Happy Zombie

This post has nothing to do with Miss Daisy, or even driving - it just sounded like a good title. And I like saying it. I also like saying Jalalabad (Afghanistan) - but that’s really hard to work into a title. My other title option was Friends with Benefits - but that would give an impression of… hey, not so bad of an impression of me if anyone wants to think that. Truth is, I’m surrounded by kind, fun, amazing and talented friends. Seriously talented.  <name dropping alert>So when Elizabeth asked a bunch of us in our circle-o-friends (aka Sweet Hot Yams) to pattern-test a new pattern of hers (Perfect Zip Bags) - we jumped on it! </name dropping alert>

Elizabeth made us all little kits with fabrics, and zippers, and hardware - all with us in mind.  Elizabeth made my kit with mostly Echino because she knows I love it so.  <name dropping again>I even had some of Mo’s fabric from her Party Dress line (pink and green “pearls”) to add to it!  </name dropping again>

I’m not a pattern reader, so this was a new challenge for me. Because I was a Tester - I now HAD to read the instructions.  I was committed. So a funny thing happened on the way to the bar… a priest, a rabbi and a cowboy… all told me to read and I shall learn new things.  And my imagination was right… I learned new things.  An S-load of new things!  Elizabeth’s pattern is so thoughtfully written and her ways of describing techniques are so clear and easy to understand.  I feel so empowered with all that I’ve learned.  And cute bags afterwards - that’s gravy. Now all I can think about doing is adding zippers to everything.

Elizabeth has posted photos of all of our bags on her blog.  Not only that - Elizabeth is having a give-away of <more name dropping>Violet’s </more name dropping> Peacock Lane and my Happy Mochi Yum Yum!  Hip, hip, Jalalabad!

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Posted in Quilty n Crafty, I Heart Oregon, Make Something | 24 Comments

I love when the Bloggers’ Quilt Festival rolls around - a great time to see and to share! Sometimes when I’m making something I really like, I’ll think, hmm - I think this is gonna be my next BQF quilt… like it’s sponge worthy, or something. So here is my spongie little quilt that I entered into the PMQG mug rug swap - my “Sipping the Mug Rug Kool-aid” quilt:

My favorite thing about making a mug rug is the making of the mug rug.

My other favorite thing about making a mug rug is finishing it. Instant gratification crack.

I just decided I’m long over due to treat myself to some mug rug making crack, so I’m off to get high. Happy Festival hopping!

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- Amy’s Bloggers’ Quilt Festival - Fall 2011
- My time machine
- The Portland Modern Quilt Guild
- Assorted orange 30’s repo fabrics married with aqua fabrics from Rosalie Quinlan’s Sweet Broderie

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Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 46 Comments

Please join me today on my third and final day of the Sew,Mama,Sew! Christmas Tree Pants Sew-Along.  If you’re just getting started and need to back-track to the beginning - you can start here, and continue here - and then finish here.

Sew along with me and post your photos each week to the Christmas Tree Pants Sew-Along Flickr group for a chance to win sleigh-load of great goodies from the  Sew,Mama,Sew! Holiday Sew-Along.  Every photo you post in the Tree Pants flickr group is an entry!  All the SMS prize info is at the bottom of my tutorial on SMS.

Day 3 of the sew-along is joining all of our units and finishing our project. My supermodel is the lovely Violet Craft, and we’re in the beautiful backyard of Chez Bedell’s “Sofa n Lunch”.

Zing… pants!

I have the final little bundlette of 5″ strips of a Holiday Happy & Happy Mochi Yum Yum combo - waiting to go to good home.

Because this is my final day - I’m adding goodies to the pot.  The nice folks at Wiley Publishing sent me a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Scrappy Quilts to give away to one of my blog readers.  I have two quilt patterns in this book, one of which is from the 2007 Summer issue of Quilts and More (the one on the cover).  Scrappy Quilts is a collection of some of THE MOST AMAZING quilts that have graced the pages of Quilts & More and American Patchwork & Quilting.  This book is a GOLD MINE of goodness, and perfect for any quilter - from the modern quilter to the traditional quilter.  Along with my bundle and the Scrappy Quilts book, I’m including a copy of the 2007 Q&M issue.

Leave me a comment here to enter for this week’s superbundle of bundlette/book/magazine.  If you feel like telling me/everyone what your dream location is to go with friends on a quilt/sewing/crafting retreat to is - please share, it’s so fun and interesting reading everyone’s responses. I’ll announce the superbundle winner next Friday on this post.

Recap:
My teaser and give-away posts here at HZ:  Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Sew-along tutorial posts at Sew,Mama,Sew!:  Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Christmas Tree Pants Sew-along: Flickr

October 28, 2011 Edited in:
Winner, winner! Give-away of the Day 3 Holiday Happy/Happy Mochi Yum Yum bundlette/Book/Mag Super Bundle has now ended. Thank you all for joining in on the give-away! Using random.org for comments 1-234, the winner is: Comment #209 - Toni!

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Posted in Quilty n Crafty, Make Something | 242 Comments

I did it.  I not only climbed the Mt. Everest of sewing… I also swam the English Channel of sewing.  Everyone said the instructions were hard - so I didn’t read them (better living through ignorance).   Even though I had Flat Tim watching over me (and boy, he had doubts)…

… and even though my Weekender looks different than all the others… and even though I gave up on the piping… and even though I skipped all the fusing and intersomething stuff by quilting my pieces… I’m still very happy. Oh so happy.

And I’m ready to make another.  In 2024.

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Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 79 Comments

Please join me today for Day 2, and next Friday (October  21) for finishing up with Day 3.  If you’re just getting started and need to back-track to my Day 1 - you can start here.

Sew along with me and post your photos each week to the Christmas Tree Pants Sew-Along Flickr group for a chance to win sleigh-load of great goodies from the  Sew,Mama,Sew! Holiday Sew-Along.  Every photo you post in the Tree Pants flickr group is an entry!  All the SMS prize info is at the bottom of my tutorial on SMS.

Day 2 of the sew-along is kind of an easy week - which is kind of relaxing, or a good time to jump in to the sew-along. Though any time is good time to jump in. This week is making 12 sashing strip units.

Eight of the strips will have star points on one end.

Four of the strips with have star points on both ends.

For people makin’ the scrappy version - you get a little extra fun this week… and get to make two 9-patches. Piece of cake, right?!

I have another little bundlette of 5″ strips of a Holiday Happy & Happy Mochi Yum Yum combo - waiting to go to good home.  Each Friday of my sew-along I’ll give one away.

Leave me a comment here to enter for this week’s bundlette.  If you feel like telling me what your current favorite element or elements (object, shape, etc.) are that you like to see in a fabric is - I’d love to know. I’ll announce the bundlette winner here next Friday - just before I post the teaser post for Day 3 of the Tree Pants sew-along.

Friends don’t let friends have trees without pants - I hope you’ll join me in the sew-along!

My teaser and give-away posts here at HZ:  Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Sew-along tutorial posts at Sew,Mama,Sew!:  Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Christmas Tree Pants Sew-along: Flickr

October 21, 2011 Edited in:
Winner, winner! Give-away of the Day 2 Holiday Happy/Happy Mochi Yum Yum bundlette has now ended. Thank you all for joining in on the give-away! Using random.org for comments 1-104, the winner is: Comment #84 - Tammy!

Posted in Quilty n Crafty, Make Something | 105 Comments

Why did I not think of this before?





Staring at my mammoth pile of empty floss bobbins… stretching and warming up my winding arm - and queuing up a season 1 of Breaking Bad marathon.  Floss-a-thon.

References:
- Cosmo floss
- DMC plastic floss bobbins

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Posted in Tips & Trix | 71 Comments

Today kicks off Day 1 of my Christmas Tree Pants Holiday Sew-Along (because not all trees like to wear skirts) at Sew,Mama,Sew!

Please join me today for Day 1, and the next and following Friday (October 14 & 21) for Day 2 and Day 3 of the sew-along.

Sew along with me and post your photos each week to the Christmas Tree Pants Sew-Along Flickr group for a chance to win sleigh-load of great goodies from the  Sew,Mama,Sew! Holiday Sew-Along.  Every photo you post in the Tree Pants flickr group is an entry!  All the SMS prize info is at the bottom of my tutorial on SMS.  Good times.

Day 1 is making 9-patch stars. Since I’m like my own Hair Club For Men, I’m participating in my sew-along too! The scrappy version.

For Day 1 we’ll make seven 9-patch stars. Totally do-able, right? So to make it easy on myself, I got a little mathie so I could get all my ducks scraps in a row. This is my formula:
12) 5″ STRIPS OF FABRIC

From 10 strips, cut:
6) 4½” squares
1) 2½” x 12½” rectangle

From 1 strip, cut:
6) 4½” squares
2) 2½” x 12½” rectangle

From 1 strip, cut:
8) 4½” squares

Oh look, I just happen to have 3 little bundlettes of 5″ strips of a Holiday Happy & Happy Mochi Yum Yum combo.  Just lying around, waiting to go to good home.  Each Friday of my sew-along I’ll give one away.

Leave me a comment here to enter for this week’s bundlette.  Maybe I can schmooze you into telling me what your current fave 3-color combo is?  I’ll announce the winner here on this post next Friday just before I post the teaser post for Day 2 of the Tree Pants sew-along.

Friends don’t let friends have trees without pants - come sew with me!

October 14, 2011 Edited in:
Winner, winner! Give-away of the Day 1 Holiday Happy/Happy Mochi Yum Yum bundlette has now ended. Thank you all for joining in on the give-away! Using random.org for comments 1-186, the winner is: Comment #68 - Karen!

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Posted in Quilty n Crafty, Make Something | 187 Comments

I am weak. Resistance is futile.

1. by madeonmainstreet, 2. by canoeridgecreations, 3. by sewcraftyjess, 4. by liveacolorfullife, 5. by berries_are_yummy, 6. by missbehaveblog, 7. by stashstudios, 8. By sebskins

If I make Amy Butler’s Weekender Bag - I will have climbed the Mt. Everest of sewing. Now to find me a Sherpa…

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Posted in Stuff | 43 Comments

The Bernina contest on AllPeopleQuilt.com is using my Tiny Totes pattern for the Bernina Fall Bag Contest! 

UPDATE:
The Bernina contest has ended, but you can get the free Tiny Totes pattern here PLUS some fun modification info here.

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Posted in Make Something, Tiny Totes | 35 Comments

My Christmas tree wears the pants, and I make the excuses. So this year, the Year of No Excuses (ok, the Month of No Excuses)… I’m ahead of the holiday crafting, sewing and gift making time (that usually falls on December 26th for me), thanks to Sew,Mama,Sew!… this year it’s gonna happen in October. Oct. To. Ber.

I’ll be participating in the SMS Holiday Sew-Along with my Christmas Tree Pants (because not all trees like to wear skirts) project. If you’d like to follow along with me, you can get all the info about the SMS Holiday Sew-Along here and see who else you can sew along with. Sew,Mama,Sew! has made a Christmas Tree Pants Sew-Along flickr group if you’d like to join that, too.

I’ll be making my red & white Christmas Tree Pants, as well as making a scrappy version.

Come sew with me - friends don’t let friends have trees without pants.

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Posted in Quilty n Crafty | 15 Comments