Happy Zombie

Amy’s Mr. Linky says I have 10 hours to post - and then he’s gone. Wham bam thank you Mr. Linky man. So squeaking in under the wire and getting this post done before my market and Iowa posts… here’s my Blogger’s Quilt Festival entry.

My Anne Sutton of Bunnyhill BOM. My “Dude, Where’s My BOM” quilt. My favorite quilt I ever made. More info on Anne’s A Tiskit A Tasket BOM here. More info on my process here here and setting here.

On a side note, THANK YOU to EVERYONE for the kind, sweet, funny and made-my-day-with-a-cherry-on-top comments on my previous posts. I haven’t been able to reply to all the comments - please know that I’m soooooooo very touched and honored by everyones kindness. THANK YOU! xoxoMo

Mad dash for my camera… he’s here, he’s here! UPS is here… the wait is over!  My Holiday Happy is here!  Oh Topeka… my camera battery was dead.  Luckily my iPad Mini (my iPhone) was charged.  Even luckier for the UPS guy since I couldn’t ask to take his photo while he handed me my box-o-Lecien-happiness.

I was about to do a mad sweep of my dining room table with my arm (ala 1970’s tv sitcom - including mental laugh track).  And then I realized I was too lazy to pick up all those pencils off of the floor.  Dramatic box opening thwarted.

Hyperventilating, peeing my pants, my head exploding and my hands shaking like a quaking Aspen - I manage to fold each piece of half yard cuts. Stacking and re-stacking. Rotating the colors. More stacking. Re-folding into different configurations. Folding back to the way I first folded it.  And then I tossed it all in the bathtub - and took a bubble-bath in it.

We went out to dinner with friends, and I packed it all up to take it with me to show them. My son says to me, “You’re taking it to the restaurant?”… I then mortified him when I said, “… and I’m taking it to Costco, and then the bank, and then on to the post office, and then to the grocery store. I may even go to the water district, the electric company, the newspaper office… an then to my doctor, my dentist and my veterinarian. I may even buy an infant car seat and buckle it in. And when I’m all done showing everyone I know - I’m going to get one of these and walk downtown and approach all the people I don’t know and show them.“  Yes.  This is what I’m going to do.

A brand new swatch card of Color Basic’s.  Tons and tons of color me happy matches.  Part of me can’t wait to start making samples… and a bigger part of me can’t bear to cut into it.  Maybe it’ll be easier when the bolts arrive?

Thank you everyone who cheered me, gave me lovin’s, made me laugh, made me blush and warmed my heart. There are no words I can find to express the joy of being a recipient of such kindness. There is no better community then the quilting, sewing, needleworking and crafting community. From the bottom, top, sides and middle of my heart… THANK YOU - xoxo!

I catch myself being so dang wordy all the time - so I’m gonna give writing a post twitter style a shot. Plus it makes looking at the pics but not reading the words - a guilt free pleasure.  Like going straight for the wrapped birthday present and bypassing the card.

Saw this quilt at Oh Fransson and had to (sorta) make one RIGHT.   NOW.

Moda “Holly Jolly” jelly roll, Darlene Zimmerman EZ Quilting Easy Dresden (at 5″) and 1½” Kaufman Big Island in-laws Kona Snow strips.

Breeze.  Sunshine.  Oregon coast.  Thick green grass.

Seams.  Pressing directions.  Piecing.  Sunlight.  Peek-a-boo.

Outside.  Fresh air.  No rain.  No clouds.  No Gray.  Time to mow.

Ice tea.  Comfy garden chair.  Computer.  Off.

More creative fun and creative places visit Kirsty for Creative Spaces Thursday (thanks Jenny!!).

I have a big fat super secret - that I’ve kept under wraps for ALMOST 2 YEARS…  I finally get to officially reveal it… and it’s takes me a week to do so!!  That car you honk at that sits at a green light?   That would be me.   Part life, part nerves.  I’m wresting with the *what if’s*…  what if no one likes my BFSS… what if my BFSS doesn’t sell… what if no one orders my BFSS.  Yeah… it’s got me nervous!!!

I could not be more excited and more happy… it’s like a holiday at my house.  It’s Holiday Happy.  By me.   BY ME!  I’m so excited my head snapped off.  And then it rolled around the world twice - and then I had to duct tape it back on.

So I was pretty good about keeping the big fat super secret.  I say pretty good.  If Lecien asks, I was 100% good (whispering… I had to let out a few leaks - otherwise I was going to pop like a balloon filled with bacon, lettuce and tomatoes - and that would have been too big of a mess for my family to have to clean up).  Nothing could be better than being a part of the Lecien family and being with my good friend (and mentor) Bren and my new not yet met friends Rosalie and Atsuka, AND drawing in my favorite colors, AND having them put it on fabric!  My artwork usually hangs on the fridge.  I am here to say one’s doodling is MUCH BETTER on 100% premium quilting fabric than it is on white powder coated doors.   Way.   Better.

Here it is .  My baby.  My first fabric line.  Starring my little half Santa - half gnome… Gnoma Claus.  And because I can’t go for a third post in a row without talking about the Olympics… my Gnoma Claus’ beard was inspired by the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.   Ok, end Olympic mentions.  Holiday Happy coordinates beautifully with Lecien’s Color Basics and 1000 Colors Collection (solids), and I’m ITCHING to get sewing with them all.  I’m also fantasizing about seeing Sandra Bullock in an Oscar gown made out of my fabric.  Oh so fun to imagine it.

Holiday Happy in red colorway and a peek at the Gnoma Claus panel:

Holiday Happy will debut and be available for order at the 2010 Spring Market in Minneapolis, MN.   I do not know when it’ll be available retail - but I’ll update that info as the time nears.  Oh you BET I WILL!  And what retailers are carrying it, and who’s making something with it… and me goin’ on and on about the Olympics is NOTHIN’!

I was so touched by the wonderful emails, comments and flickr notes I’ve received over my previous post/photos.  I wish I could find the words to express how much everyone’s kind words mean to me.  And a simple thank you just doesn’t seem big enough to cover my heartfelt thanks!  I really suck at mushy stuff and expressing myself from my heart.  Thank you!!

My finished quilt.
My Bunnyhill BOM.
My Dude, Where’s My BOM quilt
My “fire quilt” (the quilt I’d grab if the fire marshal said I could run in and only grab ONE QUILT if my house was on fire).

I had lots of leftovers from my Sweet and Swell charm packs - so I decided to use them for my setting.  Like little hands applauding and clapping Anne Sutton for her beautiful designs.  Clap, clap, clap… bravo, Anne, bravo… clap, clap, clap…

I’m happy to share my setting “recipe” if anyone wants to use it.   Paying it forward.  From Anne to me.  Me to you.  You to ___?

From my leftover charms (5″ squares), 39 to be exact, and from about a yard of solid I cut:
348) 1½” squares of assorted prints
80) 1½” squares of white solid (I used Moda Bella, it’s dreamy)
62) 8½” x 1½” strips white solid

Make 20 9-patches from 100 print squares/80 solid squares:

Make 31 sashing strips from 248 print squares/62 solid strips:

My quilt finishes at 36″ x 47″.   And now that I’m done with this, I’m going to move on to my next project and get ready for my sista-friend Tammy Gilley and her friend Rebecca Sower - who have joined forces and created a wonderful upcoming project called Quilt Haiti (you can grab your own button here).  I hope to soon have a freebie quilt pattern for Quilt Haiti available.  Soon.

Medical, food, funding… all things Haiti still needs.  At some point the people of Haiti will have homes again - and will need to fill it with something soft, something warm, something made with love… something from the hands of her caring global neighbors.  Everyone has a something to give or do for Haiti.  Medical teams heal, builders build… and quilters quilt.  Our turn is coming soon thanks to Tammy and Rebecca.  I’m starting a lap quilt soon - so I can be ready.

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.

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.

It’s just about time.  Just a little bit longer.  One last spin.  It’s almost ready…

Oh nevermind.  I suck at hype, plus I’m wishing I was here.  Keep your eyes peeled on Holly’s blog.  I’d say when - but I think I’m not supposed to announce it yet that it’s Friday, December 4th that you should be marking your calenders.  I suck at following instructions.  Oh look, a butterfly.