Happy Zombie

Done.
D.O.N.E.  Done.
Not that I didn’t enjoy every minute of making Anne Sutton’s adorable A Tisket, A Tasket BOM blocks - I couldn’t wait to finish it and get it set and quilt it.  Setting is still in the audition progress as I’m playing with two setting ideas.  A fun dilemma to have, for sure.

For an entire year I looked forward to the 5th of each month - and was sad when this last January 5th rolled around and there was nothing to download.  And then to my surprise (Gomer: Surprise.  Surprise.  Surprise!),  Anne started a brand new block of the month. Oh happy 5th day of the month! I loved seeing what all the other Tisket Tasketeers were doing too.

I had a big posting/making gap since June - my posts from the past: January, February, March, April and May & June. It feels so great to finally get caught up. Thank you thank you thank you, Anne!

Scenario I hope to never witness: The house is on fire.  All people and pets are out, as well as important documents, photographs, kids artwork, clothes and fabric. The fire marshal says there’s just enough time to run in a grab ONE quilt.  Once finished, this will no doubt be my fire quilt.

Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 62 Comments

I’ve been having so much fun lately - talking my Rock-star friend Tammy into having the best ever lunch with me (and she said YES!), or hanging out on my twitter (how else would I know what Super-woman Camille plans on wearing at Market), or my daily yimmer yammers with Super-star PamKittyMorning…. that I actually MADE SOMETHING.

Yup.
I did.
I made something.
A little Valentine-ish “Choc-O-Cherry” table runner for the Moda Bake Shop.

One pack of Turnovers is all you need to make the runner. And in the blink of an eye, a bee flew up my butt - and I started thinking about what could be done with more turnovers. So I whipped out my trusty and magical Adobe sewing machine - and I went right to work.

Two packages of Turnovers = 4 x 5 block grid, 32″ x 40″ finished quilt.

Three packages of Turnovers = 5 x 6 block grid, 40″ x 48″ finished quilt.

Seven packages of Turnovers = 7 x 10 block grid, 56″ x 80″ finished quilt.

Ahh… if only it was as fast to make projects on a real sewing machine as it is in Photoshop. Just thinking about ALT + Click + Drag on some fabric… and POOF, I just doubled my inventory. Tripled. Quadrupled! I’d have a Costco sized stash before I knew it.

Posted in Quilty n Crafty, Make Something | 37 Comments

It’s been a few years since I made my Four Bean Salad with fabric from Allspice Tapestry by Fig Tree… and it’s traveled from Oregon to Iowa for star treatment at Better Homes & Gardens for the 2008 Summer issue of Quilts & More.  Such a star… that Four Bean Salad has a celebrity name… Bay Breeze.  After years of being lovingly stored in my quilt cupboard… it finally has a loving home to go to.  Will it be yours?  Read more about it AND how it can be yours AND how you can help Haiti - here at Helping Haiti from the angels at the Fat Quarter Shop.

Bid now - operators are standing by.

Posted in Do Something | 11 Comments

Doing Something could never be easier.  Or more fun.

Posted in Do Something | Comments Off

Yippeeyoodle… Thanks for playing in my Bow/No Bow contest. Thank you for your kind and hilarious comments! So a funny thing happened on my way to random.org… it didn’t want to give me a winner!  I personally don’t comment on many posts with contests because I need to use what I have, and I know there are others like me - so I gave an “X out” option.

[insert 70’s computer sound - do de do de du do de dleep]
First number RO picked was #202 - Sherri from A Quilting Life (and she chose to X out of contest)
[do de do de du do de dleep]
Second came #157 - Mary Ann (long time blog hopper - but has no blog… she also X’d out)
[do de do de du do de dleep]
Then came #241 - Anina of Twiddletales (she also X’d out)

What the what!? If this is how things work… Dear Universe, I do not wish to have a new addition on my house for a giant quilt studio with a small kitchenette and sleeping quarters for friends.  I also don’t want Jamie Durie to come landscape the studio’s garden.  I heart you, Universe - love, Monica.

And then it finally happened [insert slot machine jackpot sound - clang clang clang clang]… and the two winners are:
Comment #33 Jenny from Cut.Sew.Iron.Repeat
and
Comment #214 Mary from Mary on Lake Pulaski!

A ways back when I had a contest for some lovely Lecien COSMO floss… one of my winners was Sarah. We were semi-new blog pals to each other at the time… and then when she won… and when I got her address… well, there was no escaping me and we’ve since became really close friends.  Sista-friends.  With all the lovin’ Sarah got over the lil’ ZombieGirl (ZeeGee) coffee cozy she made me - I begged her to put up her coffee cozy pattern on etsy.  And she did!!  So check out Sarah’s Cottage Coffee Cozy post with all the info on her pattern.  Please don’t hold me responsible if you fall out of your chair after viewing the ultra-cuteness of her cozzies.   Buckle up.

And my lil’ ZeeGee… I picked this one:

Well… the one I’ll use most.   On what, I don’t know.  But it’s at the ready. I also like ZeeGee without petals, so I’ll use that too.  And special occasions and holidays… I’ll don her with a bow and other accessorizes.  Dare I ask for accessories ideas/input?  And in true form of my full name (Monica Inability To Make A Decision Solorio)… I’m keeping my beloved aqua washer.  Who’s feelings I hurt and are in need of repair.  I love you Aqua Washer, xoxom.

Posted in Stuff | 31 Comments

Last July I decided to make a new logo/avatar for myself.  While I love my little aqua washer… to me it says, “hey, I heart laundry”.  Which of course is not true (though I’m not gonna kick my aqua washer to the curb just because I hate laundry).   So I started fiddling around and came up with what I thought said me.   And then I got stumped with some of the design elements.  One color or two.  Or three.  Flower petals or no petals.  Bow or no bow.  Last summer I subjected some family and friends for input and have been able to whittle it down to two.  I still need help, and I have no problem with restoring to bribery to get it.

So.

Without a bow?

With a bow?  I think it says “girlie” - like I’ll be gentle whilst eating your brains - and then I’ll stitch your head up in a nice blanket stitch when I’m done.

My sweet sistah-friend Sarah and her amazing stitchin’ kick asteroid ways… made me a coffee cozy using my logo as her design.

I died when she gave me this. Not quite zombie died, but a “OMG I P.F. Chang’d my pants” died.  And it was just the kick in the shorts I needed to get going with the new logo.

Please tell me what you like best! Bow or no bow.  As a bribe a thank you, I’ll give two prizes from my personal stash - I’ll give one Moda Chez Moi “Swanky” Turnover to one winner, and one Moda 3 Sisters “Aviary” charm pack to another winner.   Some ideas on what to do with them here.

Please tell me your answer by midnight (PST) Sunday, January 2010 and I’ll announce the winner on Monday, Jan. 11th after random.org picks the winners.

PS,
If you just wanna do me a solid and tell me your fave - but don’t want to enter the contest… please type an “x” somewhere on your comment.

Posted in Stuff | 355 Comments

I dream of the White Christmas we had last year… but for a brief moment yesterday I took a break from the day-dreaming to enjoy our rare sunshine.  I may be envious of everyone’s snow pics… but it’s hard to top shopping at the Astoria Safeway, popping my bags in the car… and then hopping on to our beloved Riverwalk for a stroll with Mr. Z in the glorious, glorious sunshine.

It’s worth repeating. Glorious, glorious sunshine.  Glorious sun shiny sunshine sunny day.

If this little red riverfront building was mine, it’d be my fantasy sewing & crafting hangout (the boat on the deck is for the pizza delivery and to bring friends).

Astoria has THE best signs in THE best places. I heart my little town of Absurdia.

Rest stop where we can eyeball our next-door neighbor Washington (aka Hawai’i).

Mill Pond Village.   A former toxic dump - now a jewel. These homes have magnificent views… sans the views of the bloggers who stroll the Riverwalk with cameras.

There’s something about walking on a wooden bridge.  The sound.   The feel.  The need to peek at what’s underneath.  I was hoping to see a troll or a hidden immunity idol.

Time to head back… and back to day-dreaming about snow.

There must be someone out there dreaming of sunshine and snowless sidewalks, right? Can we swap?

Posted in I Heart Oregon | 48 Comments

No White Christmas like last year… so I stay focused on my tree and pretend.  Sipping my hot cider while Christmas with the Brady Bunch plays softly in the background Mr. Zombie’s Mythbuster’s marathon and roaring fire lulls me into staying in my jammies and eating way too much spinach dip.

Again… ham dog Madison wants in the shot.

Showing off her acting skills… Clint Eastwood imitation: “Get off my lawn“. (thanks Heidi and Frank!)

Yawn.  I’m boring her.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!  May your day be filled with family, friends, food and frivolity.

And may all your Christmas photos turn out G Rated and your ornaments be well hung.

Posted in How I Live | 38 Comments

If there’s a sign with holes in it… Pam and I will stick our heads through it.   Priceless.  Curious onlookers watching us… that’s gravy.

Did you know that shopping at a kawaii store called Loyal Army Clothing can make you silly punchy? Add adorable Frankie Pancakie to the mix and encouraging us… and you get more then curious onlookers - you get Nordstrom staff calling the Walnut Creek Police Department.  Just kidding.  Only security was called.

And then there were cupcakes.  And coffee.  And see-you-real-soon hugs.  And then tears.

Posted in Stuff, I Heart California | 24 Comments

[This post is written in an Irish accent.   Manly yes, but I like it too]

And behind curtain #3… you will just have to check with E to see!

You don’t want to miss out on Elizabeth’s O’show-n-McTell.
Scoot.
Go.

Posted in Do Something | Comments Off

It all started with the little one for my studio.

And then the medium one for the kitchen.

And FINALLY came the big one from Santa Kohl’s.

It was a week long event. It took only minutes to put the baby tree up. But the big tree… that was a week long chaotic, messy event.

My white Christmas trees are multiplying like little white bunnies. I think I even saw one of the trees smoking a cigarette.

The absolute best part of my my week long decoratingpalooza - was putting all the storage boxes and all the decordoohickies away. I can’t stand anything on my table other than meals and table-bling - so when all the decorating by-product came off the table and the floors - and went back into the garage…. THAT is when sighed and oohed and took a deep relaxing “it’s Christmas!” breath.

Next year’s Christmas… I’m starting next month.

Edited in:
Thank you for the tree-skirt lovin’! Actually, it’s more like tree-pants. It’s just a bunch of basic 9-patch stars set into a big square (I’ll try to make a pattern for it, but it’s really basic). The hardest thing about making this was cutting into the quilt to make the “legs”. Also hard to take pics, as someone kept trying to get in the shot.

Posted in How I Live | 62 Comments

So it goes like this…
Holly asks me to participate in her Lakehouse Dolly Dresses 2 & 3 blog party.   I say “Sure, H… sounds like fun!”.   So Holly sends me the the two panels.  I open the package - and I fall to my knees weeping.  WEEPING it’s all so cute.  Then *poof*.  And then another *poof*.   On one shoulder is a Lil’ Angel - and Lil’ Diablo on the other.  Lil’ Angel telling me, “Make the [secret project] for the blog event”… and Lil’ Diablo telling me, “No… grab it and run, lock yourself in a cabin and just look at it and pet it”.   I was seriously considering making a Thermos full of coffee and taking the panels and running… and *poof*… Lil’ Bee swooped in and flew in my bonnet and stung hard me hard.  I had no choice but to listen to the sting.

Lil’ Bee whooshed off with the [secret project] for the [secret destination].  I can’t wait to show what I made.  It’ll be a while - so WWYWM… what would you wanna make if you had these panels?

Holly’s blog is loaded with drooly creative ideas from the other blog party play’ahs… so go check it out. Bring a bib and tissues.

Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 8 Comments