Easy Big Foot Slippers

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My hubby is tall…very tall, almost six and a half feet tall. I adoringly refer to him as The Big Guy. I’m 5’5″, so I guess you can see what I’d call him that.

He has big feet, too.

He loves slippers and I spent years making slippers from traditional patterns for him, but they blew out on him like no one’s business. You just can’t put a big man in a pair of slippers made with one strand of yarn. They don’t last.

According to my original pattern, I designed the Big Foot Slippers back in 2000. I’ve since made a dozen or so pairs, altering here and there for smaller feet. These are easy to make and work up quickly because they’re made with three strands of yarn. I use acrylic worsted because it’s easy to wash and holds up well to the wear and tear of a big man wearing slippers!

3 colors of worsted weight acrylic yarn
“N” hook
yarn needle

Three yarns are held together throughout.

Round 1 – ch 6, join with sl st into ring, ch 3, 14 dc in ring

Round 2 – ch 3, 1 dc in join (1 dc, 2 dc around), join with sl st

Round 3 to 8 – ch 3, dc around, join with sl st

Round 9 to 14 – ch 3, dc around, don’t join, ch 3 turn (except last round). Note – You can add more or less rows here, depending on the size of the foot you’re crocheting for. To finish, whip stitch up the back using the outside loops only. Finish off.

Optional: Evenly sc around the slipper opening, join with a sl st, finish off.

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Paper Piecing: A little more Christmas

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Lil’ St. Nick was such a hit that I had to give him some friends! I hope you like Mrs. Claus and Santa’s Elf just as much.

While I’m here, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I rarely design a pattern with a final project in mind. I draw whatever makes me happy and it ends up being wherever it needs to be.

Today, it’s Christmas!

5″ paper pieced patterns
©Jennifer Ofenstein
http://www.sewhooked.com

Santa’s Elf

Mrs. Claus

ETA July 12, 2010 – These patterns will be available through the Sewhooked Shop November 2010..

For more paper pieced patterns, be sure to visit sewhooked.

Just for fun, I created a Christmas Quilts group over on flickr. Post yours and oogle, too!

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of Sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

also posted on craftster

Paper Piecing: Lil’ St. Nick

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Lil’ St. Nick

5″ paper pieced pattern
©Jennifer Ofenstein
http://www.sewhooked.org

This adorable wee Santa jumped right out of my head today. I carried him all through the supermarket, telling him to hush, we’d go home soon. The moment the last grocery was put away, my laptop was out, Photoshop fired up, and Lil’ St. Nick was having his say.

I love the way he turned out and I hope he puts you in the holiday spirit!

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of Sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

also posted on craftster

Blanket Stitched Christmas Stocking Ornament

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December is almost here and that means a couple of things for my family.

We eat too much, get to see family we haven’t seen for ages, and we craft. While crafting in itself is a daily thing for us, December crafting is different. We make ornaments for friends, family and ourselves. Just something about the cold weather, hot chocolate and waiting for Santa makes the crafting a little bit more special.

On that note, today’s craft is an old favorite of mine. It was originally designed to be an easy ornament to make during my kiddos’ elementary school days. I wanted something that was inexpensive, took few materials and would be easy to teach kids how to do.

This simple blanket stitched Christmas Stocking is all of these things. The knots might take a little adult assistance, but other than that, it’s a craft easy enough for anyone old enough to thread a needle!

Make it as is and you’ll have a 4″ stocking ornament. Enlarge for a larger stocking; personalize, decorate or embellish!

Supplies:

felt stocking pattern (free to print or save)
felt in two colors (I used red and sparkly white)
scissors
pattern
embroidery floss
needle with a large eye
ruler or ruler and rotary cutter

Cut pattern on the fold of red felt.
Cut a strip of white felt 1 ” wide by long enough to go across both sides of stocking (4″ shown).

Align white felt across top of red so that the tops are flush.

Attach the white felt by stitching across the bottom with a blanket stitch.
(How to blanket stitch from futuregirl.com)

Optional – personalize or decorate while the stocking is still open. I’ve left this one plain.

The back should look like this.

Fold stocking so white felt is outside. Pin in place.

Starting on the open side of stocking, stitch using a blanket stitch. You can hide the knot by starting under the white felt. Push the needle through the three layers of felt and then take another stitch through all four layers before beginning the blanket stitch.

Continue around all the way around.

This is what we have so far!

Continue blanket stitching around the top of the stocking, catching both the inside and outside layer in the stitch. Make sure to leave the stocking itself open.

Once you’ve made it all the way around, knot off the embroidery floss then make a loop about 1 1/2″ – 2″ long. Make a knot inside the stocking. Take a stitch and knot again.

The pattern is for a 3″ stocking, but it can easily be sized up or down depending on your needs.

Ta-Da!

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. ♥

Guest Designer Spotlight: Sonja Callahan

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Patterns Designed by Sonja Callahan
click on image for pattern

This week in the Guest Designer Spotlight is Sonja Callahan. I first became aware of Sonja’s work when we both participated in the Tiny Quilt Challenge over on craftster. Her entry, The Red Fairy, caught my attention immediately, because magic, fantasy and whimsy are my favorite subjects. Neither of us won that challenge, but I never did forget that block!

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First name and where you’re from: Sonja, British Columbia, Canada

Website/blog/online store or other place where your patterns or photos of your work can be found? Blog; Etsy store; Flickr

How long have you been paper piecing and/or quilting? Oh boy. The first quilt I made was for my daughter when I was pregnant with her back in 2001. I saw a simple pattern in a Martha Stewart magazine that got me thinking. I first tried paper piecing around 2003, I think the first block I tried was a little frog. Well no, that’s not exactly right. That was the first block that actually looked like it was supposed to. It took me literally 4 separate attempts at a beginners pattern to actually do it right!

What do you use own your blocks for? Oh all sorts of various projects from zippered bags, to coasters, pillows and of course quilts! One of my favorite pieces now adorns the outside pocket of my daughter’s backpack.

When did you start designing? In the summer of 2006.

Was there a particular inspiration to draw your first pattern? I wasn’t really finding the sort of patterns that I was looking for and really wanted to sew a detailed fairy.

Do you remember what your first design was? The Red Fairy

Do you have a favorite among your own designs? Can’t I choose them all? Ok ok, since I have to choose…. It would be a tie between Mister Gnome, The Red Fairy, and the little gnome offspring, Gnomeling and Gnomlette.

What do you use to design your patterns? Paper and pencil, a specific software, etc. I use Corel Draw 4x and Corel Photo Pro 2x.

How has the online community changed the way you craft/quilt/design, etc.? Oh wow, what an amazing source of inspiration! I tell you, there is no way I would have ever even tried paper piecing if it wasn’t for all the free patterns that can be found online. Back when I was first starting up, I found http://www.Craftster.org. while looking for a zippered pocket tutorial. Oh wow, I didn’t even know I wanted to sew purses until I saw that website. I’ve been inspired to sew, design, paint, knit, crochet, quilt, swap etc. from all the great websites and blogs that I’ve been finding over the years. I feel so lucky to have this incredible wealth of information and inspiration (don’t even get me started on http://www.art.com!), and all the support to be found right at my fingertips! I’m blown away sometimes by the friendships that form between people who have never met, but share a common creative pastime. Knowing just how isolating it can be when you’re a stay at home mom to a tiny little baby, I’ve found this to be a great comfort, and it has gotten me through many lonely, insomnia-filled nights, and blurry, exhausting days.

Anything else you’d like to add? What I find just so awe-inspiring and wonderful, is how a simple little blog of a talented crafty mother, can introduce opportunities into her life that would have never been possible without the internet. I’m seeing women being invited to display their work halfway around the world because a buyer from Japan happened across her blog. http://oneredrobin.com . Or how a young, and very talented knitter/designer who was simply posting about her hobby while she pursued other methods of creative employment, ended up suddenly being offered the editors job at Interweave press! http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit

I find this so amazing! I often think about how hard it must have been, before the internet, to get anywhere as an artist. Never mind a stay at home mom who longs do something with her seemingly hidden talent. It was only 15 or so years ago when women fought hard to get their music played as often as male musicians on the radio. *go Sarah Maclaughlan go* I feel like it’s free reign here on the internet. It really has opened the doors of opportunity wide open, especially for women and mothers. If you’re passionate about something, you’ll either find yourself a nice group of like-minded people, or you will attract them. It’s beautiful, and I’m so thankful!
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find more of Sonja’s free patterns on the Guest Designer page at sewhooked

Happy Crafting!

Reconstruction: Pockety Hoody

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I’m a big thrift store shopper. Sometimes, I find great articles of clothing that are the perfect size for one of my kids, but I know they won’t wear it because of a design or picture that’s on it. They’re both really into black at the moment and I found a great black hoodie sweatshirt the perfect size for my son. The price? $1.25. Could I pass that by? NO WAY.

The drawback? It came with an embroidered image of The Grinch. Cute, yes, his style, absolutely not!

After having the sweatshirt linger in my “to do something with” pile for a while, it occurred to me that I have all kinds of odds and ends leftover from other projects that might update the shirt and make it ready to wear.

One Levi’s pocket and about ten minutes of stitching later, and the update is complete and the hoody has gone from “Absolutely not!” to “Cool, Mom!”

It’s more of an update than reconstruction, but you get the idea!

To update a logo sweatshirt, you’ll need the sweatshirt and one jean’s pocket. Use a heavy-duty seam ripper to remove the pocket, or, if you feel comfortable doing so, a razor blade. Just be careful if you do!

A sewing machine is pretty much a must for this project, but if you want to try it by hand, you’ll need a heavy duty needle and a bit of patience to sew through all the layers!

Smooth out your sweatshirt.

Remove jeans pocket, being careful not to tear the fabric or cut yourself.

Pin the pocket in place. You can go for a straight angle like I did here, or turn it a bit left or right for a more interesting look.

From the front, stitch carefully around the pocket using the existing stitching lines. Reinforce at the corners and top of the seams.

And you’re done! Super fast and easy update!

As always, if you make any pattern or craft from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the Friends of Sewhooked flickr group.

Happy crafting

Paper Piecing: Free Patterns Around the Web

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free patterns available here

Oh, paper piecing, how do I love thee, let me count the ways…

Paper piecing (or foundation piecing) is the medium that has set my art free. It has only happened once or twice (so far!) that I have been defeated my efforts to create a new pattern. For the most part, I can look at an image and see the pattern inside it. It’s something that makes me giddy, connected to myself in a way I never knew before, gloriously happy, excited and (occasionally) frustrated all at once.

It’s what I do most, both making and designing blocks. I regularly post free patterns on Sewhooked and Fandom In Stitches. Even so, I am far from being the only free resource online.

I have lots of paper piecing books in my crafty library as well as inexpensive patterns by independent designers much like myself.

If you’re just starting or maybe a little pinched in the pocket, free patterns can get you sewing and keep you sewing!

Support Sewhooked, visit my Shop!

Here are some great free pattern resources. If I’ve missed one of your favorites or you find a broken link, please leave a comment below.

Fandom In Stitches – Multi-Fandom quilt patterns designed by fans, for fans

Artisania – Gnomes and mushrooms and Halloween, oh my! (many of Sonja’s patterns are available on the Free Quilt Pattern page here at Sewhooked).

Liljabs – free patterns from friend and fellow designer Lilja, many of which are also available on Fandom In Stitches.

Free Patterns from Carol Doak – geometrical beauties by the Queen of Paper Piecing.

Block Central – lots of cute patterns, including books to make a bookcase quilt.

Quiltmaker has a number of free paper pieced patterns in their directory. Search “paper pieced.”

Equilters has a number of paper pieced patterns that are spread throughout the site’s pages

Ulas Free Patterns – lovely patterns including a variety of New York Beauty Blocks, various animals, Coat of Arms and more

Paper Panache

free patterns

Winnowing by Christine Thresh (free patterns are at the bottom) – Support A Cause Ribbons, flags, chicks and more

Ginger’s Paper Pieced Patterns – Cats, Christmas and more

PC Piecers Free Patterns – great patterns from Nautical to Holiday themed

Quilter’s Cache, the motherload for free quilt patterns, has a number of free paper pieced patterns for whole quilts and individual blocks. You’ll need to do a little seek and find through the directory to find the whole-quilt patterns.

Quilt design’s BOM – some free patterns, including a lovely log cabin project

The Quilted Snail – a nice sized collection with a large variety of blocks

Free Paper Pieced Patterns from Patchpieces – paper pieced patterns and projects

Quilt dot com – a nice collection of beginner blocks

Four Twin Sisters has a number of free paper pieced patterns, but they do not have their own directory. Look for the patterns marked “paper pieced”

Piece By Number – Geometrics, plants and animals and more

Regina Grewe – a wonderful site with an ever changing collection of free patterns.

Victoriana Quilt Designs, specifically the Ocean Waves quilt pattern.

Quiltiger – a variety of free paper pieced patterns

Compuquilt – a variety of free patterns, many of them paper pieced.

Kitten’s Mittens – a variety of patterns, including a complete Kanji alphabet

Charise Creates – check the sidebar under “Complimentary Patterns”

Whims and Fancies – fun fandom patterns, British themed and more

Ruthie Quilts – free wonky houses

If you’re just starting and would like to learn paper piecing, check out my

Step by Step Tutorial!

Add your Sewhooked photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!

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updated February 2012

Crafts: Cullen Crest Stenciled Tee

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I made this little gem of a shirt over the summer while waiting for Breaking Dawn to arrive. It’s based on the Cullen Family Crest, as shown by MTV over the summer.

I did take some artistic license to make this a stencil. It’s a complicated bit of cutting, but well worth the patience!

Note: Cutting with an Exacto Knife is dangerous. Please be very careful!

Supplies:

A t-shirt (or other item to be stenciled)
Freezer Paper with Cullen Crest Stencil
Foam Brush
Fabric Paint (I like Lumiere)
Exacto Cutting Tool
Cardboard or newspaper
Cutting Mat

In lieu of individual photos of the process, take a look at my how-to video for stenciling, which you may remember from this post. There are lots of ways to create a stencil. This is how I do it. I did not include glitter on the Cullen Crest T-shirt.

Text Directions:

Pre-wash t-shirt without fabric softener.
Print stencil onto freezer paper (matte side).
Carefully cut out with an exact-o knife. There are loads of fiddly bits, so take your time and be careful.
Set iron to medium.
Place cardboard or newspaper inside t-shirt.
Place stencil on t-shirt with a piece of blank paper on top (that keeps the tiny pieces in place) then carefully press with the iron.
Use the foam brush to gently paint on the fabric paint.
Allow a few minutes to dry, then carefully remove the stencil. For the tiny pieces, use a straight pin to help get them started for easier removal.
Finish drying according to manufacturer’s directions.

Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!

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also posted on craftster and cut out + keep

Guest Designer Spotlight: Connie Tessier

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Patterns designed by Connie Tessier
click on the image for the pattern

This week in the Guest Designer Spotlight is Connie Tessier. I met Connie through the Livejournal group hp_paperpiecing. Connie started out as member of the group and pattern tester. It wasn’t long before she was sharing photos of her own block designs. It’s my great pleasure that she agreed to be included on the Guest Designer page of sewhooked.

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Connie and her husband, Paul, at a Cape Cod beach

First name and where you’re from: Connie, Manchester, NH

Website/blog/online store or other place where your patterns or photos of your work can be found? Website is not set up yet. Another work in progress…….

How long have you been paper piecing and/or quilting? Sewing since childhood, Quilting since the late 70s, I’m 54 now, so it’s been a LONG time.

I tried paper-piecing in the early 90s once for a bunch of log cabin blocks for a quilt and I didn’t care for it, too much repetition. I tried paper-piecing again last year for a quilt for a friend.

What do you use own your blocks for? I’m hoping to make a quilt. I’m more into a “less fancy, more useful” type of quilt. My stuff is more for comfort than show. I’ve only make one wallhanging, everything else is quilts of various sizes including king-size.

When did you start designing? I designed some gelato cups for a quilt for my best friend in October 2006 to remind us our favorite dessert place (which is now unfortunately gone…). The quilt design got put on hold, and I didn’t sew the quilt until December 2007.

The second foundation block I designed was in February 2008. It was my Philosopher’s Stone, using the cover from the Adult book cover.

Was there a particular inspiration to draw your first pattern? I found some teacup, teapot, and spoon blocks that were foundation pieced and wanted to use them in a quilt I making for my best friend. She used to collect teddy bears, we usually go out to lunch and both have tea, and then we used to go out for gelato. So I wanted to make a quilt with those elements in it. I hadn’t liked my first experience with paper-piecing but decided to give it another try to make this quilt. I couldn’t find a design for a cup of gelato with 2 flavors, so I decided to try to design one in Quilt Pro since that’s what I was using to make the quilt design. I struggled to learn how to get the teapot and cups into Quilt Pro and then worked on designing the gelato cups.

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Gelato Blocks designed by Connie

Do you remember what your first design was? My first design of a paper-piece pattern was in Quilt Pro of the gelato cup for my friend’s quilt. That was the only foundation pattern I had designed before I found your site.

When I found your site with Harry Potter patterns, I decided to try paper-piecing with smaller pieces and blocks. I was really leary of trying such small blocks with such tiny pieces, but I had to have a Hedwig. I have a thing for owls, and when I saw your quilt it really inspired me.

After finding your site and making a few blocks, I wanted to try my hand at it and make my own Harry Potter blocks. I decided to try making a block from each book and started with the Philosopher’s Stone for Book 1. This was my 2nd paper-pieced design and 1st Harry Potter design. Then I did the Whomping Willow for Book 2.

I also wanted to try my hand at some of the ones you had already done to practice designing from scratch.

I figured I could see what kind of pattern I ended up with compared to one that was “piece-able”. I learned that my patterns of the same subject have a tendency to be too complex for 5″ blocks! I have lots of trouble simplifying the designs for piecing. I tried the House Crests (I used the illustration in the books), and Bertie Botts (I froze a frame from the movie).

I had a really hard time with Quilt Pro, and then I found Quilt Assistant which made it much easier to trace designs and break them up into pieces.

It really amazes me that you can come up with so many designs so quickly.

Do you have a favorite among your own designs? The Whomping Willow from Book 2. I used the Chapter art.

How has the online community changed the way you craft/quilt/design, etc.? I’ve learned a lot from using the designs on your website. The most important thing is to let go of some details or the pieces end up too teeny-tiny and too difficult to sew. That’s hardest thing for me.

What do you use to design your patterns? Paper and pencil, a specific software, etc. First I get an idea or a picture. I can’t draw to save my life. I don’t have Photoshop, so I used Quilt Assistant to trace the design. Quilt Assistant will save the pattern to an Electric Quilt project. Then I export it as an EQ project. Then in EQ I export it to a metafile. (I wish Quilt Assistant could export to a metafile!) The metafile is imported into Quilt Pro where I touch it up, and check that the sections are correct and numbered. Then I add text to the print preview screen, after mirroring it for the pattern, and save it as a JPG. Needless to say I’m looking for an easier way. Quilt Pro shows me what doesn’t line up or make proper sections, so I can fix the lines to make it right. I also like the precision of the pattern in Quilt Pro, but I’ve had a hard time tracing designs directly into Quilt Pro. I really like Quilt Assistant for tracing, but I don’t like the way it makes templates instead of a foundation.

I’ve used Quilt Pro to layout quilts for years, since version 2. I also own Electric Quilt but haven’t really put it through its paces yet. Their interfaces are completely different and it’s tough to get used to one when you’re used to the other.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I haven’t had any time to paper-piece lately. Mom moved in with us after dad passed this year and she had to sell her house after breaking her hip. I really love the creative process, then seeing a completed block in fabric. I’m hoping for more creative time soon, I’ve got lots of blocks to catch up on, and I’d like to design some new ones as well. I’m really impressed by all the blocks you and the other guest designers have come up with, it’s just amazing!

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