Happy Zombie

The Portland Modern Quilt Guild and Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild is in the thick of a pouch swap. All of our projects have been made and sent, but we’re all eagerly awaiting for our respective July guild meetings to enjoy the fruits of our swappy labors (and labours) of love from our secret pouch pals.

I can’t say who I made a pouch for, but I will say I had a blast making it for her!  I had just ordered Camille’s new Spools pdf pattern, and I KNEW I had to some how use the pattern in the pouch.  Something about Camille’s spools that are so cute and different.  Maybe because they’re a little chubby, squishy and soft.  <—- the spool version of me?!  I danno, I just know they’re so dang cute!

I made my secret swap pal a tall pouch (a modified/smaller version of Camille’s spool).

From my own experience, I never have anything tall and narrow enough for bottled stuff.

Hope me secret swap pal has tall stuff!

I decided I needed a pouch for myself that was tall as well as wide.

I got a little carried away.

My scraps were begging to be used.

So yummy is the black Kaufman Essex yarn dyed. Looks like linen, sews like butter.

An excuse to do some hand quilting (and not have it take 2 years to finish).

Front.

Back.  Or visa-versa.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a cooler next. Thank you Camille for my new spoolobsession!

Resources:
Black linen: Robert Kaufman’s Essex Yarn Dyed
Spool block:  Camile Roskelly’s Spools pattern
Bag pattern:  Elizabeth Hartman’s Perfect Zip Bags pattern
(both spool and bag patterns I modifed in size to suit my project)

OMG… I’ve been saying that a lot lately. I mean a LOT. OMG, OMG, OMG! So much good stuff that I can’t stop myself from saying it. I’ve been saying OMG even more then my latest word addiction… “My Friend”, thanks to Myrna and Schmyrna. Though the later is in humor and mocking.

My first plethora of OMG’s came in the mail from PamKittyMorning. A little surprise. A surprise to me, and a surprise to Pam (she said she forgot what she sent me. Yup… she’s my Wonder Twin alright!). Way back when, Pam had made a post about something. Something, something, blah, blah, blah… I couldn’t read the words because I couldn’t take my eyes off the cute kitty bowl she had in the post’s photo. I commented on how much I loved her bowl and how cute I thought it was and blah, blah, blah… POOF… she sends me my own little bowl! A bowl of my own with a darling little monkey (that’s now become my Official PamKittyMorning Fan Club Mascot). The other members have their own animal mascots too. The monkey is now mine. Now all I need is to fill it with the Official Snack Food of Happy Zombie & PKM… Cheeze-It’s. And check out the darling HK Easter egg filled with goodies. Um, WERE filled with goodies.

Note to Pam if you’re reading this…. OMG, your car is so cute!

My friend Robin, who is an avid blogger without a blog (sounds so much better then Lurker, eh), gave me this adorable pincushion slash tread catcher that she made. Robin and I are in the same Redwork Club at Anna Lena’s. Each month we take turns designing/showing a project. When it was Robin’s turn, she showed us this way cool pincushion slash thread catcher she made (and instructions). Again, I went on and on how cute it was… and the next thing I know - Robin gives it to me! Though, Robin did say it was for Mimi. Ok, for Mimi I guess. Mimi, Mimi, Mimi. I’m starting to develope a Jan Brady complex. The cute little redwork design she got from jensensvacandsew.com.

Note to Robin if you’re reading this… that huge stack of vintage 30’s quilts you have are so cute!

My friend Connie (aka BLOP), another avid blogger without a blog (but is a big commentor), went to Arizona and soaked up some of that, um, what’s it called… oh yes, sun! Mz Blop and Mr Blop went to AZ to get some sun and visit family.

Connie is ALWAYS thinking of someone other then herself, and being on her trip was no different. Connie went to some big quilt show and found some yummy red and aqua goodies for me. It was like as if I went to the show with her - but I was too drunk to remember anything. And if her little Arizona goodies weren’t enough… Connie gave me THE FUNNIEST BOOK EVER!

My friend Karen went to Hawai’i and all I got was a lousy pair of $3 flip flops. Ok, not really. Not lousy and it’s actually an entire big bag of flip flops that I asked her to pick up for me (my faves and the only ones I’ll wear - Locals brand rubbah slippahs).

Karen gave Connie and me each a little handmade Hawaiian quilt clutch. Connie picked yellow, and I picked blue. It’s adorable and am thinking it might be perfect for my cell phone. Having Karen think of us while she was in Hawai’i was like us being there with her. But again… too drunk to remember anything.

Today was a big day at my front door. First the FedEx man (he’s SOOO nice BTW) and then our USPS lady (she’s also really nice). Though I often wonder if my UPS guy, the FedEx man and USPS lady meet over coffee and discuss what’s up with all these packages coming and going at Casa de Zombie.

Anyhoo… An unexpected surprise from the super talented and creative Laurie of Old School Acres! I could barely contain myself as I ripped open the package. OMG, OMG, OMG… Laurie, Queen of the Softies… sending ME a package! And there is it, the little softie beaver I had fallen in love with on her blog. Do I even need to say at this point that I commented on her post on how cute I thought it was??? And loving and living in Oregon, I loved this little beaver all the more! You really need to click on the photo to see how cute it is and all the detail and expertise Laurie put into this. My new little friend needs a name. She’s sweet, she’s cute, she’s made with love. All she needs is a name. Suggestions?

The motherload of Rico Swappy love… I get this. I joined the First Aid Swap over at Missy’s Crafty Carnival. Missy partners me up with Amy of Peptogirl, and says to me how nice Amy is. I’m already feeling lucky with Missy’s endorsement! Amy and I chatted a bit and I could tell right away that Missy was right (though I never doubted her)… Amy was so nice. And it’s so nice and comforting when you have a good communication with your swap partner.

So before I get to the motherload, this is what I sent to Amy. Just a simple little first aid kit (a purse I made with her faves of polka dots and pink), which evolved into a travel kit which evolved into an emergency snack kit (and my favorite coffee from Astoria - Thundermuck). It was fun putting this together for Amy, especially fun to shop for pink stuff!

And now… the motherload.

OMG, OMG, OMG! And it’s not so much WHAT was in the box… but WHAT Amy did. So much thought, so much kindness, so much generosity, SO MUCH STINKIN’ CUTE stuff! You can click on this mosaic and see all the photos.

I could write for hours with all Amy put into this, but I want you to visit her blog and read her nice write up about all she did. I’m gushing. Just gushing! Thank you Amy! And PS… I’m SOOOO subscribing to Adorn magazine! I had never even heard of it until now. I love that title… “Adorn - The crafty girl’s guide to embellishing life”.

Thank you all! I feel so loved. And now I must nap.

Ok, it’s not really a birthday celebration. BUT… seeing what everyone got in the Potholder Swap is like being at a birthday party and seeing all the gifts being opened! There is a Flickr photo pool and you can see lots of photos there. Not everyone is on Flickr, but are posting on their blogs. Below are the partners if you want to see what they’ve posted on their blogs. Fun, fun, fun!

If you don’t have Flickr and want it, you can get it free here! Before sending your swap photos to the pool, first you must set up an account on Flickr. Next - to join the pool (no diving in the shallow end please):

1. Log into your Flickr account
2. Go to the Potholder Swap Pool page.
3. Underneath the “Search discussions” field you’ll see a link that says “»join this group”. Click it.
4. Go back to your flickr account and click on the photo(s) you want to put in the pool.
5. On the top left of the photo is a small icon that says “SEND TO GROUP”.
6. A menu will drop down and the PHS-Winter 2007 icon will be there… click on it and your photo is in the pool! Tadah! Easy cheezy!

I thank you all so much for participating! It was so much fun for me to host this swap and I’ve met THE MOST amazing and talented women from all across the globe. It sounds really cheezy and corny, but it was such a pleasure for me for you to have enjoyed this experience, especially if you made a friend from this. A special thank you to the first time swappers who choose my swap to jump into! :) Bloggy-love super power activated!

My WONDERFUL potholder swap partner was Autum of Creative Little Daisy!

Before I say more about all the lovely things she made and sent me, I must tell you that we had no idea what each of us was sending each other. Autum told me her fave colors, and I told her mine. Our packages to each other were literally two ships passing in the night (more like two USPS trucks rambling down the highway in the wee hours of the morning). So as it turns out, each of us had made the other two potholders (you can see we’re not blog-law abiding citizens and broke the rule of sending ONE potholder)! In my case, I couldn’t decide which one to send her, so I sent her both. In Autum’s case, she not only sent me two… but she made this darling crafting apron too! OMG… I love what she made me and her workmanship is so beautiful and skillful! The potholder has a darling 30’s looking teakettle that she embroidered AND it has one of Autum’s signature yo-yos! It’s JUST DARLING!

The ovenmit I just love too, and no way am I going to let food goop get on it. I’m thinking of hanging it on the wall and popping some of my vintage enamal spoons in it. And the pot holder I think I will use, but for only something sweet like serving tea to my friends. Who am I kidding… I’ll be serving wine! But I may serve tea just because!

And if that wasn’t enough… there was more! Autum sent me four fabrics, all beautiful and all something I myself would pick out! All these fabrics are delicious! I don’t know if I watch too much TV (watching shows like Lost and Hereos), but I’m convinced Autum has a super hero power and can read my mind! What did I send Autum? You guessed it… four little swatches of fabric (or as Autum calls it… “yo-yo ammo”! Wild, eh!

Of course the icing on the cake was how Autum wrapped it all up. She did EXACTLY how I did it (but bigger and better). White tissue wrapped and tied with ric-rac. Is that not too wild! Autum also used the darling daisy trim (I love, love, love daisies) and a generous amount of red/white floss I had never seen or heard of (but instantly fell in love with) called “baker’s twine”.

Everything Autum made - made me smile and I’m feeling so blessed. Not blessed because I scored (and boy did I score!)… but because such a beautiful person did such beautiful things for me! Thank you Autum!

The Potholder Swap sign-up is now closed. Our lovely swappers have been paired up and are ready to play! So who are these lovely ladies? From the US, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Norway, Holland and Spain… I’d like to introduce to you the fabulous 2007 Potholder Swapettes!

Swappers… grab your towel and dive into the Flickr photo pool!

SIGN-UP FOR THE POTHOLDER SWAP IS NOW CLOSED
Swappy good fun… it’s a potholder swap! Easy cheezy fast and fun. Nothing tastes better then a casserole removed from the oven using a beloved potholder. Both my boys at some point in their younger years each made me a potholder, and to this day they are my favorite to use.

This swap is for one potholder and your favorite casserole recipe. Your potholder can be quilted, embroidered, crocheted, knitted, a vintage gem… it’s up to you! First time to join a swap? This is a fun and interactive way to meet other crafty bloggers, as well as have something to cherish, hold, and use that goes beyond your computer screen and keyboard.

So… who wants to play!?!?
SIGN-UP FOR THE POTHOLDER SWAP IS NOW CLOSED
1) Sign-up deadline is February 5th, 2007 at 11:59 PST.

2) To sign-up, email me at thehappyzombie [at] gmail [dot] com with your: IRL Name & Blog Name

Snail Address
Email Address
Blog Address
Flickr Address (if you don’t have a blog)

3) You will receive your swap partner on February 6th.

4) The deadline to mail your swap partner the potholder and recipe is Feb 14th. I will send a reminder a few days prior. Please email me once you’ve sent out your swap. If emails come back invalid or unresponsive, you will be removed from the swap (I know… I’m so mean).

5) This is an international swap from the United States. If you wish to only to swap within the US, please let me know so you don’t get matched internationally.

6) If you don’t have a blog or Flickr, please email me your photos of your swap (sent and received). Once the deadline has come and you’ve received your swap partner, I will have a photo pool of the swap. UPDATED: I have set up a Flickr photo pool for the swap. Feel free to join the pool now!

7) This is a serious commitment and a lot of fun. But… [begin Mommy voice] If you fail to send to your swap partner… I will out you on my blog [end mommy voice]. The more the merrier… tell your bloggy pals about the swap and encourage participation!

Fake Questions… Real Answers:

Q: Can I make my potholder now, or do I have to wait until I’m paired with my swap partner?
A: It’s up to you. You can make it a reflection of you, or you can wait and find out what your SP likes. Chances are your SP will say “do what you like”. I personally think it’s more fun to receive something that reflects the person who made it.

Q: Can I make an oven mit?
A: SURE! You can make an oven slipper if you like! Ok, not really on the latter.

Q: I signed up but have not heard from you.
A: If you have not received a thank you note from me for joining the swap… that means I did not get your email submission. Be careful with my email address. It’s “THEhappyzombie”. Don’t forget the “the”.

Q: The health department issued me a citation and confiscated my recipe box. I have no casserole recipe to send. What do I do?
A: How about a “Top 5″ list of your favorite food haunts in your hometown. Myself being one who is recipe challenged… I would love that!

Buttons! Would you like a Potholder Swap button for your side bar? Easy cheezy… just paste the code below into your sidebar and you’re done! There are two buttons. One with a white background and one in aqua. Pick one… pick two!

For a button, copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=97″><img src=”http://bp0.blogger.com/_CqYDMUhDoEk/RbPv3b8KjeI/AAAAAAAAAJc/-i4tL6ZDtJM/s320/phs_buttonaquared.gif” border=”0″ alt=”Potholder Swap” ></a>

This is an avalanche of postal goodness from my tea towel swappy pal Miss Dori Dew. Oh my goodness… she went way, way, way out for me!

As I said before (and will continue to say)… the swap for me was not about the tea towels and the rest of the goodies I received… the big prize was meeting my kindred spirit Miss Dori Dew! Thank you Dori… I just love and cherrish everything you sent me, even the fairy snot!

One of the neatest things Dori added was a leaf from her beautiful Yosemite. This by far was my favorite thing she put in my goodie box. I’m so blessed to have been matched with Dori. Thank you Jackie!!!

I finished my projects for my Aqua/Red Swap partner and I’m hoping to get them in the mail today. My little quilt measures 22” x 33”. I really hope my partner likes it. Making a quilt for someone you don’t know is hard since not everyone has the same tastes or likes the same styles. The best part of this was that I had fun making it for my partner!

I made this quilt from solids and the prints are 1930’s feedsack reproductions. No pattern, sans the paper-pieced schoolhouse block. I just kind of made it as I went along. I got the schoolhouse block pattern at Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine. Sidenote… I’m not one who enjoys paper-piecing (my brain just can’t do it!), but this was a very easy block to paper-piece. If I can do it… anyone can! I also used the Tri Recs rulers to make my pinwheels. I just love all the tools from EZ Quilting and Darlene Zimmerman!

A few other things to add… a pair of aqua socks (that’s so fun to say… “aqua socks”… “why that just knocks my aqua socks off!”) and a checkbook cover I made with Moda’s aqua “5 Funky Monkeys” line. I liked the check bookcover so much… I made one for myself too.

I’ve been hesitant to show what I’m working on for the Aqua/Red Swap. I don’t even know yet who my swap partner is. I guess this is just a peek, since this is just a small fraction of what I’m making. I’m much further along as pictured… but that’s all I’m showing until the swap has been made.