Happy Zombie

Nothin’ says lovin’ - like somethin’ from the Moda Bake Shop oven!  Step inside, step inside!  Inside the Moda Bake Shop you’ll find tummy rubbin’ recipes for your delicious Moda ingredients like Jelly Rolls, Charms Packs, Layer Cakes, Honey Buns, Dessert Rolls, Turnovers and Fat Quarter Bundles.  Angela has been busy getting the kitchen all set up (I think she never sleeps), and busy bakers (Angela, Camille, Joanna, Laurie, Lissa and me) have been cookin’ up sweet delights for you to bake!

My worktable looks like it’s snowed  Moda pre-cuts (the prettiest snowfall EVER), and I have more projects coming soon.  My mind is whirling in a blizzard of excitement deciding what project to create next.  My first MBS project is a no-sew project - a nifty and quick reversible calendar cover using Layer Cakes (10″ x 10″ squares), iron-on adhesive (fuse) and an inexpensive pocket calendar with a clear removable cover.

Don your apron… gather your ingredients… and come on over and bake up some fun!

Tomorrow being such a historical day, I wanted to participate in Prez-O’s Inauguration in my own little way. My husband is sofa-bound after knee surgery, but it’s rather good timing - since we’ll get to watch the inauguration together.  To be a part of it all and to remember the day in an extra special way…  a bee flew in my bonnet…

A few years ago, my youngest son and I had the privilege of going on a “ride-a-long” on the US Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast from Astoria to Portland for 2003 Rose Festival. A little redwork I made while tooling up the Columbia River on the Steadfast into Portland, and I incorporated that into my Portland drawing.  I actually stitched this while on board. I did do the piecing later at home, because nothin’ says “thanks for ride” like hauling a sewing machine on board a Coast Guard cutter.

Last week, my super sweet friend Jennifer sent me a darling Bareroots “little stitchies” pattern called “America Stitchery” (and she also made me this… GASP it’s sooooo cute!).  I thought how PERFECT this would be to stitch while watching the Inauguration.  I was auditioning my fabrics as I caught the tail end of We Are One on HBO - and Beyoncé was singing America the Beautiful.  I had an OMG moment.  Now FOR SURE I’ll be making the little stitchie tomorrow. Oh happy beautiful day!

I’m taking some creative liberties, and my fruiten plains are going to be in aqua.  Aquamerica the Beautiful!

Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs has a crazy cute free BOM she’s started on her Bunny Tales blog.   As soon as I saw it, I wanted to drop everything and get started on it.  Who needs to eat?!  Bad example.  Who needs to do other stuff?!  I’m not the only one who’s dropped everything to start it either.  Anne S’s fabric block was so cute… but so was Anne B’s darling version in wool.  What to do, what to do… so I did both.   My background and appliqué is fabric, and my non-denominational frozen precipitation figure (with the giant schnoz, oops) is wool felt.

It’s all a mystery, but Anne has great instructions so you can do some planning ahead. For my blocks, my background is from my coveted bolt of yellow Moda polka dot (my sunshine-on-a-bolt), and my appliqué will all be in Swell and Sweet.   Swell. Sweet. Swell. Sweet. Swell. Sweet.  My apologies to the Urban Chicks for the image popping into my head of you two getting tattoos.

Edited in: The yummy, yummy, yummy yellow background is a Moda Basics called “Dottie” and the color is called “Butter”. Call your local/online quilt shop TODAY and BEG them to order you some. And then please let me know about it… I want need to buy more!

I spotted this La Piña Flour at WinCo Foods in Longview, WA.  I embarrassed the heck out of my husband when I snapped this photo with my iPhone.   Yes… people were looking at me in that odd, curious sort of way.  But I was looking at THEM in the same odd, curious sort of way…. People, people, PEOPLE… don’t you see what is before us??? OMG! FOOD… in FABRIC packaging!

Fantasy #1: The good peeps at La Piña Flour read my post and the lovely comments left about feedsacks - and decided to produce this:

Fantasy #2: The peeps at Gold Medal, C&H, Peet’s and Cocoa Puffs will read it too.

Fantasy #3:  Above peeps will contact Moda peeps.

Sweet by Urban Chicks (aka Pam’s BFF’s), Baskets of Flowers by Mary Engelbreit and Oh-Cherry-Oh! by Me & My Sister

Fantasy #4:  Safeway would build me a covered parking space (out of the rain).  I’d be there EVERY day, after all.

It’s been another wonderful year for me here in this happy, crafty and creative blogland.   Old friendships grew stronger, and new friendships continue to grow.  Thank you to all that have showered me with their friendship, kindness and generosity.   Every little thing… every big thing - means the world to me.    I mean that from the top, bottom, sides and center of my heart.

We had a white Christmas - and it was magical. I was already getting tired of snow and hoping for rain instead… but on Christmas morning it snowed again.  And it snowed, and snowed and snowed… and at one point the snow was the size of silver dollar pancakes.  Now all is melted, and we’re back to normal North Oregon coast weather… rain, wind, rain and more rain.  No more s-word. Done.

A year of new.  No resolutions for me.   Just a fresh start for 2009.  The year 2008 was a wild ride for me.  I’ve had some peas and carrots cookin’ in a pot - which takes a long, long, long time to simmer.  Even though it’s scary and the wait is long and secretive… it feels fantastic to start the new year and to be taking risks!   Of course, my New Year’s Day had me in my jammies at close to 1pm while in the garage sharpening pencils.  Getting things done that I’ve been meaning to do forever.  My in-box is next!

All the hub-bub and hoo-haa before Christmas and our Wii bowling tournament on Christmas day, I needed to rinse, repeat and untangle for a few days.  Best place I can do that is in my hideaway - my sewing room.  My bliss.  I had treated myself to some Woodland Bloom charms by Lila Tueller for Moda that Anina was selling in her wonderful Twiddletales Store. Moda’s charms are my absolute weakness.  Not that I will, but if I ever commit a crime and I’m being interrogated by a good cop/bad cop… I will sing like a bird if charms are flashed in front of me.

My favorite most relaxing thing is hand stitching binding down on a quilt.   So I played with a way that I could use the same method for appliqué.  The no fuss no muss method, which I’m all about. I don’t like pinching, or pinning, or snipping… just fast, easy and fun.   My method is the same as the fusable stuff you sew on, but EVERY time I’ve tried it, I ALWAYS end up pressing and fusing in the wrong places.  Like to my iron.

I take my background fabric (my beloved Kona Snow) and my Woodland Blooms print - right sides together, an Ikea saucer, a pencil and I trace around it.

Stitch on the lines.   Backstitch to lock.   Slit the background, trim edges and turn inside-out.

With my favorite chop-stick I “finger press” the seams.  Round n round I go.

A quick basting to the background fabric of the block.  Slit-b-gone.

I stitch as if I’m stitching binding.   I just love doing this.  Nothing to hold down.  Nothing to turn under.  Nothing to pinch or squeeze.

Nothing but relaxing fun.

It’ll be a while before all the blocks will be put together.  For now… I’m enjoying the bliss of appliqueing 37 happy little circles.

Wishing everyone a happy non scary year of new!   xoxo-m