My Crochet Afghan Progress

It's been awhile since I've updated you on my crochet progress. This is what I do in my free time these days, usually in  the evening on the couch or on the porch. It's an afghan that is from this pattern. So far I am sticking with the pattern, even though there are several times I wanted to go off roading, or um, do my own thing.

26 large granny squares are finished, there are 24 more smaller squares to make. They have been started.

Once the squares are all finished then some long stripes are crocheted and then they are all stitched together. I'm waiting until the squares are all finished but I am already thinking it needs to be bigger. When it gets to that point, I promise to snap some more pictures.

One more thing before I sign out... I picked a winner for the Owl giveaway. Congrats Raina! I have e-mailed her and she is super excited about a flock of owls heading her way. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Have a great day,

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Surtex 2013

Hey, Hey,

If this weekend being Quilt Market wasn't enough, it is also Surtex. Woot woot, it's a busy weekend. This is my first Surtex and it's super exciting, even though it is my agent will be attending. Since January I have been working behind the scenes getting my portfolio ready for the show and my new website. In the past, I have designed loads of repeating patterns but companies also want main images as well. That's where my portfolio needed some work so I have been painting some every week to have a good selection of images. My new site is www.jenniferheynen.com and it serves as my online portfolio if you want to take a peek.

If you're going to Surtex, Montage Licensing is in booth 465 and if you're not but you want to keep up on all the latest from Kimberly and the gang, then the Montage Facebook Page is great for that.

Have a great day,

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Owl Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway



I'm giving away a whole bunch of owls! Everything in the photo will go to one lucky winner. I'm using the rafflecopter app to help with the giveaway since it worked so well last time.

If you want to sign up for my monthly newsletter, here where to do it.

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Can't wait to see who wins in 5 days, good luck!

Quilt Market, Spring 2013

Hello, Hello, Long time no blog. It's Quilt Market this weekend in Portland. All last week I was busy sewing samples for the Thermoweb booth. I have sent them my Okey Dokey Owl and my Okey Dokey Owl and Friends Quilt for display in their booth. I am happy to say they are flying their way now as we speak. 

I am super bummed that I won't be at market this spring, but a girls got to take a market off every now and then. This just happened to be the one that was the farthest away and at the busiest time of the year for me. I am already excited about fall market because I will be there for sure.

So Quilt Market is usually a time when new fabric is debuted....

I will have two ready for ordering at this market. Hoopla and Everyday Fun. You will be able to sew with them in November. One is a basics line and the other is a mini line that has a fun quilt print and appliqué letters. The last minute touches and tweaks are still happening so there's not much to show you until after market. But I'll give you a snippet....

In The Beginning Fabrics is in booth 2439 if you're going to market and want to stop by and see the whole shabang.

Have a great day!

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Pin Cushion in a Cup Tutorial

Supplies Needed:
1 ceramic bowl or cup
1 10" x 10" fabric for bottom
1 6" x 12 fabric for large circle
1 5" x 10" fabric for medium circle
1 4" x 8" fabric for small circle
1 wool ball,  ceramic cherry, or bead
2-3 assorted trims
fiberfill

The PDF version of this pattern can be found here. This pattern includes templates for the circles.

1. Pin the trims around the outer edge of each of the circle sizes. Make sure to point the outer edge of the trim inward.

2. Pin the remaining circle on top to make a sandwich. The right sides of the fabric should be facing inward. Sew around the outside using a 1/4" seam allowance.

3. Cut a slit down the bottom side of each circle. Clip the curved edges and turn right sides out. Fill with fiberfill.

4. Stitch closed. (Theses stitches will be hidden.)

5. The single large circle you cut is for the bottom of the pin cushion. With e needle and thread run a gathering stitch around the raw edge.

6. Fill with fiberfill and pull the thread snug to create a ball shape.

7. With a long needle and thread sew up from the bottom ball, through all three stuffed circle and out through the top. Sew through you ceramic cherry, a felt ball, or a bead and then return your needle back down and out the bottom. Pull the thread snug and repeat this several times to secure.


8. Using a glue gun place hot glue all around the inside of your cup or bowl. Arrange the cushion how you would like and let the glue dry. You're finished!

Enjoy!

The fabric used in this pin cushion is from my Extraordinary World Fabric Collection from In The Beginning Fabrics.

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My version of the Lunch Money Cuff

When I ran across the lunch money cuff  tutorial in Sew Can She archives by Christie from Lemon Squeezy, I knew two boys at my house needed these. Not necessarily for lunch, but for going to the store. They have their wallets, baggies, envelopes, or whatever they seem to have their money in at the time. But guess who ends up carrying them around in their purse? Yep, me. With these wallets THEY could now be in charge of carrying their own money.

Christie's version is super cute. I needed these quick, so I decided on a few shortcuts to make my wallets a bit faster. Instead of an inlaid zipper, I went with a zipper across the top of the wallet. Basically, I was going to make a zipper pouch with hook and loop tape on the sides.

If you need help putting a zipper in or sewing the pouch, I did a easy zipper pouch tutorial that you can find in the Sew Can She archives that has loads of pictures. The wallet fabric to cut is 8.5" x 3", just like Christie's tutorial.

Once the pouch was sewn, I sewed a piece of hook and loop tape on the sides of the wallet. It was ready to take to the store.

If you have not checked out the Sew Can She Tutorials, you are missing out. Each day a fabulous tutorial comes to your inbox. I am always amazed at the ideas folks come up with.

Have a great day,

Fabric used in this tutorial is from my Extraordinary World collection from In The Beginning Fabrics
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Shabby Chic Pillow Tutorial

I'm on a bit if a pillow kick, trying to fill up my couches with lots of fun, bright, and cheery pillows. This long and narrow pillow came as a result. It was pretty easy to put together and now it has me thinking up a quilt version. Hmm....you might just see it down the road. 

Here's what you need for a 20" x 8" pillow:

1/3 yard pillow body fabric

1/3 yard batting

1/3 yard scrap for quilting back

3 flower fabrics 6" x 6" 

1/4 yard Thermo Web Lite Fusible Interfacing

Assorted Scraps for circles

3 Ceramic 1" Buttons

Coordinating Threads

Fiberfill

pillow trim (optional) I used Jumbo Ric Rac

Note: The fabric used in this pillow are from my Extraordinary World fabric Collection. Ceramic Buttons can be found here.

Instructions:

1. Start by ironing the fusible web onto the back of the three fabric pieces for the flowers. Cut out a flower shape approximately 5-6" in diameter. 

2. Cut two rectangles from the pillow fabric, batting, and quilting back fabric that each measure approximately 10" x 22" . This is larger than the finished pillow because the quilting will shrink up the fabric. Once quilted we will trim the pillow pieces to size.

3. Iron the pillow front fabric and then arrange the three flowers onto the fabric. Press in place to secure. Using coordinating thread and your machines applique stitch setting sew around the outer edge of the three flowers.

                         

4. Next, layer the backing, batting, and pillow front to make your quilt sandwich. Machine quilt the two pieces. I chose to not quilt on the flowers to make them pop from the pillow. Trim both of the pillow pieces to  9" x 21" in size. Set aside.

5. Find something round that is approximately 4" in diameter, I personally, used a small bowl. Trace around it onto fabric and cutout. Cut two more pieces of fabric the same size. These are your three largest circles. Cut three more fabric circles the same size and then trim off 1/8 - 1/4" from the edge.

6. Next, cut three more pieces of fabric that are the same as the smaller circles you just cut. Trim a little off of the edge to make it smaller. Continue cutting circles that get progressively smaller until you have three nice stacks of scrappy circles.

 7. Sew in the center of each of these three stacks to secure.  I wanted my circles to be frayed so at this point I threw the three stacks in the washer with a load of laundry.

8. After they are out of the dryer, arrange a button on top of the stack and sew it on. While you still have your needle and thread going sew the stack to the center of one of the flowers.

9. Sew all three stacks onto the pillow top.

10. I you want to use a trim around the edges of the pillow, pin it onto the edge at this point. With right sides together pin the edges together. Sew around all of the sides using a 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to leave a 5" - 6" opening for turning.

11. Turn the pillow right side out and fill with fiberfill. Hand stitch the opening closed.

Enjoy!

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Buy One Get One Free

These lollipops were in the Quilts and More Summer Fall issue 2012. I have several kits left in the Etsy shop and I figure they can't stay there much longer so I am putting them on sale. Starting now, they are officially Buy One Get One Free. Unfortunately, Etsy doesn't have this option in the checkout so I will refund the second kit before I ship your order.

Even if you don't want to make a lollipop, you get a couple of squares of fabric and a 1" button. You could make a cute little zipper pouch with the supplies. Instructions for a pouch are here.

When they are gone they are gone so get them now.

Happy Friday!

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Joining an Artist Co-op

Last week it was the tophatter auction, this week, it's a artist co-op gallery. Sometimes I do wonder if it's possible for me to say no. This has been said before on the blog and it probably won't be the last time, when it comes to business opportunities I am always willing to try something new.

Here's the story, a few weeks ago a woman from Roswell Georgia e-mailed me about an artist co-op that she was opening in May, was I interested. Roswell is a suburb of Atlanta, it's super cute, has an old covered bridge an abandoned cotton mill, and a gluten free bakery(for Fletch)!

My thoughts were:
1. I miss having a store because I love to make jewelry and display items.
2. I don't like having store hours, this way I didn't have too.
3. On my wish list, to find some local places to sell my work, this would fit the bill.
4. It was a really good reason to get to Atlanta once a month, I am very lazy about making it there.
5. My gut was telling me, if I waited, there wasn't going to be available space when it was convenient.
6. The only Dick Blick Art Supply is in Roswell and I have a bad habit of buying pencils and paints.

Good reasons right?

The boys and I drove up there last weekend to look at the space. We got there and it was packed with folks who wanted to sign up. The hitch that made me almost not sign up.... she needs the work by Saturday, this Saturday! Uh, hello, can you say Quilt Market and Surtex?

That's when my you can't say no reflex kicked in, I signed the papers. I have a little round table right up front. I'll take pictures when I go set up, and actually it won't be until Monday or Tuesday, I talked her into a few extra days, whew!

I already needed to make jewelry for Pewabic Pottery that carries my work, and I needed beads and jewelry for the Etsy shop so I just added some more. This shop is a children's boutique but will have women's gifts and accessories as well. I made some teen tiny little beads for some children's jewelry. It's weird I have never made children's jewelry, it seems like something I should have done a long time ago. I am pretty excited to try it. This is why I am always willing to try something new, you never know what will come out of it.

I'll keep you posted on my progress, it kind of reminds me of the time time I got ready for the artfair in Atlanta a few years ago, if you want to peek, the posts are below in order.

When Opportunity Knocks
Step 1: Clean Up
Yesterday Was a Good Day
Painting
Still Getting Ready
Bringing In The Back Ups
All Packed Up and Ready To Go
The Art Fair

Have a great day!

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Table Re-Do, Painting Formica

I bought this table a few years ago at the Habitat for Humanity Store here in Athens. I am a sucker for furniture like this. It was an old preschool table with cool turquoise metal legs. It was in my studio for several years. Things have gotten "snug" in the studio so it needed to move. Nik didn't really like the table so I couldn't convince him to move it upstairs....until... I said I would paint it. Then he was interested. It's probably hard to believe he likes color more than me most of the time.

 The top of the table is formica so tat was going to be a challenge to get the paint to stick. I did my research online and then headed to Lowes.  Kilz primer was what I was looking for. It turns out they have a spray version.

Here's a picture of the can. 

Here's how the table looked before painting. There's lots of furniture out there with this surface. Good to know there's a way to paint it huh?

Here's how I painted the table.

First, I used my electric sander to "rough" up the surface. I really didn't sand a lot, just enough to take the shine away. Be sure to wipe all of the dust off before the next step.

Spray the table with the primer. Since the table was going to be a main coffee table I wanted to make sure the paint was going to stick so I sprayed several coats of paint. 

Using my drywall ruler, I found the center of the table and marked an "x" on it. 

Next, I marked the lines with painters tape. Notice how I didn't just make an "x" with the tape? This way I could paint two opposite sides at once. Since I would be using a lot of colors I didn't want to keep washing brushes. 

Since I like things to look handmade or hand painted I didn't want super straight lines. I put a line of tape down to use it as a guide and painted up close to it but not over it.

I continued painting stripes on these two sides and then removed the tape guides.

Once the paint dried, I could tape the remaining two sides and paint them, just as I did the first two sides.

Lastly, I painted three coats of varnish on the table, let it dried and moved it up stairs.

Enjoy!

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