In which I give a brief tour of my newly tidied work space, do a little show and tell and talk about the shiny and new Sewhooked Shop.
Guest appearance by Professor Snape.
TTMT #64 – Tour and Tell
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Category Archives: -sewhooked website-
sewhooked shop!
I’m thrilled to announce that after months of research, sleepless nights, filing of papers, designing, stitching and lots and LOTS of work, the Sewhooked Shop is finally online!
I’m starting with just a few products, all available for instant download with PayPal payment. Every pattern is also available for wholesale. Contact me for more information at sewhooked@gmail.com.
How excited am I? I ate a lot of peanut butter today…That’s how excited!
Please check it out…I’d love your feedback!
Shop Sewhooked and help keep the free patterns free!
Add your Sewhooked-related photos (that includes my patterns posted to Fandom In Stitches!) to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!
Have a wonderful day!
Jewelry: Needle Earrings
Some days, a girl feels cleverer than others. Take the day that I was trying to think of something simple and inexpensive to make for each of the members of my sewing circle. At the time, I was weaving in some ends on my crochet work. I looked down at the yarn needle in my hand and BOOM… light bulb moment!
That was followed by a bout of Why Didn’t I Think Of This Sooner, which itself was followed by a trip to the craft store.
To make an awesome pair of Needle Earrings, you’ll need just a few things:
- Jewelry Pliers (2 pairs, if you’ve got them)
- A package (or two!) of blunt tip yarn needles (metal or plastic will work)
- 4 jump rings in the size of your choice per pair of earrings
- French Hooks or similar
You can find these blunt-tip yarn needles in the needlework section with the crochet hooks and knitting needles.
All the supplies to make a slew of needle earrings!
For one earring, attach needle > jump ring> jump ring > earring. Two jump rings make them hang nicer so that the eye is turned out when you wear them.
Here’s a great photo tutorial on opening and closing jump rings.
Wash, rinse, repeat. Wear and share!
Happy crafting!
Find my free patterns on Sewhooked & Fandom in Stitches.
♥ 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. ♥
sew awesome: The Princess
Being blessed with friends the way I am, I guess it’s no surprise that I have royalty on my side! This sewhooked Sew Awesome award is looong overdue and well deserved.
When I put the call out for for help with blankets for Linus, The Princess, aka Amber of Amber’s Originals, not only made and donated blankets to The Linus Connection, my favorite charity, she designed this brand new pattern just for Linus!
And then she posted it for everyone to share…for free.
The Texas Brick Blanket, from Amber’s Originals
I’ve been working on my very own version of this awesome blanket. The technique is different than anything I’ve ever crocheted and I just love the way it’s turning out!
My version, in progress.
Amber, you ROCK, thank you for sharing! See more of Amber’s original, creative and downright cool work here.
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.
Guest Designer Spotlight: Schenley Pilgram
designed by Schenely Pilgram
This week’s Guest Designer is one I’ve only just become acquainted with. Schenley just started designing recently, but jumped in with both feet and has already made some amazing new designs!
Name and where you’re from:
Schenley Pilgram
My hometown is Philipsburg, PA. I’m currently living in Grove City, PA.
Website/blog/online store or other place where your patterns or photos of your work can be found?
How long have you been paper piecing and/or quilting?
I started sewing when I bought a heart-shaped yo-yo maker in August ’08, intending to make a gift for my mom, who LOVES quilts (and has made a few herself). I ended up making multiple yo-yo gifts, both with hearts and circles. My best friend remarked that the circles reminded her of hydrangeas, which we both love. The idea of making her a hydrangea pillow was born. I used multiple sizes of circles, and appliqued the leaves.
I had stumbled upon sewhooked.org months earlier because of the Legend of Zelda blocks. I absolutely adored them (and all the HP designs, of course!). I figured if the internet could teach me to applique and make a pillow (complete with piping), I could give the Triforce a try. Obviously, I was hooked.
What do you use own your block designs for?
I have made a few pillows, and my second original design was for a wall hanging. I am currently working on a Harry Potter quilt.
When did you start designing?
December 2009.
Was there a particular inspiration to draw your first pattern?
After I made the yo-yo hydrangea pillow, I wanted to make a pillow for my other best friend. I decided to do a paper-pieced version of her Welsh Corgi, Habibi. I couldn’t find anything even close online, so I thought I might as well try designing it myself.
Do you remember what your first design was?
Habibi the Corgi. My first Harry Potter design was Dumbledore’s Deluminator. I was trying to think of magical items that had not been done yet, and that was the easiest one to conceptualize and make quickly.
Do you have a favorite among your own designs?
Probably the wall hanging I did of Aslan, because that was a big undertaking (and only my second attempt at paper piecing!). My favorite Harry Potter block so far is my most recent, Harry’s Patronus.
What do you use to design your patterns? Paper and pencil, a specific software, etc.
I use Photoshop Elements – typically I have a photo, illustration or composite that I use as a guide to draw the lines and begin the pattern.
How has the online community changed the way you craft/quilt/design, etc.?
I have long used Photoshop for my photography and the occasional graphic design (I have items for sale on Zazzle that my sister and I designed), and I am loving being able to apply that to my new hobby. I’ve grown up surrounded by quilts, but thought quilting would be too frustrating because I’m a perfectionist. If it were not for this community I would never have experienced the joy and pride that comes from sewing and designing these blocks!
Anything else you’d like to add?
My best friend wants me to start designing Lord of the Rings blocks – she said it would get her to actually try paper piecing!
The photo shows my two house rabbits, Luke and Leia.
Do you have a favorite among your own designs?
Probably the wall hanging I did of Aslan, because that was a big undertaking (and only my second attempt at paper piecing!). My favorite Harry Potter block so far is my most recent, Harry’s Patronus.
Happy Quilting!
Handmade for the Holidays
A lot of my friends make and sell beautiful handmade items. Support handmade and order now for holiday delivery!
ShaeWow, Shae’s etsy shop, is full of unique (and sometimes naughty!) cross-stitch and fun buttons.
Check out Shae’s mom’s awesome shop, Sea Gypsy Jewelry for lovely hand crafted, sea-inspired jewelry.
Laci and Mom Merritt’s etsy shop, Orange Blossom Boutique for beautiful hand-beaded jewelry.
thatwitchyplace is the talented MK’s online shop. She makes beautiful and unique stitched and machine embroidered items.
Phoenix Fire Designs, a friend of a friend, makes all kinds of gorgeous goodies.
hewtab has a t-shirt shop with her awesome original designs!
My shop*, which is currently stocked with buttons and paper pieced patterns and a couple of other random things.
*There is someone else out there selling as SewHooked. Remember, if my name is not attached to it, you are not buying it from me!
I will continue to add to this list as I receive more updates from my crafty friends.
Happy shopping!
paper piecing: Quilt For Your Inner Genius
Living in a house full of incredibly smart people, it was only a matter of time until their interests started bleeding into my crafting. There have been cross-overs before with all sorts of fandom paraphanelia, from Star Trek to X-Men.
Now, it’s math.
I mean really, who doesn’t need a paper pieced Pi?
Alright, alright, it was my 11 year old son’s idea! Happy now?
And for the curious…
From Wikipedia:
Pi or π is a mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any circle‘s circumference to its diameter in Euclidean space; this is the same value as the ratio of a circle’s area to the square of its radius. The symbol π was first proposed by the Welsh mathematician William Jones in 1706. It is approximately equal to 3.14159 in the usual decimal notation…
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.
crafty reminders!
Just a friendly reminder that if you’re participating in the Happy Halloween Challenge or the Black & Red swap, you’ve got just about two weeks left to finish your crafty goodness in order to participate.
Please click on each banner for more details.
paper piecing: The sewhooked Sampler
Occasionally, when testing patterns I’ve designed, and whenever it’sappropriate, I piece sets of blocks in the same fabrics. My intention in this is to eventually have not only tested the patterns, but to have samples to scan and eventually a set of blocks that can be pieced together and donated to The Linus Connection.
Earlier this year, I did have enough blocks for a 3×3 quilt, but decided that wasn’t quite what I wanted. I love Cat Magraith’s chicken patterns, available through the sewhooked Guest Designer page, so I decided to make a few of those, too.
Not all the blocks were exactly the same size, so I added borders in coordinating colors, then squared them all up to, if memory serves, 10 1/2″.
If you like trying out paper pieced blocks, or are maybe just learning, and don’t have a project in mind, consider piecing together a sampler and donating it to a local blanket-making charity. There are charities all over the world that take handmade quilts and yarn blankets and usually finding the one near you is one Google search away!
Included in the sewhooked sampler:
Row 1: Sasha’s Tree, Jar v.2, and Star of My Heart (available only in my etsy store)
Row 2: Scrappy Heart, Scrappy Heart II, and Wonky Log Cabin #1
Row 3: Wonky Log Cabin #2, unposted heart pattern (from a Demo I did for Linus), Jar v.3
Row 4: Hen with Chick, Rooster, and Chicks (all by Cat Magraith)
Like Star of My Heart, listed above, I’ve recently started posting new patterns for sale in my etsy store. Part of the purpose of this is to help fund sewhooked. I don’t currently have advertising or sponsors and I pay all the fees for the website and blog out of my own pocket. Now, I do love sharing free patterns and doing so has given me the ability to hone my skills to the point where designing is becoming my work-from-home career. I briefly considered a paypal donation button, but what would you get from that? I’m not a charity, I’m just one woman who loves to share, teach and inspire and I have done my best to do just that, for free, for many years now.
If you enjoy sewhooked and all it has to offer, consider purchasing a pattern or other item from the etsy store now or in the future. If not from etsy, I also have a number of items available through zazzle. All proceeds go right back into sewhooked and keeping all it’s free content online.
- What you’d be supporting: sewhooked dot org – Free patterns, crochet & crafts by Jennifer Ofenstein
- Etsy – ofenjen is sewhooked – handcrafts and original designs by Jennifer Ofenstein
- Zazzle – Sewhooked – made to share – t-shirts, totes and buttons, designed by Jennifer Ofenstein
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.
A Personal Update and Some Challenges
Wow, can it really be so long since I last posted? I’m somewhat ashamed to realize how long it’s been since a new craft or pattern has graced the sewhooked blog.
I have been having a lot of Real Life lately, which I will be talking about here fairly soon.
In the meantime, I’d like to pimp two craft challenges, both for LiveJournal groups that I moderate or help moderate.
There are new tutorials and a new paper pieced pattern in the works. Until then, I remain yours craftily,
Sewhooked 