Happy Zombie

A better title more suited for me… “It’s a party and I’m late again!”

Getting in just under the wire, and only 4 days left until SEWN goes live… I add my giveaway to the party.   Better late then never, right?   Graduation, family visiting from Australia and the Bay Area, family projects, mag project… busy times at Casa de Zombie this month.  Thanks to my publicist slash cheerleader slash personal secretary slash cosmic twin PamKittyMorning for getting me in on Sarah’s new SEWN launch party.  Sarah, as in sweet and amazing Sarah Fielke of The Last Piece - she’s a quilter, a teacher, a designer and author of “Material Obsession” and “Material Obsession Two: Shared Inspiration”.  And she’s an Aussie (20 bonus cool points - oi, oi, oi).

To celebrate the SEWN launch party, I’m giving away this little doll I made from a slightly modified Inside A Black Apple doll pattern (which can be found at Martha Stewart).  Thanks to Jenny for getting me on the doll kick!  If you’d like to have your own give-away and join the launch party or see who else is having a give-away for the launch, you can do so here.

Dolly has no name. Yet. That’s up to the winner. All you have to do is leave a comment - telling me what you’d name her (and why if you want, because I’m nosey like that) - by 2pm PST on June 8th, 2009. I will pick a winner by the name I like best… but if I like them all (and chances are I will, this being such a creative community)… I will use random.org to pick the winner. I have a hunch I’ll be using the latter. I’ll announce the winner shortly after 2pm PST (or when I get back from dropping DS1 off at the airport for his flight back to Oz).

Dolly is dressed in Lecien’s “Antique Flower Collection” for her body and Urban Chicks Swell #31027-12 for her legs.  Her hair is from my stash - and to my best knowledge it’s a Maywood Studio piece.  Any guesses?

Dolly’s bio:  Dolly is an out-door adventure girl, likes to sew, take short walks on a long beach, watch copious amounts of tv, has a crush on Jack (sorry Cricket InTheBox) and Joel McHale, and most of all… she likes to sleep in late.  Sorry… little spring action Beanie Jack not included (unless I go to JITB and can snag another one).  I do need me a 2/99¢ taco fix…

Doug Benson was one thing, but Julie Andrews?  Oh yeah, I’ll be making big rocks into small rocks in no time at all.

Pam and I were all giggly-goo goofy over the new Moda Bakeshop ad that WE ARE IN.  We were dying over it.  Pam said she wanted to be singing like Julie Andrews on a rooftop about the ad (and Pamjooolie was born).  Yeah, we love Moda THAT much.

If this photo suddenly disappears - please visit me at my new condo.  Just ask Lil Kim where the sewing day-room is, and you’ll find me there. And if it’s not too much trouble… please bring me a cake, a file and an Ethernet cable.

(Please know that my attempt was not to mock incarceration and all the heartache associated with it - it’s my [hopefully] humorous attempt to point out what I did I know is wrong.)

And I hope I haven’t hurt Al Roker’s feelings. I just couldn’t resist. Thanks to the long flight layover Pam and Elizabeth had in Dallas on the way to market… E sent me a funny pic she p-chopped on her iPhone. Naturally I had to have THAT APP! So Al Roker… because you were handy… you became my first victim. Nothing personal, I really think you’re swell - and an entertaining and nice guy. And like you’re really even reading my blog.

My shelf-o-joy… some new changes:
- Our Lady of Rokelupe
- Al’s Big Boy
- Hello Al sewing machine

Miss Kitty… you may be next!

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EDITED IN:
I need PKMdotMSNBC or EssEffBunnyHillChronicle to do a newsflash for this update…

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More fun… and no celeb feelings to hurt either. My sweetest of sweetie-pie friend Raesha had this post on her blog, and I thought it looked like fun. If you’re still reading this far into my post - consider yourself tagged. And that goes for you too, Al.

“Let’s Play”
Let’s Play rules: IT’S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! COPY, ERASE MY ANSWERS, ENTER YOURS, POST IT ON YOUR BLOG, FACEBOOK, ETC. USE THE 1ST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME TO ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE TO BE REAL PLACES, NAMES, AND THINGS. NOTHING MADE UP! TRY TO USE DIFFERENT ANSWERS IF THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU HAD THE SAME 1ST INITIAL.

Have Fun!!

1. What is your last name? SOLORIO
2. A 4 Letter Word? SHOPPING
3. A Boy’s Name? SAWYER (shoutout to Anna and Sarah)
4. A Girl’s name?  SARAH
5. An Occupation?  SEAMSTRESS
6. A Color?  SWELLOW (sweet butter yellow)
7. Something you wear?  SHIRT
8. A Beverage?  S’COFFEE
9. A Food?  SPAM-MUSUBI (delish)
10. Something found in the bathroom?  SHAMPOO (I behaved)
11. A place?  SANTA MONICA
12. A Reason for being late?   SLEPT TOO LONG.
13. Things you shout?   THIS IS WAY TOO EASY.   MY MOST USED “S” WORD.  YEAH, THAT ONE.

Tag.  You’re it.

Every day of the week, a happy home I shall keep. Or at least try.

Even on those un-creative utilitarian sewing days that I’ve put off for 3+ months - it feels great to check-mark chore #79 as done.
Finally.
Boring.
Blah.
Zzzzzzzz.
Done.
HalleHappyLujah!

Fantasy sewing.

Reality sewing.   Snooze.

My mind wanders when I sew.   With Mike Rowe’s voice in my head,  I’m on a boat in the middle of the sea.   A luxurious quilting boat.  Lots of friends. Lots of laughing. Lots of eating, snacking and sewing. A seafaring quilt retreat given as a Mother’s Day gift.  Our captain (Sig, of course) calls in an emergency SOS for us.  Save-Our-Sewing.  Cut to USCG helo lowering a basket on board with emergency supplies.  Bolts and bolts and bolts of fabric crammed into the basket…  and James Sawyer/LeFluer is in the basket too… and… and… and… I really need to get to the Post Office, Fred Meyer and Costco.  Oh reality, you pop into my head at the worst times!

Tara Frey has a beautiful new book about blogging called Blogging for Bliss (to hit the bookshelves on August 4th). But holy crap - the exciting part for me is… is I’M IN THIS BOOK! And so is sistahfriend and cosmic wonder twin Pam!

Smells like mischief to me… every bookstore I step foot into… when I spot Tara’s books on the shelf… I know JUST what I’m going to do.  I won’t be shy. Oh no I won’t.

Wanting an outdoor shot for my latest Moda Bake Shop project, my plan was to finish my quilt and then snap a shot later for a banner. And then it happened. The sun came out to play. Occasionally it stops raining in Oregon.  And when it does… I have to grab my stuff, my camera… and shoot fast.  No time for quilting and binding, dangit… the sun is out.
The SUN is OUT.
太陽は外である!
Il sole è fuori!!!!!
¡El sol está afuera!
Le soleil est dehors!
THE. SUN. IS. OUT!!!
Die Sonne ist draußen!
- …. .   … ..- -.   .. …   — ..- -
I love writing in swoosh formation.

On my back porch… my dogs/cats are mystified at what I’m up to as they watch from behind the sliding glass door. They are jealous they never get to play with my cloth apples. They watched as I made them last winter - certain I was making toys for them.

Of course it would be wrong, wrong, wrong to post these pics on MBS since the apples are made from my scarps and not Moda pre-cuts. But I don’t want my sunshine and super sat-n-happy colors to go to waste, either.   So I will plant them here on my blog.  If you check out my 9-patchtastic project at MBS… you never saw these apples, k.

This easy 9-patch method makes for a perfect retreat or group project. Less thinkie - more talkie, more snackie, more laughie. Any size square of fabric can be used, as long as you trim up your square so that it can be divided equally into thirds. Example:
17¼” square ÷ 3 = 5¾” (finished 9-patch = 15¾”)
9″ square ÷ 3 = 3″ (finished 9-patch = 7½”)
7½” square ÷ 3 = 2½” (finished 9-patch = 6″)

And then it went back to rain.
And they lived happily ever after.
Wet.
But happy.

Edited in 4/4/09: Thanks for the nice comments and emails about the apples. I wish I had a pattern for those asking for one, but I have none (yet!). I just whipped the apples up with no thought or notes. Kinda like when I bake - I have no idea how much flour, butter and sugar I used either. Gulp.

One of Mr. Zombie’s weekly trips to the doctor’s is in OHSU’s South Waterfront building. A beautiful building not just in aesthetics… but because it’s very green (like much of Portland). At first glance it looks like a boutique hotel. Lunchers are spotted below from the Physical Therapy mezzanine - I’m sure dining on the daily special of pear, brie and caramelized onion on grilled rustic bread sammy from the lobby’s Daily Cafe.

Even the parking garage is green. Handy dandy little pull-notes so you know what floor you’ve parked on at the sexy-voiced elevators. Solar panels outside the windows do double duty as awnings.  Recycling cans as common as rubbish cans. Even a nifty bike garage complete with faux tree (so the bikes think they’re frolicking outside?).

But best of all… a good use for reclaimed water.
And my amusement.

I’m guessing the sign was from the same people who warned us to take off our clothes before ironing them.

I’m like that one annoying member of a quilt guild - who every year when it’s time for the annual quilt show… is late with her quilts for hanging.  So here I’m late to the party that EVERYONE has a quilt hanging in.  So in case you’re like me and didn’t know… Amy of Park City Girl is hosting a Blogger’s Quilt Festival.  A virtual one.  How cool is THAT!   And it’s huge.  HUGE.  Über HUGE.

So in my mind… the picturesque Main St. of Park City is lined with everyone’s favorite quilt.   Beautiful quilts.  Beautiful friends.  It’s like visiting everyone with their favorite quilt (and some with an extra one they’ve snuck in, like, ahem, moi).  The weather is glorious in Park City in my mind as I stroll from quilt to quilt, and the question I ask each friend at their quilt… “so where are we having lunch?”

Amy’s Quilt Festival even has sponsors/vendors (just to name a few… like Jona, Anina, Kathy and Kim).   It’s just like an IRL quilt show - but there’s a piece of monitor glass in the way to keep me from touching the quilts (yes, I touch).  No judging, no lunching (bummer) - just beloved quilts.   This is so fun, so be sure to check it out.    And knock, knock, knock… I think we should ask these guys to pony up a weekend in Park City - and it has nothing to do with the fact that Park City is on my Must Visit Wish List.

Amy asks us to show our favorite quilt.  Mine is my Roly Poly Circus.  All hand embroidered and hand quilted.  It took me fooooooor-evah to make it, but I loved every second of it.  I’ve written about it previously here.

My snuck-in-quilt is my Irish Tea Party quilt.  Also hand embroidered and hand quilted - and also colored with crayons. This is a BOM from Crabapple Hill (or as I like say ala Simpson-glish… Cra-Bapple Hill) called “Tea Party“, (the Irish Chain is my own setting).  I had SO MUCH FUN making the blocks, and even better… it was a group BOM project in my Redwork group. Handwork and friends… nothing’s better then that.

My photo doesn’t do it justice, and the pretty fabrics are from In The Beginning, and I can’t remember the line name. It’s been a while since I made this. I entered this quilt in my guild’s annual show (and yes, I got it there on time) and I won a blue ribbon on it. WOW! Moi… with a blue ribbon! And yeah, I soooooo had that sucker pinned to my hoddie for like a month.

Soooo…
Where are we having lunch?

Bunny Hill Designs/Anne Sutton’s DARLING “A Tisket, A Tasket” block of the month for April.  I made my chocolate bunny into a marshmallow bunny.  This way I can squeeze him.   I also added carrots - because I don’t want my bunny to indulge in too much sugar.  All thoughhhhh… the eggs ARE filled with ranch dressing.

In case you’re one of the eight people on the planet who’s not (yet!) jumped in and participating in THE CUTEST B.O.M. on the planet… please allow me to pour you a nice refreshing glass of the Bunny Hill flavored Kool-aid. Make that four glasses… a glass for each of my months… January, February, March and April.

Pssst. Pssst. You have you Kool-aid mustache.

His & hers therapies. I’m so happy to say that Mr. Zombie is finally home. And thanks to modern medical marvels, aka the PICC line (a “diy” IV system) - the Infection-Zombie gets his RX treatment at home - rather then spending 6-8 more weeks in the hospital. That just blows my mind.

The hospital (OHSU) was fantastic and they couldn’t be more pro-family and made a bummer situation so much better. And perks that scored big with me… the staff of course, but also the 24/7 cafeteria with really good organic/free trade coffee. But home is best, not to mention I can do without the daily almost 2 hour drive each way.  Mr. Z’s infection (in the donor bone) will take a while to rid of, but he’s on the right track and we see progress each day. Our heartfelt thanks to all who bestowed us with good wishes and thoughts, comments and emails… now THAT was truly the best RX - for both of us!

Physical therapy starts again soon for Mr. Z. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was picking up my “prescription” while I was in Arizona.  Ahhh… Arizona.   I had blast with my girl-gang.  I want to go back.  This was my second time in Phoenix, and I need a third -  I want to visit my sweet pals Jona and Bren… and a trip up to Sedona is in order too.

I love the Arizona flag - I’m just gaga about it.  It’s so graphic and bold, and very, very cool.   It has an art-quilt quality and fantastic branding to it.  I want to cut up some fabric and make one for myself.  I love the flag of my home state (California Republic) and my adopted state’s flag (Oregon) is a snooze… but Arizona’s flag is King of The Flags.  Top flag dog.

Beauty found in a Phoenix strip mall.

Surprise!   Or as I like to say… Supplies!  This never got old for me, even though I drove the girl gang nuts and was threatened with getting kicked out of the car.  Arizona has the best names for cities and towns.   I love these names… Bumble Bee, Happy Jack, Carefree, Grasshopper, Christmas and Sunflower.  And these towns/cities say “Arizona” all over them… Skull Valley, Iron Springs, Black Canyon City and Maverick.  Best flag.   Best city names.   And a ton of In-n-Out’s.   Sigh.  You rock, Arizona.

At a JoAnn’s in Phoenix.  Merchandising the HZ way.

Sure is loud in here.  Ahhh.   That’s better.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) and Calavera de Azúcar (sugar skulls) are not an easy find here in the Pacific Northwest. I KNEW I’d score big in Arizona!


Another score were the tiles I found at Hobby Lobby.   And what a score Hobby Lobby is!  So jealous they’re not on the West Coast.   I first heard of Hobby Lobby via Blogland… and I must say that I really liked it.   It’s as if Micheal’s and HomeGoods had a night in Vegas… and 9 months later a little Hobby Lobby was born.

And then there are the fabrics that came home with me - even though there was already some of it at home.  For the I-Just-Can’t-Get-Enough-Of-These files.  There’s always room for more Sandi, Tanya, Heather and Jennifer in my cupboards!  We visited Quiltz - a shop being featured in the upcoming Quilt Sampler.  We had high expectations, and boy did Quiltz deliver.  I can see why it made the top ten in Quilt Sampler.  Beautiful store and wonderful shopkeepers and staff.   The store was heavily peppered with my favorite fabrics (in my realm of unreality, I know they set the store just for me).  A definite e-ticket of a quilt shop, and the small world part - was that the owners were from Scapposse, Oregon… just up the river from me.

Fabric shopping is all good and fun, but there’s nothing better to make your husband’s-having-emergency-surgery-and-you’re-out-of-state-scrary-sucky-day… then to come home and find that your sweet friend Nanette has sent you some cotton love from her stash.  A total OMG moment.  LOOK at what she sent me!   Talk about vintage goodness, and all the better because it’s from Nanette’s cupboards-o-joy.  Just dreamy. Nanette has a knack for vintage fabrics. She’s THE vintage fabric whisperer. I’m just waiting for the day she gets gobbled up by a fabric company as a repo designer - and we can all have some of her vintage joys in our cupboards.

But wait, there’s more!  Nireko sent me these beautiful Lecien bundles of Mrs. March’s 30’s.  Sooooo stinkin’ cute.  Nireko sent me some other goodies, like the darling box she made - and filled with tiny little Japanese treats that are Triskit sized.  Saving that for another post.  Just too darn cute.

And now that we’re settling back in to “normal”, and the big scare is on it’s way out… time to focus on some more fun stuff!