There and Back Again

This is one of the coolest ideas. Ever. I have less than no time right now, but I’m sailing down that river in Egypt by telling myself that it’s ONLY one block a month, and that I can surely eek a little spare time out for that. Besides, there is no WAY I’m letting the opportunity to create a Hobbit quilt pass me by. Nuh-uh. Not THIS girl!

 

Plugged in and ready to sew!

I’ve prepped for this by downloading a dramatized audiobook version of The Hobbit so that I can be properly immersed in the world while I’m working. My iPhone is charged and raring to play, my needles are sharp…and I’m ready to get started!

 

My hubby has been telling me for almost a year that I’ve already made quilts for everyone special in our lives, and that he needed to find a way to find someone to make me one. Sweet, huh? Well, as sweet as it is I won’t need him to now, this baby is gonna be ALL MINE!!

 

 

 

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

 

JenniB.

 

 

 

DON’T Help, I’m Buried in Commissions!

True, dat, and I am loving it. I’ve got so many things ordered that I’m having more than a little trouble keeping up! Just this week I need to finish up:

1. A total of 12 sock patterns for one of my favorite people’s soon-to-begin Ancient Runes Tonal Sock Yarn Club. You can read all about it in this article that came out Saturday over on Wizarding Life. I’ve gotten a little sneak peek at this yarn, and it is wonderful! She’s got a variety of subscriptions and payment plans available…so what’s stopping you?
2. A new fall-themed photo prop set for Jennifer Jarrell Photography. I’m not releasing details on this one…wouldn’t want to diminish the AWWWWWWWWW! factor once y’all finally see it!
3. An order for a small Christmas gift for a dear friend’s daughter.
4. A scarf for another friend who lucked into tickets to see the Bears at the Eagles in early November.

While juggling all of this I’ve also managed to load up my Etsy store, Designs by JenniB, with a few goodies!

For around the home I need to make two sets of drapery, one for my bathroom and one for my craft room. My youngest man-child has pants that need hemmed. I’ve got two dresses to  make, and a shirt that I made lying in wait for the sleeve and bottom hem. Plus? My hubby is off work and without the use of his left leg for the next four weeks, as he had surgery a week ago. More than a little on my plate, to be sure, but at least I’m not bored!

They say that idle hands do the devil’s work. If that’s the case I can now be declared an angel! ‘Til next time….

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.

Delectation

Designing my day away!

I know, it’s been a while since I posted. With my oldest moving out to go back to college, and my youngest starting his first year of middle school I’ve just been off my game. All  last week I reveled in the fact that my house was empty and my time was my own, so I cleaned. And scrubbed. And cleaned some more. This past week, however, the empty nest syndrome set in and I spent pretty much all of my time on the couch either napping or finishing a few odds and ends projects.

"Delectation" swatch.

Salvation came in the form of an e-mail from a dear friend of mine, Hermione Jean. She’s a fabulous quilter, seamstress, and yarn spinner and dyer. She’s starting up a sock club in December, and wanted me to design a pattern to go along with the yarn! Dear Hermione Jean sent me some of the sock club yarn, which I received on Thursday, and let me tell you it is exceptional! As you can see from the teaser picture I’ve gotten to the heel portion of the first sock, and this yarn has not split ONE TIME! It’s soft, color is scrumptious, and the best part of all…IT HAS SPARKLES!! If you’re looking for sock yarn, love Harry Potter, or (heck!) even just want to blow some cash on yarn?  Yeah, she’s soooo your girl. Check out her Etsy store, Hermione Jean Creations. For real. As soon as you read this….heck, forget reading this and just GO!!

To say I was over the moon about being asked to design a pattern would be down-playing it to extremes. I’ve never had someone ask me for a design…I usually just design them and force them on the world! We had a chat via e-mail about her ideas, and I spent a little time Monday evening and part of the morning Tuesday playing with graph paper and colored pencils. By late Wednesday morning I had a swatch all ready for her to look at.

Heel turn, here I come!

Delectation will be a free pattern, but will only be available through the purchase of a membership into Hermione Jean Creations’ sock club. I’ll keep everyone updated on the details about the club once they’re finalized and released! Until then?

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.

Sharp Dressed Man

My Favorite Musician!

My oldest son is a Music Performance major at Marshall University. One of the requirement of his major is to own a tuxedo, as it is the attire worn when performing with the orchestra and symphony. My hubby and I purchased one as his high school graduation gift last summer. Nic wore it without complaint during his freshman year, but when he came home for the summer he mentioned buying a new pair of tuxedo pants, as the ones that came with the suit were baggy in the legs. What’s this? BUY a pair of pants when your mother can do a quick tapering job and charge you NOTHING, as you’re her flesh and blood? Not on MY watch, kiddo!

Remember these pants?

Nic leaves tomorrow to head back to school tomorrow morning, so he tried the pants on for me last night to mark and pin. Baggy was an understatement. These were MC Hammer pants at their best…or worst. They hung off of his thin frame, and I’m pretty sure he could’ve fit both of his legs into one of his pants legs. Regardless of how big they were I set to work this morning. Cup of coffee, tape measure around the neck, handy-dandy Cuppa Tea Pincushion, and I was off to the races! Three hours, and a minor anxiety attack, later the pants are done and hanging neatly in Nic’s soon-to-be-evacuated bedroom. As for me? Well the anxiety attack is over, and I’m congratulating myself on a job well done. I’m also left wondering just WHY retailers are still selling tuxedo pants with tapered legs.

This is how we do it!

Oh, and just so you know, Son of Mine? If I weren’t your mother, and didn’t love you more than peanut butter, the total bill for this little endeavor would be $35.00. I’d better get a NICE Christmas gift this year!

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.

Clutter, Cleaning and Creativity!

I found all three of these cleaning my youngest son’s room today.  He’s coming home from camp tomorrow (big YAY!!). I wanted to get his room purged of all the junky toys and ill-fitting clothes that, had be been home, he would’ve wailed, “But, MOM, I neeeeeeeeddddd that!”. How many times do we actually get to purge at our discretion as parents, right?

I started out by hemming an orange sheer that was given to us (kiddo LOVES orange, it is his happy color). I had made curtains a little over a year ago to match the quilt I made him, and they were short while the shears were long. I’d also scrapped together enough matching quilt squares to add a valance to his curtains, so I had to attach them, as well.

The Matching Quilt!

The result!

Okay, so that’s the Clutter and the Cleaning. What of the creativity, you ask? When we first redecorated his room from toddler to pre-teen we looked EVERYWHERE for a lamp to go with this vividly orange room. Never found a thing that would do. What to do? I saw lamp hardware one day in a home improvement store and inspiration struck! Kiddo’s midget league football team had updated their uniforms at the end of that year, and we had purchased his old football helmet for a whopping $10. A small lampshade covered in the curtain fabric, along with the lamp hardware and a $1 wooden plaque from my local Michael’s and it was done…a personalized lamp that fit the decor and interests of its owner.!

The Football Helmet Lamp in action!

The Mystical, Magical Bradleyhenge.

There was one, last tidbit of Creativity. By the messy kiddo, himself! He is fascinated with rocks. I mean obsessively…like wants to be a geologist obsessively. Bless his heart, he also has his momma’s artistic streak; so, he found a wonderful way to combine the two! We call it “Bradleyhenge”. It’s as magical as Stonehenge, you see. It’s construction defies gravity, and most laws of physics. This thing is perched on the edge of his clothing dresser. The drawers and cabinets are opened, and no doubt slammed, countless times each day; yet, Bradleyhenge remains standing, strong, tall and proud!

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.

Oh My Lucky Stars!

Crafting on the road!

A little while ago I saw THE cutest idea on a blog called Creative Kismet. Itty bitty stars with inspirational messages on them? Using scrapbook paper so that the color schemes and patterns are endless? NIRVANA!!

Well, yesterday my youngest son left for a week of summer camp. I miss him. Terribly. It’s kind of like trying to function without my thumbs. Something is just missing, you know? Light bulb moment!  It’s the PERFECT time to make that craft!!

So this morning I cut about a gazillion half-inch strips of scrapbook paper in varying patterns, then my hubby and I split them up and started writing little messages to our kiddo on them. We were going to ship them to him in a little jar to camp, but decided that:

1. The jar would, in all probability, be shattered during shipment.
2. It could be really embarrassing for an 11-year old to get hand-crafted items delivered to him in front of “the guys”.
3. We’d much rather wait and see the expression on his face when he gets home and sees them in his room.

So now the pressure is off, but the crafting is on-going. I just have until Saturday to get it done now.

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.

Happy Birthday, Harry!

Knit by JenniB.

Almost 11 years ago my freshly turned 8-year old son received three books as a Christmas gift. I’d heard a lot of controversy surrounding these books. They were Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban. I’ve always been a concerned parent and, because these books were so widely debated, I decided to read them first to make sure they were suitable for an impressionable boy.  By the end of the first chapter of the first book I was in love. With this magical world that was being formed in my imagination, with this sweet boy who was so misunderstood. I read them all within the week, and happily passed them onto my son who also fell in love (though, admittedly, not as much as me!).

Knit by Shannon

We’re at the end, now. It’s bittersweet, really. I’m a lifelong, die-hard, fan. It will never really end for me. I’ll always be able to pick up the books and immediately find my mind’s eye firmly ensconced within the walls of Hogwarts, where I’m sure I truly belong (my owl just got lost, don’t you know!). The anticipation of what’s next, however, is no more. The memories and friendships will never fade. I’ll always have it, and all because of The Boy Who Lived, and the beautifully talented woman who gifted him to us.

It’s because of this that I designed a sock pattern specifically for this day. All Was Well is a toe-up sock pattern with a lace pattern depicting the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Why did I choose this symbol? It’s simple, and it’s because by finding the magic inside of us, by getting to the point where all is well, we truly become Masters of Death. And, for those of who love Harry, that has happened. If you’d like to knit these socks apparate on over to Ravelry, where you can download a free PDFof the pattern…and leave me a comment to let me know how they turned out!

Oh, and while you’re at it, head on over to my wonderful test knitter, Shannon’s, Etsy store…Hermione Jean Creations. She makes the most wonderful fandom themed yarn EVER!

TO THE BOY WHO LIVED!

JenniB.

What’s a “Fire Fly”?

I’m from the south. We don’t have those here. We have “Lightnin’ Bugs”. That’s why, when I chose the Fire Flies cable pattern for this newborn hat and diaper cover set it immediately became named “Lightnin’ Bug Photo Prop Set”.

All through knitting it I had flashbacks of summer in West Virginia as a child. Hot, humid, and waiting with our Mason jars with holes poked in the lids for dusk, when the magical twinkling lights would appear. We’d run around each others yards, catching as many lightnin’ bugs as possible, storing them in our jars. After an hour or so we’d all meet up to see who had caught the most. Some blades of grass and a tiny bit of water in the bottom of the jar and our evening’s catch would come inside with us, to captivate us with their blinking lights when we went to bed. They’d be released the next morning, of course, and the cycle would begin again.

Now I just have to wait for this prop to be used…then I’ll have another precious memory, all centered around lightnin’ bugs.

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.

First Post…WOO-HOO!

Hi, fiber fiends! Welcome to my new blog. A short intro before I get to the good stuff. I’m Jenn, and I’m a lover of all things fiber. I knit, crochet, sew, dabble in quilting, cross stitch, and do some embroidery. I love to design things and have decided that, now that my children are self-sufficient, the timing is perfect for me to start sharing my designs.

I’ll be posting free patterns, for sale patterns, and finished projects here. Most free projects will be fandom-related (so if you love Doctor Who, Harry Potter, etc. this is THE place for you!), and all of the items and patterns for sale will link directly to my Etsy store. Make sure to also follow me on Twitter, and “like” me on Facebook…and follow me here, if you please. Inspiration comes from our differences, and I love meeting like-minded, creative beings!

My first projects I’m sharing were commissions for a life-long friend of mine. She’s starting her own photography business and was looking for some newborn photo props. I made her a couple of old-fashioned sleeping caps – think “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, you know “and Ma in her kerchief and I in my cap”? – which she promptly put to use, and was dear enough to send me copies of the final results. The cuteness is deadly!

I’m working on some girly items for her now, so they’ll be my next post. Also, for any Harry Potter fans out there I’ll be posting a free pattern in celebration of dear Harry’s birthday on July 31st…so make sure to check back! Until then?

KEEP CALM AND CRAFT ON!

JenniB.