vlog #44: TTMT – The Cat Came Back

Intro To Paper Piecing Class, Feb 20
Layer ‘Em Up
Twilight Crafts & BOM
Honey Bee Triangle Swap
Triangulations

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.

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Photobucket Log Cabins for Linus / Go Get Granny

Hot Dog, A Pillowcase!

HOT DOG PILLOWCASE TUTORIAL

Isn’t it a beauty?

Printable PDF Tutorial!

Now available as a free video tutorial!

This is the easiest, fastest, and cleanest-looking pillowcase method I’ve tried. So easy, so fun…and excellent for stash busting!

Honey Bee Quilt Store is participating in American Patchwork & Quilting’s 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge. The first batch of gorgeous handmade pillowcases that Honey Bee has collected is going to the Texas Baptist Children’s Home, located in Round Rock, Texas.

I knew as soon as I heard about it that I wanted to participate.

Read more on the Honey Bee Blog.

I was asked by the store owner to share instructions online so they could easily direct customers to them. This is my version.  I hope you enjoy the tutorial, make lots of pillowcases, and give them to friends or charity!  (Oh, okay, you can keep one or two for yourself!)

You’ll need:

Three lengths of fabric in three coordinating colors.  Makes one standard-size pillowcase.

  • BUN (cuff) – 12″ x WOF (width of fabric ~ 44″)
  • MUSTARD (flange) – 2″ – 3″ x WOF (optional)
  • HOT DOG (body) 24″ – 26″ x WOF (for longer pillowcases, lengthen here)

You can vary the bun/hot dog size up or down, just make sure that the total yardage between those two is 36″ – 38″. 9 – 12″ for the bun is ideal.

If you use two yards of coordinating fabric, plus 6″ of a third, you can make two coordinating pillowcases with opposite colors!


My colors for this tutorial – a pre-cut kit from Honey Bee.  Isn’t the fabric just delicious?


Hot Dog, Bun & Mustard!   Once your fabric is cut and pressed and you’re ready to go!

Roll out your BUN, right side up.

Press the MUSTARD in half

Place MUSTARD with raw edges matching along one side of the BUN.

Place HOT DOG on top of MUSTARD, face down.  Align raw seams.  Add a few pins to hold in place.

Roll the HOT DOG (hey, now it looks like a hot dog!) to within a few inches of the pinned edge.

Fold the BUN over the HOT DOG and pin along the raw edge, making sure to catch all layers of fabric.

Stitch along the raw edge using a 3/8″ (or scant 1/2″) seam allowance.

Remove any pins and birth your HOT DOG!  Roll BUN back, gently tugging the HOT DOG out of the center.

Continue tugging and rolling until the HOT DOG is all the way out.

Your pillowcase should now look something like this.

Smooth out the fabric, then press the BUN and MUSTARD, tugging gently so it’ll lie flat.  I like to press on both sides.

Square up your pillowcase by removing the selvage.

With WRONG SIDES together, align the MUSTARD and corners of the pillowcase.

Pin in several places.

Stitch around raw edges using a 1/4″ seam allowance (yes, yes,  really, right sides out, wrong sides together!).

Turn the corner and sew across the bottom.

Trim corners (raw edges only, please!).

Turn the pillowcase wrong-side out. 

Look how nice the BUN looks next to the HOT DOG!

Press the side and bottom seams flat.

Stitch using a 1/2″ seam allowance.

Look at that, you made French Seams…no raw edges!

Turn right side out and press.

See how nicely the MUSTARD lines up?   Did you notice that your condiment made a lovely little flap, too?

It looks good outside and in!

Delicious!

Now, let me know if you’re as addicted to these as I am!  This beauty is number 11 and I know I’ll make more.  In addition to donating to the 1 Million Pillowcase Challenge, they also make great gift bags for quilts!

Need a hard copy? Printable PDF Tutorial!

 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. ♥

Charity: Go Get Granny and Log Cabins For Linus

Log Cabins for Linus / Go Get Granny

For many years now, I’ve been a volunteer for The Linus Connection*, a small local non-profit charity that makes blankets for children in need in Central Texas. I’m a blanket maker, sorter and volunteer Webmistress for linusconnection.org.  I’ve served a term on the Board, and was the newsletter editor for a time.  Suffice it to say, Linus is very important to me!

Just as many other charities are suffering due to the current economy, Linus is suffering, too. Our demand has risen, while the number of blankets has decreased. When our numbers decrease, that means children that need a little extra security in a difficult time are going without. It’s a very hard call to decide who doesn’t get the security of a handmade blanket. If I had my way, every child touched by severe illness, injury, abuse, homelessness or other crisis situations would know the comfort and love of a handmade blanket.

My blog is a place I share my ideas, patterns, recipes and tutorials with the world for no charge, but this time I’d like to ask for a little something back.  Throughout 2010, I will be collecting quilt blocks and yarn squares through my craft blog to assemble into Linus blankets.

If you are a quilter, please consider participating in Log Cabins for Linus!   Make 12″ log cabin blocks (12.5″ unfinished) in 100% quilting cotton of any log cabin pattern, any color, any style you like.

Here are some patterns to get you started:

If yarn is your forte, then Go Get Granny is for you! I’ll be accepting 12″ knit or crochet blocks made in acrylic yarns of any color or style and will join those into afghans.

When you’re ready to send your block, email me for my mailing address and I’ll send it your way. Donations to The Linus Connection are tax deductible, so if you need a receipt, please include a note with your block and I’ll make sure one gets to you.

All blocks donated will be shared here on the sewhooked blog and on Talk To Me Tuesday as completed blankets before being donated to The Linus Connection.

I encourage you to post photos of your blocks to the Go Get Granny & Log Cabins for Linus flickr group.  You can also see blankets I’ve donated since 2002.

Anything you can do is greatly appreciated.

For more information about The Linus Connection, please visit our website or blog or become a fan on Facebook.

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Disclaimer: This is my effort to increase blanket numbers for my own favorite blanket making charity, The Linus Connection, located in Austin, Texas.  This effort is not in any way organized by TLC.  All blankets will be donated to The Linus Connection by me, Jennifer Ofenstein.  If you have any questions please contact me or leave a question in the comments.

*The Linus Connection is a small, local non-profit located in Central Texas and is not affiliated with Project Linus.

Paper Piecing: Custom Pattern Auction For Charity

The awesome organizers over at help_haiti on Livejournal have found a great way to get fandom (all fandoms!) involved in raising money for charity while getting fun stuff in return.

Crafters, graphic artist, writers and all sorts of other awesome people are donating their time and talents in return for charitable donations.   You can bid in the comments of the item you’re interested in and once the auction is closed on noon (EST) January 20, 2010, the items will be paid for by donating to charity!  Share your receipt and get awesome goodness in return.  The charities win and you win, too!

I’m offering up one Custom Designed 5″ Paper Pieced Quilt Pattern. You can read the full details here.  Be sure to bid in the comments at this link.  I cannot accept bids here.

Also check out these awesome auctions by two of my crafty friends:

Amber (hp5freak) is auctioning off a 3’x3′ custom crochet blanket. She makes gorgeous and unique HP-themed blankets. You can see those here.

Mary (dragonsinger954) is the maker of many a fine Molly Weasley sweater.  She’s offering a custom-made one up right here. You can see examples of her many lovely Molly sweaters here.

Also, the Queen of The Leaky Cauldron herself is auctioning off one autographed copy of Harry, A History.  It’s a good thing, too, because you can’t have mine!

Happy bidding and thanks for supporting this wonderful cause!

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vlog: TTMT – The Big Four Oh

I can hardly believe this is the 40th week of Talk To Me Tuesday!

1 Million Pillowcase Challenge
Honey Bee Quilt Store
Hot Dog Pillowcase Instructions
Green Bag Repair
Batiks On Black
hp_paperpiecing Complete Your Quilt Top Challenge
Rock Creek Quilts
The Linus Connection
Harry Potter Crafts
Leaky Crafts

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.

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