any less fun for me, but it’s only been in the ten months or so that I’ve started using EQ7.

For those that might be unfamiliar with it, Electric Quilt is a quilting software that allows you to draft quilt patterns using specialized tools just for quilting. I primarily use the block drafting tools to create my own whimsical paper pieced patterns.

One of the most fun things for me is getting the chance to see my designs in a myriad of fabrics before I ever start digging through my stash. If you’ve visited Sewhooked before, you already know that I love to share design variations to get your creative juices flowing!

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Fabric variation is the spice of life! Each of these blocks was generated using EQ7.

Apart from designing and playing with fabric, one of the great joys of quilting, at least for me, is getting to share it with my friends! I am incredibly lucky to have quite a few quilting friends that are ready and willing to try out my patterns before I release them into the wild.

For your quilting pleasure, Sweet Sue has been tested by:

AnnMarie

and

Amber

Feeling a little lost? There’s a tutorial for that!

So what’s all this about a slew of Sunbonnet Sues? What I enjoy quilting most, whimsy and magic, found their way into my versions of Sue, entitled Sunbonnet Sue’s Magical Friends. All of Sue’s Friends are available as themed sets in the Sewhooked Shop.

Mrs. Claus Little Wonky Christmas Tree Lil' St. Nick Santa's Elf Wee Lil Penguin

Sunbonnet Sue’s Magical Friends, Supplemental Set 1: Holly Jolly includes Lil’ St. Nick, Wonky Lil’ Christmas Tree , Mrs. Claus, Santa’s Lil’ Helper, and Wee Lil’ Penguin.

In honor of the Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along, right now through November 1, get Holly Jolly as an instant PDF download pattern for half price using coupon code CELEBRATE. Yep, just $3 for five sweet patterns!

Sue doesn’t do it for you? How about 10% of your total Sewhooked instant download purchase instead with coupon code QUILTOBER!

Tree Trimming

Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post! And don’t forget, if you’re playing along, please share your Sweet Sue photos in the Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along flickr.

Happy quilting, and thanks so much for dropping by!

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Stars for Linus, An Update

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It’s been almost a month since the original Stars for Linus post. In that time, I’ve received 30 blocks in the mail!

All completed quilts will be donated to The Linus Connection of Austin, Texas. Our organization is comprised completely of volunteers who make and deliver hand-made quilts, afghans and fleece blankets to children in crisis in Central Texas, including those affected by the wildfires in September of this year.

In September, I asked you to share the love and help the kids affected by those fires by making a Stars For Linus block and mailing it to me to turn into a quilt top.

The very first block arrived just days later.

Each Stars For Linus quilt will be pieced by me and I will turn each one into Linus for delivery to a child that needs it. I will continue to collect Stars indefinitely, so any time you’d like to share a block, feel free to do so!

One Stars For Linus quilt top is pieced and ready to quilt. Another set of blocks is sorted and ready to piece. A third pile is growing and will soon be a quilt top, too.

I wanted take a minute and share a special thank you to everyone that has sent Stars for Linus blocks so far, in no particular order:

Paige J., Nebraska
Amber L., Illinois
Judee K, California
Soma A., California
Carol M., Wyoming
Lynda M., Illinois
Barbara C., New Hampshire
Kathy P., Washington
Linda F., New Jersey
Terri J., California
Dawn F., Massachusetts
Michele F., Ontario
Midge W., Michigan

I will continue to add to this list as the Stars arrive! If you do not see your name here and you know I have received your Stars, please let me know so I can update the list. I don’t want anyone to be left out!

I’ve also received completed quilt tops that are now in the process of being quilted and bound, as well as completed quilts:

Jenn F., Oregon
JoAnn M, Louisiana
Kristel C., Calgary

My yarny friends are not to be forgotten! Afghans received from:

Amber L., Illinois
Mary C., Oklahoma

Stars For The Linus Connection

a free 12″ pattern

for best results, set scaling to “none”

See more of my posts about The Linus Connection.

I cannot say thank you enough for all of your support for a cause that means so very much to me!

Quilt on!

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Harry Potter, A Love Story

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Once upon the time, there was a girl that loved Harry Potter.

I don’t mean that she loved The Boy Who Lived. She did, of course, but most of all, she loved his story.

His story captured the world. It gave grown men and women the urge to jump on broomsticks and wear robes. It turned children that did not care for books into avid readers. His story told us that there is a place for everyone and that the brave of heart can also be clever and loyal, and that good will, in the end, conquer evil.

Now, back to the girl.

To show her love for Harry, the girl designed and shared hundreds of quilt patterns about Harry’s adventures. Eventually, others that loved Harry wanted to do the same, and a community grew up around their mutual love of The Boy Who Lived.

After many, many years of waiting with bated breath and following every word of his story, Harry did, finally, conquer Voldemort and the story came to an end.

The girl continued to quilt and to share, but in the back of her mind, there was an idea. A wonderful, scary, huge idea.

It sat and percolated for almost eight years.

Then, one day, she started drawing. Pattern after pattern emerged, and she realized that the joy of this project must be shared with others like her. Somewhere during the creative process, this same girl realized that this project, this quilt, would be the last big Harry Potter project she would take on. This made her both happy and sad, so she gave this very happy project an ominous name.

The Project of Doom.

Imagine the girl’s surprise and joy when she realized that others really did want to share in the adventure of this, her last big Harry Potter project!

It would be months of choosing just the right fabrics, sharing ideas, and making new friends.

Months of stitching, and waiting, and anticipation.

She had no idea, at the beginning how big or how wonderful it all would be or how many talented, wonderful new people she would meet as a result.

The Project of Doom, A Harry Potter Block of the Month

January – August, 2011

Hand embroidery completed September 2011

Top Pieced October 1, 2011.

And now, for those that started the journey together in January, this adventure has ended. For others, it is only beginning.

For the girl? She will be forever grateful to those that joined her in the journey, but most especially to Harry, his friends, and the adventures he shared with us.

Learn more about The Project of Doom

New for 2013 – Get all 30 patterns plus finishing instructions in one zip file on Craftsy!

The Project of Doom was conceived by, designed, written and presented by Jennifer Ofenstein through Harry Potter Paper Piecing.

All patterns are free for personal and non-profit use, and for the love of Harry Potter.

You can find all Project of Doom patterns and instructions archived right here on Sewhooked and on my fandom quilting site, Fandom In Stitches.

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Piecing of Doom

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Guess what I finished the embroidery on last night and will be PIECING today?! That’s right, my Project of Doom blocks will be a quilt top by the end of the day! Many of the participants in my Harry Potter Block of the Week opted to add different elements to their quilt after it was in bookcase format. I am undecided on that. Since I designed it, it’s already about as personalized as it’s going to get for me. There is one thing I might try…but first thing’s first, rows of books!

Learn more about The Project of Doom

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Free Patterns: All About Sewing, Revisited

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These three sewing-themed blocks were some of my first-ever paper pieced blocks to draft. I had just started designing my own patterns and really wanted to make something that said “sewing.” I had seen similar blocks, of course. Jars and spools are pretty classic when it comes to quilting, but having just learned to draft, I wanted to draw my own versions.

The original patterns are six or seven years old and have gotten their first revamp in a long, long time. Compare the original version of the Sewing Machine with the new version, and you can really see how much cleaner and easier to read my patterns have become over the years. It’s cool to me to have this documented evidence of my own evolution.

As time goes by, I plan to update as many of my older patterns as possible. Who knows, maybe even some of those patterns that have been locked away in the Sewhooked Vault will see the light of day again!

I hope you enjoy these patterns for what they are: classic, simple, and representative of the craft we love!

Free Patterns:

5″ Classic Sewing Machine

5″ Classic Spool

5″ Classic Jar

Lots more on the free pattern page!

If you enjoy my free content, you can buy me a Ko-Fi.
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Find my free patterns on Sewhooked & Fandom in Stitches, where you can also quilt along with us!

♥ 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. ♥

Stars For The Linus Connection

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Stars For The Linus Connection a free 12″ pattern

If you’ve been around Sewhooked any length of time, or have watched Talk To Me Tuesday, well, ever, then you know that The Linus Connection is a big part of my life. I started donating blankets to Linus way back in November of 2002. The Linus Connection, in turn, distributes those blankets to children in crisis throughout Central Texas.

Right now, more children than ever before are in crisis in Central Texas because Texas has been burning all week. Hundreds and hundreds of families are now homeless. People have died. I have a friend that lost everything. It’s bad, bad business.

So now, I’m going to do what I do best and give you a free pattern.

But this time, I want a little something in return.

Stars For The Linus Connection

a free 12″ pattern

for best results when printing, set scaling to “none”

Take this free pattern and make a block, or two, or twelve. Make a quilt top, or a quilt, or an afghan (because yarn is fabulous, too!) and mail it to the address on the pattern. Yes, that’s my address there. Please don’t stalk me, but do send me loads of blocks and blankets for The Linus Connection so we can then take those blankets and get them to the children in our area who need them!

Wonky Star, by mkissa

donated to the Bushfire Quilt Project

See the video with Kristel’s Wonky Star quilt for Linus.

Want to do your own thing? Be sure to check our the Linus Blanket Specifications first. Here’s a summary: 100% cotton quilting fabric for quilts, washable acrylic yarn for blankets, sizes can range from 30” x 30” up to 54” x 70”. Cotton or low-loft acrylic batting and french fold binding. Here’s the rest!

All blocks sent to me will be pieced into quilt tops, quilted and bound by myself or another Linus volunteer. I will make every effort to share finished quilts here on Sewhooked.

Linus has already started getting calls, and the number of blankets needed is going to be huge. My favorite charity and the children of my home state need your help. Whether you make just one block or many, every little bit counts.

If you make a block (or a lot!) add them to the Block and Blanket Drive for Linus flickr group and The Linus Connection flickr Group (the second group show up on the Linus blog in the flickr widget!). As always, you are more than welcome to add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group. I love featuring your photos!

And please, please, please share, tweet, Facebook, tumble and +1 this post. Get it out there, share the pattern with your friends and help us cover Central Texas children in blankets of made with love!

See more of my posts about The Linus Connection.

Donate to The Red Cross of Central Texas

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Feeling Chicken

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Free 5″ Pecking Chick Pattern, by Jennifer Ofenstein

Several years ago, I participated in a year-long birthday quilt block swap. At the time, one of my dear friends and fellow designers, Cat Magraith, was collecting chicken-themed blocks. She was also participating in the same swap. I drafted several before deciding which blocks to share with her.

The above pattern, Pecking Chick, never made out of the sketch stage and is being posted for the very first time today! I think he’d be a sweet little chick with a French knot eye and a few seed beads at his feet for pecking!

The first two were made for the swap, and I believe I sent the egg block on to her as well. It’s one block I’m incredibly proud of. Doesn’t it just look like you’re looking in a full nest?

Cat’s Roosters, free 5″ patterns here on Sewhooked.

Chick for Cat, adapted from this pattern at Patch Pieces.

Three Eggs. Free 5″ Pattern here on Sewhooked.

But wait, there’s more! I’m not the only that’s created or adapted chicken patterns. Cat has quite a few of her own, many of which are available right here on Sewhooked for free!

2 Chicks, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Hen With Chick, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Rooster, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Pecking Hen, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Hen, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith

Get more great

free patterns right here on Sewhooked

and on

Fandom In Stiches

(fandom quilt patterns by fans, for fans!).

Have a very happy, crafty, quilty Friday!

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Project of Doom Archive

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You can now find all Project of Doom patterns archived here on Sewhooked.

The Project of Doom was a Harry Potter Block of the Week that took place between January and August 2011. The link above includes a comprehensive archive of all of the patterns that were posted during that time, including fabric requirements and suggested layouts.

Go have a look!

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