TTMT #72 – Pants!!
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Way Back Craft: Teeny Goblet of Fire
Once Upon A Time, I entered a Challenge. It was called The Little Tiny Challenge. I was beaten soundly by a tiny fast food meal made of real food, though I did come in second (even though second was hundreds of votes from first!).
Here’s my original post made on craftser way back in April of 2006.
The Pattern:
Sewing one of the center segments. Man that’s small!
Individual segments ready to be pieced:
The block is pieced! Photo from the back!
Finished block next to the original 5″ version (pattern available at sewhooked.org )
The finished block, front & center! All 1.5″ of it!
Happy Crafting!
Way Back Craft: The Spud Who Lived and The-Tater-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Continuing with the Way Back Craft theme is a little project my sister and I did together. The original post is here on craftster.
Harry Spud and Lord Tater journeyed with us in 2008 when we drove to New Orleans, LA together for Phoenix Rising, a Harry Potter Conference. These starchy boys were also the mascots in our hotel room during our stay. They now live with my sister.
My sister collects Mr. Potato Heads and we’re both huge Harry Potter fans. There have been Spiderman potatos, Darth Taters and all kinds of other popular characters. Why, we wondered, aren’t there Harry Potter ones?
We decided to make our own.
Some spray paint (Volde), some fabric paint, lots of hot melt glue, felt, a couple of pipe cleaners, and a couple of old Mr. Potato Heads and their bits… and you have.
They were really easy and fun to make. I hope you all enjoy them!
Happy Crafting!
A Hot Month For Linus
Tomorrow is the monthly meeting of The Linus Connection, which means this is the day of the month where I gather all the things in my house that have been accumulating to take to Linus for donation. The quilt above made from the leftover pieces cut from a Storm At Sea quilt that was set on point. It’s the same quilt I call Electric Amish. I’ve been hand quilting it for an interminable number of years now, and I sometimes wonder if it will ever be finished. Completing this toddler version with the leftover pieces of Electric Amish is a small victory and it gives me hope to finish the mama quilt some day.
This next quilt I’ve dubbed Stash Monkey and is made from what I have left from the Log Cabins For Linus collection I held in the earlier part of 2010. There are still a few orphan blocks in my bag, and I hope inspiration will strike again and I will come up with a quilt that’s just as fun as this one! Made from orphan blocks and scraps from my own stash.
Brand new in my life this month are quilts quilted by me on a long arm machine! Dianne, the owner of Honey Bee Quilt Store, where I have my day job, very generously allowed us to use the store’s HandiQuilter to finish up some Linus quilts. Not bad for a beginner! I also quilted the Baby Storm At Sea.
This granny block ghan is made from the very last of the donations from Go Get Granny (the yarn half of Log Cabins For Linus). All of these blocks were donated. I joined them all together and wove in the ends. As you can see here, I’m experimenting with hanging afghans the way I do quilts. It works…sort of. I just love photos taken in natural light, but afghans are not a fan of being hung. Shared in this TTMT.
This gorgeous quilt was made from a top donated by the ever lovely Laci. She sent this to me some time ago and it ended up going to a professional long arm quilter that donates her skills to Linus. It’s all done now and the quilting is just lovely. It was featured in this Talk To Me Tuesday (sans binding), where you can see the beautiful quilting close up.
My very last offering this month is my final Carpool ‘Ghan for the 2009-2010 school year (also featured in the video linked above). Both of my kids are musicians and honor students, which simply means they carry a ridiculous amount of stuff to and from school. I drive them back and forth, as well as taking them to music lessons, rehearsals, etc. That leaves me sitting in my little car all by myself more time than I care to count. What’s a girl to do? Well, if she’s crafty, she brings something to work on! I make afghans for Linus when I’m waiting, keeping a bag of yarn and a crochet hooks in the car just for that purpose. You’d be amazed how much I can get done sitting in my car every day! It’s a good thing I finally finished this one, seeing as how the new school year for my kids starts on Tuesday!
The Linus Connection meets the third Saturday of every month at St. Phillip’s in Round Rock, Texas. Check out the website for more information.
Happy Crafting!
Way Back Craft: Recycled Binder
In thinking about Back to School season, and the accordian file that I upcycled last week, I thought about a project I did for my daughter a couple of years ago. Then I realized, while I posted a photo of it in a collection of other upcycled/recycled projects, I’d never really talked about it here on my blog.
Here is the story the way I told in August of 2008, on craftster:
This craft starts with a story. My 13 year old daughter’s middle school is huge. The kids have less than 5 minutes to get from class to class and they don’t always have time to go to their lockers. Many of them carry large binders so they can have multiple classes worth of work with them all the time.
Last year, we bought this binder for her, in an attempt to give her a place to keep all her things. Within a few months, the rings in the binder blew out. The handle is on the back of the rings, so the weight of the contents pulls down on them, causing them to fail.
So, time for a redesign. How about a binder cover/bag that has the weight in the opposite direction and that can have the 3-ring binder changed when needed, without losing the rest?
I think this may be one of the coolest things I’ve made and I’m ridiculously pleased with the way it turned out! It holds a 3″ 3-ring binder, which cost about $6 at the office supply store. Everything else was recycled or I had on hand.
Outside back – the binding was hand stitched on the outside. There was just too much stuff going on inside to do it the opposite way. Cool sparkly fabric was a gift from hardhatcat.
The other side, standing up – the strap is recycled from the old binder. The strap clicks onto a large split ring. The bits of ribbon were from a sheet of samples someone gave me. The denim was cut on the bias so it has give. Oh, and the denim was leftover from a project that a friend of mine did. She gave me her leftovers!
inside – the accordion files, back mesh pocket & zipper are all recycled
The accordion file, recycled from the old binder. It was a bit hard to stitch around, but I managed by moving my needle over to the far left.
All that’s left of the original. I used a razor blade to take it apart. Razors are the friend of anyone that recons heavy duty materials, but they take a sure hand.More photos of the binder cover/tote here.
My daughter loves it, especially the “bag” aspect, freeing up her hands and making it’ll be easier to carry her stuff.
Happy Crafting!
Fabric Friday
This fabric came into my life before I became addicted… I mean before I learned to paper piece! I’d says it’s been floating around in my stash for at least 6 or 7 years. I pull it out from time to time because it’s a lovely soft fabric with a little bit of sheen. I think it was given to me as a gift or maybe in a swap.
I have two pieces that together make about a fat quarter. The question now, is what to do with this lovely fabric? I collect mainly batiks and tone on tone fabrics because I primarily paper piece. This fabric is begging for a project, and maybe not a quilting one. What do you think it should be?
Happy Crafting!
Way Back Craft: An Edward Just For You
I’ve been walking down memory lane and plundering my old forum posts. I don’t post much to crafty forums anymore, mostly because I like the “not having rules” part that comes with posting to my own blog. 😉
This Way Back Craft has had some of the greatest comments of both love and hate, including the dubious honor of having once been featured on Craftastrophe. Poor Edward was referred to there as a toilet paper cover. Fortunately for me, I have pretty thick skin and a sense of humor, so I took it with a grain of salt, which is exactly the vein in which Edward Puppet Pal was made.
What I didn’t say in the following forum post is that I also included a list of Edward’s catch phrases, so he would always have the right thing to say at just the right time! See, sense of humor. 😉
You can see my original crafter post here. Edward Puppet Pal was part of the same swap as the Team Edward t-shirt that was immortalized in my first freezer paper stenciling video. You don’t know comments until you post a video on YouTube with the word “Twilight” anywhere in the tags, title or description. Viva la haters!
I made this for silverfisch for the Twilight Swap Round 2 (gallery). It’s Edward Cullen, from Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight, inspired by The Potter Puppet Pals.
He’s made out of felt, with fabric paint details on his face. I really just eyeballed the whole pattern, figuring it out as I went along. I hope you like him!
I made the button on my buttonmaker, with a little help from some poly glitter!
The rest of the swap…
Happy Crafting!
TTMT #71 – It was a long summer, Charlie Brown
In which I talk about Open House and ramble about Linus. There was way more rambling, but I edited out so your ears wouldn’t bleed from my infernal soapboxing.
Happy Crafting!
Free Pattern: Contessa’s Canoe
UPDATE: This pattern has been updated for 2013!
Click here to see the new version and to get the updated free pattern!
The following picture was posted by a friend on Facebook, along with a request for some help finding or figuring out the pattern. The photo poster, Contessa, states that she has it from a 1970s quilting magazine. She was looking for any information on the pattern, but most specifically, she really wanted to make it and didn’t know where to start!
Well, as these things sometimes do, it caught my fancy and it was a nice 15 minute project while I ate my breakfast. I took some liberties since I had no size or color information. My version makes a 6″ block, but the individual pieces would be easy to enlarge and I’m sure it’d make a gorgeous 12″ block.
Just for fun, a mock up how the pattern repeats.
Contessa’s Canoe – Free Paper Pieced Pattern
Unlike most of my patterns, this one does not include seam allowance. That was partly for time and partly so it will all fit on one page. I have a super easy way of adding seam allowance to any paper pieced pattern right here.
Huge thanks go out to Shae for testing the pattern and making the gorgeous block shown here. You rock!
Happy Crafting!
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How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Class Models at Honey Bee…the signs will probably go up tomorrow. Notice how my patterns are right there! Love it!
Class Supply lists and information. Woo!
Open House Sunday, 1 – 5pm, at Honey Bee Quilt Store in Austin, Texas.
You can come meet the Honey Bee teachers and learn about all the wonderful new classes being taught there this fall. I’ve seen the new classes and they are nothing short of wonderful!
How about a refresher of what I’m teaching this time around? (click the titles for price info or to register online)
Paper Piecing Classes with Jennifer Ofenstein
at Honey Bee Quilt Store
August – December 2010
Unfinished Paper Piecing
Sunday, August 29, 2010 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Saturday, December 11, 2010 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Bring your unfinished paper pieced projects or paper pieced projects you’re stuck on and get help to get moving again!
Intro To Paper Piecing
Sunday, September 5, 2010, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Learn to paper piece in a fun and relaxed environment. A technique class.
Paper Pieced Mariner’s Compass Wall Hanging/Block
Saturday, September 25, 2010, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Make perfect points with a lovely floating Mariner’s Compass.
Paper Pieced Halloween Wall Hanging
Sunday, October 24, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Make a fun and whimsical Halloween wall hanging.
Paper Pieced Christmas Wall Hanging
Saturday, November 20, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Combine tradition with whimsy with a lovely, easy to personalize Christmas wall hanging. Want a different theme? Just change fabric colors!
See the other great classes at Honey Bee this fall right here!
Happy Crafting!
Sewhooked 