Wordless Wednesday

Cat's Visit Oct/Nov 2009

A Holly Jolly Memory

Christmas Wall Hanging for Eric & Dominae

“Holly Jolly Christmas”
12″x13″ – 2008

Do you remember this little beauty?

It was a gift that I made for our friends Eric & Dominae. One of my favorite quilty sites, The Quilting Gallery, is having a contest called Holiday Traditions. There’s a small category and I decided that “Holly Jolly” would be the perfect quilt to enter.

The patterns to make this sweet wall hanging are still available for free, gratis, nada on sewhooked!  Check out Little Wonky Christmas TreeLil’ St. Nick, Mrs. Claus and Santa’s Elf.

The contest is open to small and large quilts and to any winter holiday and there are loads of fantastic prizes.  Go see and enter your own holiday quilt!

Holiday Traditions Quilt Contest

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.

 

 

 

 

vlog – TTMT: Swaps, Super Secret Guest and Halloween!

Lots of updates on completed swaps as well a Super Secret Guest and some Halloween photos!

Cauldron Pin Cushion Tutorial

Honey Bee Quilt Store

Honey Bee Blog post mentioned in the video

Maylee’s Garden for vegan natural soap

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.

Jennifer Rogers Ofenstein

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vlog: Teeny Tiny TTMT

My shortest TTMT ever, in which I direct you straight to my video interview with The Leaky Cauldron’s Crafty crew as part of my Crafter of the Month honor!

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.

 

 

 

 

The Leaky Cauldron: Featured Crafter of the Month

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I just received this lovely banner in my email and had to share with you all! After being nominated for Leaky’s Crafter of the Month and sharing the spotlight with some completely amazing and talented crafters, I’ve had the honor of being selected for November’s CotM!

Thanks Leaky and a huge THANKS to everyone that voted for me! It means the world to me to be acknowledged by my favorite fandom!

You can see the November feature here, including a video interview with yours truly or, if you’re a member of the Leaky Lounge, you can check it out here.

What an awesome honor!

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.

 

 

vlog: TTMT – Talk to me Monday??

I’m posting early this week because the rest is likely to be too busy for a Tuesday post.  I hope to hear from you on your own TTMT!

 

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.


 

My Favorite Charity: The Linus Connection

April 2006

The Linus Connection is a Central Texas non-profit organization whose mission is to make and deliver handmade security blankets that are for children in crisis situations in the Austin and Central Texas area. The blankets go to children in hospital emergency rooms, in crisis centers, foster care, battered women’s shelters, and to any child who is in need of a little extra security in their lives.

I often make references to Linus or The Linus Connection in my posts.  In recently writing an article about Linus for The Quilting Gallery, I realized I’d never spent a whole post just talking about Linus and what it means to me.

The Linus Connection was the first local craft-oriented non-profit group that I ever volunteered for.    My very first meeting was in November of 2002.  I’d been invited by another mom from my daughter’s Girl Scout troop after being pointed in her direction because I’d made a couple of small crochet blankets and I didn’t have anyone to give them to.  After offering to give her the blankets for Linus, she said, “oh, no, you should come to meeting!”

I was much shier back then, but I went anyway.  I was incredibly nervous when I walked into a building full of much older ladies all working industriously.  Stephanie Sabatini, the founder and Executive Director of Linus met me at the door, and said, “I was told to expect you!”  She put me to work immediately, sewing labels to donated blankets.

November 2002
The first blanket I donated to Linus in November 2002

When I got home, I was so excited to have a venue for my excess crafty energy, I started working on a new blanket immediately. I checked the Linus website for more information only to realize that it hadn’t been updated in over a year.

For my first couple of months at Linus, I sat with the crochet ladies or the label stitchers.  After a couple of months, I plucked up the courage to mention that I had my own website and would willingly volunteer to update the existing site.  By spring of 2003, I was the Webmistress of The Linus Connection, and I have been ever since.

I continued to make crochet blankets to donate each month.  In the autumn of 2003, the same friend that had introduced me to Linus suggested I come to a Honey Bee Work Day.  I’d been talking about making Halloween costumes and she told me that if I could make costumes, I could definitely make a quilt.  Bring your sewing machine, she said.  I did, again, nervous, because I’d never quilted before.  She got me all set up with a pre-cut quilt kit and I started sewing.  Before long I had a quilt top and I was searching online for information about borders and backing and binding.

November 2003

My first quilt, donated to The Linus Connection November 2003

In late 2004, after experimenting with quilting all year, including joining my first (and only!) bee,  I discovered paper piecing.   That was my light bulb moment in quilting and I’ve never looked back.  I was immediately designing my own patterns, one of the first ones being The Linus Heart.

The Linus Connection Heart

The Linus Connection Heart Pattern

In 2004, I was also invited to be  on The Linus Connection’s Executive Board of Directors.  I served for two years as Newsletter Editor in addition to my ongoing position as Webmistress.   During that time I helped organized the first Linus Blanket Challenge, which has just seen it’s fifth year, as well organizing a group-wide project to create a banner for The Linus Connection to put on display at meetings and at other events when Linus needed a physical presence.  The banner (shown at the top of this post) included my own heart pattern, as well as letters from a Carol Doak pattern book.  The layout was designed by me, while individual letters were paper pieced by volunteers from the group.  The banner itself was pieced, quilted and bound by myself and my bee friends.

Sometime during this time, I starting taking more responsibility in the blanket sorting area at meetings, something I still do and enjoy enormously because the sorters get to see and touch all the blankets that are donated.  I’m constantly saying we have the best job, because we do!

Photobucket Sorting Blankets in 2004

When one of the other Board members suggested we start a monthly Show & Tell at the monthly meetings in 2005, I started bringing my camera and adding those photos to the Linus Website.  One thing led to another, and I eventually started posting yearly photo videos to showcase Show & Tell blankets donated over the year.

Since I stepped down from the Board in 2006, I have continued as Webmistress and in blanket sorting.  The Linus Website is one of my pet projects and it’s evolved a lot over the years.  I updated it at least once a month, after meetings, updating photos, adding new information, pattern links etc.  I’ve designed all the banners and graphics, as well as the layout and I take a lot of personal pride in it.

Talking about all this makes it sound like I’ve forgotten all about the blankets, which I certainly haven’t.  This year, I donated my 200th blanket, while I don’t always reach my personal goal of two blankets a month, I do always have at least one to donate.  Just knowing that there have been 200 children touched by the work that came from my hands keeps me going.  That’s what Linus is all about and that’s why I keep volunteering my time online, crocheting and quilting.

Last but not least, I’ve found my best quilting friends through Linus.  Every member of my bee is a volunteer and we often spend our own time sorting fabric and talking about possible projects that would work for Linus.  They’re one of the best things that has come out of Linus for me and I’m thankful for them every day.  Remember that mom from the Girl Scout troop that first invited me?  She and I are still friends.  :)

You will find me at the Linus meeting every month in the back sorting blankets and taking photos during Show & Tell.  If you live in Central Texas, come by and see what we’re all about!  We’re always in need of volunteers to make, sort, label and deliver blankets!

Some of my favorite blankets that I’ve donated over the years (dates are actual donation dates):

January 2003
January 2003, granny-ghans

May 2005
May 2004, pattern from a magazine, but I don’t remember which!

July 2005
July 2005, Coconut Candy

February 2006
February 2006 Show & Tell, paper pieced center medallion from a Carol Doak pattern.

June 2006
June 2006, log cabin with the Linus Heart in the center

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October 2007, made from an old crochet pamphlet for the 2007 Challenge

Jan 2008
January 2008, various paper pieced hearts, made for a demo I gave in 2007.

June 2008
June 2008, Lion Brand pattern

January
January 2009, The Sewhooked Sampler

Strawberry Ice Cream Crochet Blanket for Linus March 2009
March 2009, Strawberry Ice Cream

September 2009 Linus quilt
September 2009, from Sharyn Craig’s Layer ‘Em Up

See all the blankets I’ve donated to Linus through the years in my flickr

The Linus Connection

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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.

vlog: TTMT – Wear Pink!

In which I wear pink and chat about Halloween costumes, swaps and birthdays!

Shae’s Etsy
Laci’s Etsy (which she does with her mom!)
Breast Cancer Awareness:

Crafts, Etc. (I Love This Yarn)

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.

crochet: Two for One Heart Square, 6″ & 12″ variations

Crochet Blocks for Jewells

Printable Version

Queue On Ravelry

I’m not sure if it’s the awesome “hearts on a string” appearance of this square, or maybe it’s the lovely squashiness of working with two strands of yarn.  Either way, this is my new favorite pattern!  I’m envisioning an entire afghan made from 12″ blocks, possibly in a rainbow of colors!

  • Color A (worsted weight)
  • Color B (worsted weight)
  • Size H Hook
  • Gauge – 4dc = approximately 1″, 2 rows = 1″

Special Note: The pattern is achieved by changing colors at the top the dc sts.

The color pattern is Row 1:  2 color A, 1 color B, 2 color A, etc; Row 2, 2 color B, 1 color A, 2 color B (repeat pattern)

You will be working across the strand of yarn that you are not using throughout.  This means you’ll only have ends to weave in at the beginning and end.    See the illustrations in BD Chessboard for examples on how to do this.

Because you’re working with two strands of yarn at all times,  pay special attention so they don’t get twisted.

With Color A For 6″ square, ch 22 (for 12″ square, ch 42)

Row 1:  dc in 4th ch from hook, change color at top of dc, (dc in next ch, change color at top of dc, dc in each of next 2 ch, change color at top of dc).  Rep ( ) across, changing color in top of ch 3.

Row 2: dc in next ch, (change color at top of dc, dc in next st, change color at top of dc, dc in each of next 2 sts).  Rep ( ) across, changing color in top of ch 3.

Repeat Row 2 for Rows  3-12 (3-21 for 12″ block), always working across the color not on the hook, finish off.

Border:  Using one strand of either color, sc evenly around all sides (2 sc in side of dcs), 3 sc in each corner; ch 1, sc in each sc around, 2 sc in corners.  Finish off.

Crochet Blocks for Jewells

12″ Square


black and red block 29

6″ Square

More free crochet patterns from sewhooked

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.

Batiks On Black 6″ Paper Pieced Block Drawing

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I can only ponder and idea for so long before jumping on it and making it a reality. Maybe that’s why I have don’t ever get quite enough sleep!


Introducing The Batiks On Black 6″ Paper Pieced Block Drawing!

How to participate:

Make a 6″ (6 1/2″ unfinished) paper pieced block, any design, made with batiks on a black background. Send that block to me via snail mail. It will go into a pot and on the December 15 Talk To Me Tuesday, a name will be drawn from all entries. That person wins ALL the blocks sent to me between now and December 15.

What patterns?:

Blocks must be paper pieced in order to participate. You can use any pattern you’d like, but here’s where I sweeten the deal. If you use a sewhooked pattern, you will receive 2 entries instead of 1. Nice, eh? If you use a sewhooked pattern AND post it to the sewhooked Batiks on Black flickr group, you will receive 3 entries. Even nicer!

Size:

Blocks need to be 6″ (6 1/2″ unfinished). You can use a smaller pattern (most sewhooked patterns are 5″) and add sashing, or you can size it up, as long as you follow the Batik on Black theme.

The Paper On the Back of This Block:

Ordinarily, I’d say leave the paper on your blocks. However, since this is a drawing and there could possibly be loads of blocks, I think it would be much nicer to the winner to remove the paper. SO, either use sashing to lock in the possibly bias paper pieced seams and then square it to 6 1/2″ OR make a 6 1/2″ paper pieced block and then staystitch the block 1/8″ from the outside edge and then remove the paper before sending.

Ready to Send?


When you’re ready to send, email batiksonblack@sewhooked.org and I will send you my mailing address. What? You didn’t think I was going to post it here, did you? ;)  When you send your block, be sure to include your name, mailing adddress, email address and user/screen name (optional).  Only your first name or screen name and location will be posted if you win!

Why should you trust me?

Well, I’ve been organizing swaps and challenges for several years. I spent almost two years as the Swap and Challenge Elf at HarryPotterCrafts Yahoo! Group, have organized challenges for the Livejournal communities: hp_paperpiecing, paperpieced, and both challenges and swaps for twilight_crafts. I also have hosted a monthly drawing on hp_paperpiecing for the last two years, giving away fabric from my own stash each month for participation.  I promise I won’t keep your squares, no matter how tempted I might be!

Link to this post!

Text boxes do not work on WordPress.com, where I host this blog, so I cannot include copy & paste html here.  Please feel free to grab the icon of your choice for your blog or website and link it back to this post OR you can grab copy & html from the sewhooked home page.

Batiks On Black 6″ Paper Pieced Drawing!

Small Icon:
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Large Icon:

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The more blocks, the bigger the pot, the bigger the pot, the bigger the quilt the winner will be able to make!

Now, have fun sewing!