Tag Archives: jennifer ofenstein

Free Pattern Friday: Bicycle (comes out of retirement!)

Well, friends, with the spring weather and lots of people outside, I thought it was a good time to bring my Bicycle pattern out of retirement!

Where did my retired patterns go? Read all about that here.

This formerly-for-sale pattern is 6″ or 10″, both sizes are paper pieced. It’s been made many times over the years, and it’s always been one of my favorites. It’s now free for you to make and I genuinely hope you enjoy it!

Bicycle
6″ or 10″ paper pieced
now a free pattern for personal & non-profit use
© Jennifer Ofenstein
sewhooked.com

Find more Free Pattern Friday Posts!

Need help with paper piecing? I’ve got you!

You’ll find more free quilt patterns in my Quilt Pattern Archive.

Looking for my fandom content? You’ll find it on Fandom in Stitches!

If you would like to support my free content like videos, patterns, and more, you can also find me on Ko-fi!

Thank you for stopping by. I’m really enjoying the opportunity to share free patterns again. If you make this or any of my other patterns, let me know! Drop me an email or tag me on Instagram @sewhookedjen.

I hope to see you for my next Talk to Me Tuesday vlog! If you haven’t joined me for TTMT, be sure to stop by to say hello to yours truly and catch up on what I’ve been working on. Want to join the TTMT community? Find out how here!

Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links to help cover the cost of my website. I thank you for your generous support. ♥

Free Pattern Friday: Fairy 2023, or, Evolution of a Fairy

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I could have called this Evolution of a Fairy.

Let me explain.

I designed my first foundation paper pieced pattern back in 2005. During that first year or two, I attempted a fairy pattern. She was a little complicated, but I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and complicated has never really stopped me anyway.

Well, as you can see, she doesn’t look great. What is even happening with that arm? 😐

While I don’t remember making the block, my much more experienced eye can see all the design mistakes as well as where my seam ripper and I spent some quality time together. I still rip seams, but I’m much better at it now. Practice, after all, makes perfect.

Fast forward a few years later, and I had another go.

She’s definitely better, but she’s still not quite right. A couple of friends tested her for me, and I was reasonably happy with this pattern, at least enough to share on an earlier version of this website.

Fast forward to 2015, and I redrafted her yet again. I was working on the reboot of The Project of Doom at the time, running my pattern company, I had a kid at home, was volunteering with the high school, and honestly, I have no idea what else. With everything else going on, I think I just forgot about her.

See my retired patterns here.

Until last week. While I was organizing some files, there she was. Just waiting for some finishing touches.

I’m pleased to present Fairy, 2023. Much like me, she had no idea where she’d be today!

You can see the bones of the original design in this pattern, but she’s more, well, airborne. More defined. And definitely more 2023.

I hope you like her!

Fairy 2023
10″ paper pieced
a free pattern for personal & non-profit use
© Jennifer Ofenstein
sewhooked.com

Find more Free Pattern Friday Posts!

You’ll find more free quilt patterns in my Quilt Pattern Archive.

Looking for my fandom content? You’ll find it on Fandom in Stitches!

If you would like to support my free content like videos, patterns, and more, you can also find me on Ko-fi!

I hope to see you for my next Talk to Me Tuesday vlog! If you haven’t joined me for TTMT, be sure to stop by to say hello to yours truly and to catch up on what I’ve been working on. Want to join the TTMT community? Find out how here!

Where did my retired patterns go? Read all about that here.

Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links to help cover the cost of my website. I thank you for your generous support. ♥

Free Pattern Friday – Virtual Hugs!

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Surprise, it’s a Free Pattern Friday!

As a person who loves to give and receive hugs, I have found the current social distancing a little trying.

Without being to give out REAL HUGS, I’ve decided to share with you, my online friends, Virtual Hugs!

Make the size you want and give yourself a Virtual Hug from me to you. Share them with your friends and family, too. We could all use a few more hugs right now! ♥

Print or Save Virtual Hugs (Google Drive)

The pattern includes both 6″ & 12″ (finished)

Massive thanks go out to my dear friend and long time pattern tester Amber for getting this super simple pattern tested and for always, always being a fantastic proof-reader!

hugs by amber

Amber’s 6″ Virtual Hugs!

hugs by amber 12in

Amber’s 12″ Virtual Hugs!

Want another size? I can help with that!

Join us for a free sew along and safe socializing over in the Sewhooked Facebook Group! Patterns and other details are available when you join us!

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Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support. ♥

Free Printable Paper Piecing Tutorial

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Hello, my friends! Many years ago, I wrote a full-length tutorial that has been available for sale in my various online shops. Since I’ve retired from selling, but not from my love of paper piecing, today, I offer it to you for free.

Learn to Paper Piece with Sweet Skating Sue is now available as a FREE printable PDF download. The step-by-step tutorial includes 23 pages of paper piecing goodness perfect for beginners. You get photos and easy-to-understand instructions for paper piecing Sweet Skating Sue. The pattern is also included in the tutorial, so you get everything you need to get started on your paper-piecing adventure! Once you learn the basics using Sweet Skating Sue, you can tackle any project that includes paper piecing. There are thousands of patterns out there, making the possibilities of creating a special quilt project just for you absolutely endless. Prefer a video approach? Paper Piecing Art: Beginner and Beyond, is a full-length class I created for a subscription-based platform back in 2012. Both the class and the pattern are absolutely free.

Watch my 2012 STITCHED Workshop, Paper Piecing Art: Beginner & Beyond for free. 🙂 Print Waiting for Rain, the pattern used in the video above.

Need more? I have a whole page about paper piecing!

See you on Tuesday! signature-2016

Posts on this blog may contain affiliate links. Thank you for your support. ♥

Blogger’s Quilt Festival: The Body In The Library Wall Hanging

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The Body in the Library, a 17″ x 25″ wall hanging

Welcome to my first post for Amy’s Creative Side’s twice-annual Blogger’s Quilt Festival! First post? Yes, that’s right! I will be entering two quilts this year!

Be sure to read to the end for a fun giveaway!

The timing of this particular festival could not be better as my Wall Hanging entry, The Body in the Library, was just finished earlier this month!

For weeks I’d been wracking my brain for an idea for the perfect birthday gift for Jewells, my best friend of almost 20 years.

While thinking about things I know for sure she enjoys, Agatha Christie came to mind.

On a whim, I began Googling.

Then I found this:

Immediately, I knew it was The One. This was what I was looking for and it HAD to be a quilt; in fact, it had to be THE birthday quilt!

Don’t the graphics just shout QUILT!?

Within moments of finding this image, I’d fired up EQ7 and begun drafting.

In approximately two days, I designed, paper pieced, hand embroidered, pieced, free motion quilted, bound & labeled this little gem.

The shelves of the quilt are entirely paper pieced. These three shelves contain more than 36 pattern pieces. Not pieces of fabric, but actual pattern pieces!

Watch the video where I talk about this quilt!

I straight-line quilted around the books and free-motion quilted the shelves, border and background, all on my Baby Lock Quest Plus.

“Agatha Christie” is hand embroidered using DMC in a font called Alpaca 54. “by” was drawn by me.

The back of the quilt shows the quilting much better than the front!

You can also see the tabs I created for hanging. To make them, I fold a 3″ square in half on the diagonal and stitch them onto the corners when attaching the binding. Simply place a dowel rod in the pockets and it’s ready to hang! The best way I’ve found to do this is by using two 3M Command wire hooks placed approximately 6″ apart. The label is a larger square created the same way as the pockets at the top.

The Body in the Library is a Miss Marple mystery story. According to Freaky Trigger, this particular cover is the 1942 Australian Collins Crime Club edition.

As an added bonus today, comment on this post with the name of your favorite book for a chance to win one of two prizes! I’ll be giving away a free copy of Quiltmaker’s Quilts from 100 Blocks and a copy of of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Vol 7. to TWO random commenters at the end of the festival!

Quilts From 100 Blocks includes my pattern Corn Maze and Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Vol. 7 includes my pattern Make Lemonade. Want these magazines now? Get them in my Etsy shop!

There’s always lots going on around Sewhooked! In October, join me Name That Mustache and Crafts of Halloweens Past!

Don’t forget to check out the Blogger’s Quilt Festival for more fabulous quilts!

I hope to see you around!

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Featured pattern: Jack Leaves The Light On, $6 on Craftsy

Quiltmaker 100 Blocks, Vol. 6 Blog Tour!

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Welcome, welcome!

November crept right up on me and here it is November 5 and time for my Quiltmaker 100 Blocks Blog Tour post!

I’m so excited to be included in another fantastic issue of 100 Blocks!

Let’s do it!

Leave a comment by Nov. 11 and be entered to win a free copy of this issue.

How fun and easy is that?!

I have a new friend to introduce to you today called Scarecrow Surprise!

This guy came about because I wanted something that said “autumn,” but was also playful and included a tiny bit of hand embroidery.

You can find Scarecrow Surprise on page 30 of 100 Blocks Vol. 6. And look there to the right…I’m super excited to have Scarecrow Surprise right next to a wonderful pattern by Charise from Charise Creates! How awesome is that?

Here’s something else fun… Scarecrow Surprise is on the cover, too!

*throws confetti*

He joins May Showers as 100 Blocks cover alumni!

What? You’re supposed to be scared of me!

I started with just a scarecrow, but after a couple of doodles, I quickly realized that he was a lonely old guy standing there all alone. I started thinking about what a scarecrow is actually supposed to do and I wondered how often a birds ignore the You Shall Not Land directive.

A lot, I bet!

When I drafted this guy out, he had a plain face. After adding the bird to his shoulder, I realized what was missing…his reaction! Here it is penciled in on my first draft.

Here’s a little sneak peak of how the pre-published version of the pattern looked. Look, ma, no numbers!

And, of course, I have to share some variations!

Above is Stonehenge Scarecrow, Feeling Blue Scarecrow and Warm Colors Scarecrow!

Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Vol. 6 will be available at your local quilt shops and bookstores November 13 and I will be selling a limited amount of signed copies in my etsy shop, so be sure to check back for that!

Come see me at Honey Bee Quilt Store in Austin, Texas, Sunday November 25 for a Quiltmaker’s 10o Blocks Vol. 6 magazine signing event! I will be signing magazines and sharing some of my other work!

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Featured Pattern Set: Holly Jolly, just $6 on Craftsy!

All Dolled Up!

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Julia Catherine Amber

Julia Catherine Catherine Amber Amber Julia

Julia Amber Catherine Julia Amber Catherine

All Dolled Up Pattern Set

Oh my, have I ever been busy!

Earlier this week, a message dropped in my inbox from Ann-Marie S., asking about paper pieced dress patterns. She wants to turn her daughters’ toddler dresses into quilt blocks and was looking for patterns to help her do that.

Well, how could I resist such an adorable request?

In exchange for her idea, Ann-Marie received a free copy of this fantastically fun set of patterns, which I have dubbed All Dolled Up.

Here’s how it works:

There are three paper pieced patterns in two sizes each:

3 – 6″x6″ (6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ unfinished) patterns
3 – 9″x9″ (9 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ unfinished) patterns

The tops and bottoms are interchangeable with blocks of their own size, which gives you 18 total dress variations!

This super fun, super simple pattern set is available right now as an instant download PDF right now through The Sewhooked Shop, powered by e-junkie, for safe and secure PayPal payments.

All Dolled Up Pattern Set

$6.50 PDF Instant Download

There are three basic patterns; Julia, Catherine and Amber. The top from each dress can be paired with the skirts from the other two dresses, giving you nine different dresses!

Each pattern is also printable as a 6″ x 9″ (6 1/2″ x 9 1/2″) pattern, for a more “grown-up” effect!

Confused? Here’s an easy chart to get you on your way! The top row shows the base patterns: Julia, Catherine and Amber. The next two rows show each tops with a different skirt. For example, J+C = Julia (top) + Catherine (skirt). Easy!

All Dolled Up Pattern Set

$6.50 PDF Instant Download

How’s that for a new pattern? I’m so in love with this set and can’t wait to piece my new little dresses into a quilt!

You still have time to get the PDF download of Floating Mariner for half-price (that’s just $3!) through January 15 with coupon code BEINSPIRED.

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

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Workshops are open!

Register Now!

Half Price Happy Tree!

$8.00 $4.00 through Nov. 30, 2011

with coupon code HAPPYTREE

This cheerful tree combines tradition and whimsy in the color palette of your choice. Add buttons, beads, embroidery or quilting to make it your own!

paper piecing, strip piecing
14 1/2″ x 21 1/2″ finished size

Includes paper pieced patterns, fabric requirements, cutting and piecing instructions.

Instant Download PDF pattern

secure shopping through e-junkie

Here are some great examples from the Sewhooked flickr group:

by liljabs

by shaebay

by hermione_jean

Happy stitching!

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Click here to view more details

Piecing of Doom

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Guess what I finished the embroidery on last night and will be PIECING today?! That’s right, my Project of Doom blocks will be a quilt top by the end of the day! Many of the participants in my Harry Potter Block of the Week opted to add different elements to their quilt after it was in bookcase format. I am undecided on that. Since I designed it, it’s already about as personalized as it’s going to get for me. There is one thing I might try…but first thing’s first, rows of books!

Learn more about The Project of Doom

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

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Feeling Chicken

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Free 5″ Pecking Chick Pattern, by Jennifer Ofenstein

Several years ago, I participated in a year-long birthday quilt block swap. At the time, one of my dear friends and fellow designers, Cat Magraith, was collecting chicken-themed blocks. She was also participating in the same swap. I drafted several before deciding which blocks to share with her.

The above pattern, Pecking Chick, never made out of the sketch stage and is being posted for the very first time today! I think he’d be a sweet little chick with a French knot eye and a few seed beads at his feet for pecking!

The first two were made for the swap, and I believe I sent the egg block on to her as well. It’s one block I’m incredibly proud of. Doesn’t it just look like you’re looking in a full nest?

Cat’s Roosters, free 5″ patterns here on Sewhooked.

Chick for Cat, adapted from this pattern at Patch Pieces.

Three Eggs. Free 5″ Pattern here on Sewhooked.

But wait, there’s more! I’m not the only that’s created or adapted chicken patterns. Cat has quite a few of her own, many of which are available right here on Sewhooked for free!

2 Chicks, free 5″ pattern by Cat Magraith