Tag Archives: DIY

TTMT #514 – DIY Done!

There’s a lot going on this month. Look for links to all the stuff I talk about below!

2019 Fat Quarter Lotto

April is my birthday month and you’re invited to help me celebrate by participating in the 5th Annual Fat Quarter Lotto

It’s super easy – send up to four fat quarters & I’ll draw a winner (or winners) “live” on Talk to Me Tuesday on April 30, 2019. There will be 1 winner per 50 fat quarters. Last year we had two winners with 50 fat quarters each and one winner with 25 fat quarters!

Watch last year’s live drawing!

Want an extra entry? Include orphan blocks for The Linus Connection! The Linus Connection is an Austin, TX-based blanket making charity. I use orphan quilt blocks to make quilts to donate. I also share orphan blocks with fellow volunteers to make quilts. Any orphan quilt blocks collected will be turned into quilts for kids in crisis in Central Texas. This collection is personally done by me, Jennifer Ofenstein, and is not sponsored or endorsed by The Linus Connection.

The Sewhooked Fat Quarter Lotto is not a sponsored event and I am not eligible to win. This is just my way to say Thank You for another fun year of sharing! There is no purchase necessary and no obligation to play. I will pay for all return postage.

Click for Details

All entries must be received by April 29, 2019.

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TTMT #494 – Do You Sea It?

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TTMT #353 – Do It Yourself

 

I forgot to mention that the David Bowie Tribute on Fandom in Stitches did go up on Saturday. You can find that here.

Here are my contributions:

(from Space Oddity by David Bowie)
7″ hand embroidered
a free pattern
(from Changes by David Bowie)
7″ hand embroidered
a free pattern
My Favorite Things 2016 Block of the Month sewhooked.com
Reminder:
Monday, February 1 8am – February 2 8am (cst)
is FREE PATTERN DAY
for
My Favorite Things!

 

January 2016 Flickr Prize for sewhooked.com

Want a chance to win a fun, free prize each month during 2016? It’s easy! Make any of my patterns and share with my flickr group. You’ll be entered to win for each photo you share! Winners to be announced on the first Friday of each month.

Want to sponsor a 2016 prize? Please drop me an email.

Join the Sewhooked Facebook Group for community, fun and support!

Thanks for watching!

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I Want To Believe: An X-Files Quilt & Stitch Along coming 2016 on fandominstitches.com

New Pattern Every Wednesday though March!

TTMT #282 – Two Parts Awesome

sewhooked.com October 2014 Pick 3 Giveaway!

This month’s giveaway is a bit different!

Stop by the Sewhooked flickr group and share photos of your quilt blocks & projects made fromSewhooked patterns, including Paper Piecing Vintage or any other pattern (free or for sale) designed by me. You will each project you share, you will be entered to win your choice of THREE individual block patterns ($2.95 or less each) from my Craftsy Shop! Click on the banner to go Sewhooked flickr group. Winner to be announced November 3, 2014!

 

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DIY, like crafts, only bigger

UntitledI don’t have much to show for my last few days because I’ve been doing a little DIY!

The faucet above is in my kiddos’ bathroom. I installed an identical one in our half-bath downstairs.

Here it is on Amazon. I picked it up at my local Lowe’s for about half that price.

Not only did I update the yucky old cheap-o faucets that were in our house when we bought it way back in 1999 (why did I wait so long?!), but I also updated the water shut-offs and intake lines so they are now up to current code for our area.

Did I mention my fingers are sore? Ouch! Even the plumber’s putty under my nails was worth it. 😉

Yeah, DIY!

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Learn to paper piece with my full-length video worshop…
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All Sudsed Up – Homemade Hand Soap!

Homemade Liquid Handsoap made from a bar of soap

After seeing this recipe for making a gallon of hand soap on Pinterest, I could not resist giving it a try!

It takes one bar of hand soap, 2 TBS liquid glycerin and 1 gallon of water. So simple!

I used a bar of tea tree soap for my version, and followed the recipe to the letter. My house smelled extra-nice for a couple of days, and the soap smells just as good.

For the first few hours after cooking, the soap looked a bit like milky water, but once it was completely cooled, it was absolutely the perfect consistency for a hand pump.

I doubt the refills will last for a year for my family, but we will get a lot of use out of that one bar of soap!

If you try this, make sure you have containers ready to go. I filled all my soap dispensers as well as one empty soap refill bottle, but I had to improvise with the rest.

See you tomorrow for Talk To Me Tuesday!

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 Sewhooked 2012 Summer Challenge

STITCHED registration is now only $40! Click for details

Get 10% off your total purchase during June with code SUMMER2012. Offer valid here on Sewhooked and in my Etsy Shop.

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2011 UFOs and WIPs

With the finish of the TTMT UFO Deadline Challenge, my mind is filled with the projects that I am not only working on, but the ones that have been on the back burner.

Before we start, some definitions:

UFO = UnFinished Object – a project that has been set aside and allowed to collect dust. Chances are it’s existence has been forgotten until it’s pulled out of whatever dark hole it was stuffed into. While there, it probably multiplied like Tribbles, leaving many more UFOs than you remember putting there in the first place.

WIP = Work In Progress  – Always in danger of becoming a UFO, a WIP is a project that is currently being worked on, and will hopefully become a…

FO = Finished Object – What all projects dream of being. The object of much blog activity and excitement and a good source of personal pride. The Ultimate Destination of a UFO and WIP.

This year, in addition to my list of UFOs, I’m including my WIPs and some DYI. This is by no means a complete list because I’m very much a Do It Right now kind of  person. That is to say, when I get an idea, I often have to stop everything and do it now!

See my 2010 UFO list and the follow-up post.

Quilting Projects

Brown Bear, sadly no change since 2009

Bear Paw Pass Around

STATUS – UFO

Started as a pass around project with my bee in 2008, I sadly have not touched these blocks for over a year. I did go through the box and make a plan…

Brown Bear, sadly no change since 2009

I plan to use the gold fabric for sashing and was playing with the idea of using brown for the cornerstones. The more I look at the fabric, the more I think I want brick red cornerstones. The brown just sort of disappears against the gold.

1/2 square triangles from exchanges

Half-square triangle exchange blocks

STATUS – UFO-ish

These are the results of two half-square triangle exchanged I participated in last year. I have not yet decided what I’m going to do with them, which is what gives them their “ish” status. They’re just waiting for the right project to crop up!

The InuYasha quilt - I still need t-shirts

InuYasha Quilt

STATUS – Still Collecting

I started collecting shirts for an InuYasha quilt for my daughter last year. The plan is to use the Shoji Screen pattern and place the t-shirt fronts where the large panels would be. Unfortunately, I only have one t-shirt so far, courtesy of ladyoflosttimes. If you have an InuYasha shirt you’d be willing to part with, please let me know and we can work out a trade. InuYasha is her fandom of choice and the least a good fandom mommy can do is make a fandom quilt for her daughter!

10" HP swap blocks that need to be a quilt

Harry Potter/Magical Swap blocks

STATUS – UFO

These quilt blocks are the results of several swaps. Sadly, I’ve had them several years now. I am one step closer to doing something with them now that I realize I  need to break them into sets. The top set are all the 10″ blocks with images on them that say “Harry Potter” to me. The bottom set are more traditional blocks, blocks that are bigger (or smaller!) than 10″ or magical blocks that aren’t as HP-ish. I still love all the blocks, but I definitely need to make two, possibly three, quilts out of these!

Misc Blocks from Swaps

Christmas Quilt needs borders

Christmas Quilt

STATUS – UFO…leaning towards WIP

Started two years ago from a swap I participated in on All About Paper Piecing (a currently defunct ning network), this quilt is getting a piano key border out of Christmas fabric. I’ve already got it sorted out and plan to start cutting in the next month so it’ll be ready to go to quilt retreat in March.

New York Beauty UFO

New York Beauty Quilt

STATUS – UFO

I started this NYB for a class I taught last year. I had lots of models for the class, all in different stages of done-ness. The class was a blast…and then I lost my steam. I will be optimistic and take this one to retreat in March. I have all the pieces cut and just need to get them together. Will I? Who knows!

Beginning applique class lesson UFO

Beginning Hand Appliquéd block

STATUS -UFO…leaning toward WIP

I took a beginning hand appliqué class last year and learned lots! I even almost finished my class project. Can you see there are two leaves that need to have buds added and to be stitched in place? That’s it…all I have left to do to finish this block. I’m putting it in my car so I can work on it in the carpool line. Maybe I’ll actually finish it then!

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The Project of Doom

STATUS – WIP

All the blocks for the PoD are designed and I am several weeks ahead of everyone else in piecing them. I plan to have my quilt top finished by the end of March.  This is my pet project for 2011 and my gift to my friends in the Harry Potter crafty fandom. Want to play along and make your own Harry Potter mystery quilt? Click the banner above!

Below – Tackett protects the PoD blocks.

Tackett protects the Project of Doom.

Five at the Hive January Fall 5 at the Hive January Extra

5 @ The Hive Fall Colorway 2011

STATUS – WIP

5 @ The Hive is Honey Bee Quilt Store ‘s Block of the Month. I’m participating for the first time this year. The two blocks above are my January blocks. I’m doing the fall colorway with the extra block. By the end of the year, there will be enough blocks for a completed quilt top. I’m super excited about this one because 1)I’m not designing it and 2) it comes with fabric and 3)I love the blocks and the layout.

Crocheting

Brown Ghan UFO

Variegated and Browns

STATUS – UFO

I completely forgot about this until I cleaned out my stash. I will get back to working on it after I finish the next project on the list. This will probably be a blanket for The Linus Connection.

black and red project

Black/Red Knit or Crochet Swap

STATUS – WIP

After doing absolutely nothing with these fabulous black and red knit and crochet blocks from a Twilight Crafts swap in 2009, I have created enough white blocks to make a chess/checkerboard out of the set. The next step is to crochet them all together and then add a red, white and black border.

Crafts

A bowl I started

Rope Bowl – “It’s A Wrap” style

STATUS – UFO

This is the only unfinished craft project I found, and it can really be classified as a sewing project…so, go figure. This was the bowl I started when I taught the It’s A Wrap class last fall. I brought it home from class and promptly forgot all about it. I would like to get back to it and finish it up because the technique is just so darn fun!

DIY

Stairs - Before

Staircase makeover

STATUS – WIP

Just last week, I pulled the carpet off of our stairs. It had horrible, gross carpet that the builders installed 20 years ago. I’ve steamed cleaned them so many times, the thought of doing it again made me feel like weeping. The stairs are now de-carpeted, de-carpet-tacked, scrubbed and primed. The next step is a faux finish to turn the stairwell and stairs into a stone passageway. Yeah, you heard that, I actually said it out loud!

Projects In Mind

I have about a million and one other projects that I’d like to tackle this year. These are some ideas that have crossed my mind that are on the high end of happening.

  • A Twi-Wizard She-Shirt in Ravenclaw colors with “ofenjen” on the back. Because I can. And for DH, part 2.
  • A new Monk’s Bag 2.0
  • A granny ripple afghan for Linus. Someone made several in December and they were really neat. I want to make one.
  • A multitude of fun layout patterns for the Sewhooked Shop, like Classic Film, intended specifically for 5″ (finished) blocks.
  • A werewolf wall hanging or cushion for my daughter. Not found in all my stuff today were the blocks designed by Cat Magraith that I started making for Miss E last year (definite UFO status). Hopefully they’ll turn up before March!
  • Miscellaneous gifts for people I love. I do have some things in mind, but hey, spoilers!
What are you working on this year? Do you have any UFOs or WIPs? Blog about them and leave me a link so I can see what you’re up to or tell me in comments!

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

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Way Back Craft: The Fat Lady Mural

The Fat Lady

If you follow me here on sewhooked, then you’ve already heard all about my daughter’s Harry Potter bedroom.  It was  a big project with lots of little projects (and some huge ones!) mixed together.

On Friday, I posted about my son’s bedroom door, which is now graced by the TARDIS.  What I didn’t say is that it was The Fat Lady that started it all.  It was the idea of paining her that led to the idea for the HP room, and eventually, the TARDIS.

When you’re a kid (or a young-at-heart) adult, and you’re dearest desire is to go to Hogwarts and live in Gryffindor Tower, who should greet you as you clamber into your living space each day?  The Fat Lady, of course!

When designing the HP room for my daughter almost 6 1/2 years ago now, the very top of our list said “Fat Lady.”

The photos of the door do not do the mural justice.  She comes out looking much flatter and two dimensional than she does in real life.  Part of that is the awkward angle the door sits to our hallway, making it impossible to take a photo straight on.  I hope you get the idea anyway.  Just trust me when I say, she’s a beauty face to face!

And now, without further ado, The Fat Lady, originally posted on my very first crafts website, Jen’s Crochet & Craf.

What You’ll Need:

  • Level
  • Straight edge (yardstick or similar)
  • Fine sandpaper
  • Soft cloth
  • Primer (if needed)
  • Masking tape
  • Overhead projector (optional)
  • Reference image (on transparency film if using projector) from a coloring book, online image, etc.
  • Chalk or pencil
  • Acrylic craft paints
  • Paper cups or empty egg carton (for paint)
  • Artist paint brushes (multiple sizes)
  • Drop cloth or newspaper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the work area by protecting with a drop cloth or newspapers.
  2. Make sure the surface you will be painting on is lightly sanded and free of dust by wiping with a soft cloth. If the surface is unpainted, paint a base coat of primer.
  3. Using the level and straight edge, measure and mark where your painting will be. When this is done, use masking tape to outline the INSIDE of the frame. You will be painting inside of this.
  4. Sketch The Fat Lady with a pencil or chalk either freehand or using an overhead projector. If neither of these options is available to you, enlarge your reference image on a copy machine to the appropriate size. Liberally rub chalk over the back of the paper. Tape the paper in the appropriate location. Being careful not to touch the image too much, outline the entire image with a pencil. The chalk will be transferred to the working surface.
  5. Once the surface has been prepared, begin painting using the reference image as a guide. Use whatever size paint brushes feel best in your hand. If you’ve never painted before, just take it slow. Start with the background and work your way in. Don’t worry about details, just get the basic shape to start with.
  6. When you’re happy with the basic shape of The Fat Lady, use slightly darker colors to go back and add details to hair, eyes, shadows, etc. Use the reference image to see where shadows and details need to be.
  7. Gently remove the masking tape. Let the painting dry overnight.
  8. Using chalk or a pencil, draw a frame around the painting. If you are not comfortable with freehand, you can also masking tape. Overlap the background of the painting. For an extra flourish, add a half circle to the top of the frame, which will become a lion’s head.
  9. Using gold craft paint, fill in the frame you’ve just drawn. Add shadows and details

This tutorial is also available on The Leaky Cauldron’s Harry Potter Crafts

MORE HP Decor:

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.