Happy Zombie

I found my cotton yarn utopia!! No more Frankenstein'ing all over the Internet for a cotton yarn source since I've discovered @weareknitters. Loud, loud, loud heart thumping - I love this yarn!

A photo posted by Monica Solorio-Snow ✂️ (@happy_zombie) on Aug 21, 2016 at 7:18pm PDT

WeAreKintters.com

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Hand quilting little 2-1⁄2" heart blocks on a mini quilt. Possibly even more satisfying than binding. Except if this was a king quilt. Then it would be ridiculous. #lovequiltforlove

A photo posted by Monica Solorio-Snow ✂️ (@happy_zombie) on Jul 28, 2016 at 10:46pm PDT

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I’m feeling a bit like a shopping pimp lately, but I love to share my sweet finds like these killer Sock Guy unicorn socks. I have mad love for Sock Guy socks, and not just because there are so many awesome designs and styles, and the king/queen of cycling fashion — but because I suffer from Neuropathy (for reasons unknown, but all signs point to nerve damage from multiple surgeries and reconstruction on one of my feet) and these socks are like magic on me feet (specifically on my toes). These socks are not marketed as Neuropathy socks, but for what ever reason these socks take a huge edge off my pain. Especially after long rides. Or just everyday wear.

But seriously. How freaking cute are they? Hella cute, that’s how cute.

 

 

Sock truths. #🦄

A photo posted by Monica Solorio-Snow ✂️ (@happy_zombie) on Jul 21, 2016 at 3:47pm PDT

I got my unicorn pair here. (or see all of the Sock Guy socks here)

And because I love unicorns. Even the ones with missing horns.

 

Took the long 🚲 route to the bank today and made a new friend. Poor thing, she seems to have lost her horn. 🦄

A photo posted by Monica Solorio-Snow ✂️ (@happy_zombie) on Jul 19, 2016 at 6:01pm PDT

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I was joking about this on my Instagram, but wow, these knives (Cuisinart Advantage knife set) are pretty awesome (and so pretty) - once you get Wolverine to break them free from the crazy packaging.

 

 

Cuisinart, you are an asshole.

A photo posted by Monica Solorio-Snow ✂️ (@happy_zombie) on Jul 18, 2016 at 2:06pm PDT

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Ohmygosh, how cute is this Kawaii pencil sharpener recycle bin?! If you’re like me and must have this, you can get it here.

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With a feeling of helplessness, sadness and horror over what happened at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, I went straight to where I find my comfort and happiness and that is to my sewing room.   I think every quilter can relate to that do-something-mentality of needing to make a quilt, to give love through cotton and thread, to hug someone with a quilt.  The Modern Quilt Guild has a great blog post about #QuiltsforPulse Charity Drive with the Orlando Modern Quilt Guild.  There are lots of great ideas and info on quilt blocks.   For my own personal needs and desire, I wanted to create my own and I thought I’d share it.  I made a pattern that could be used by guilds, clubs, or individuals. Individuals/groups making blocks or individuals/groups making entire quilts.

There are 49 heart blocks in the Love Quilt, one for each person who lost their life.  One heart for each person who left behind a grieving spouse, partner, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.  One very important heart of forty-nine very important hearts.

The Love Quilt can also be used to just show love, and maybe it wants to be made for other loving purposes.  Please use this pattern for all kinds of love that need to be celebrated!  I ask please that no profits from this free pattern be made.  Unless of course a finished quilt is used for a charity auction/raffle to raise money for such organizations like Equality Florida/Support Victims of Pulse Shooting,  your local LGBTQ center, It Gets Better - any charitable organize that promotes love, kindness, safety, help, shelter, equality and support would be awesome.

This Love Quilt pattern is very basic and for quilters who know how to make quilt tops.  Not included are finishing measurement and instructions (sandwiching, batting, backing, quilting, and binding), and is intended for individuals as well as guilds, groups, and clubs.  Please feel free to download the PDF version and share with your friends, or group, or you can give your friends or group the link of thehappyzombie.com/love and they can go download and/or print it themselves.

Click here to my Instagram for comments/to comment.

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I’m so excited to announce on May The Fourth Be With You Day with some brand new t-shirts featuring Sew Yummy’s very own Bob Flossy in a May The Floss Be With You design! T-shirt design comes in pink & orange and in lime & aqua.

Sold exclusively by me on Amazon, and in 100% super yummy cotton.  Shirts come in both men’s and women’s sizes/styles, and I can say the women’s shirt fits quite yummy on me and very femine flattering.

There are two styles, one with Bob Flossy in lime and aqua, and one with Fob Flossy in pink and orange. Both designs come in 5 color shirt options. Click here for lime and aqua, and click here for pink and orange.

Click here to my Instagram for comments/to comment

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Years ago I took a quilting class with Darlene Zimmerman, and one of the things I learned from her was a nifty tip to keep your cut block pieces organized before piecing them. The tip so simple and so genius is hurt my brain a little.  That tip was to use el-cheapo paper plates for each block to corral each of it’s pieces.  And each paper plate could be stacked, too. BRILLIANT. I’ve been using this method for almost a decade now. But suddenly I needed something more - something where I could layout out the block, stack it, and then join the pieces a block at a time without a big mess and confusion.  Ideas danced like Elaine Benes in my head with ingredients like Soft & Bright poly bat (by The Warm Company) and corrugated plastic sheeting. And most of all, I didn’t want glue in my little dance.  And most, most of all I wanted it to be fast and easy.  Sweet Fancy Moses, I’ve got it!

I went to my local big box home improvement store (which BTW is Home Depot and we appreciate immensely the discounts they give to veterans) and found a big 36″ x 72″ sheet of corrugated plastic sheeting for $10.50 USD. I found it near all the flat stuff (acrylic, glass, plastic, etc.). It’s super lightweight, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to get this piece of sheet (hahaha I crack myself up) home, so I waited until I was shopping with my husband and could pop the sheet in the back of his truck. Getting this home is the most creative part of this project, but is also available on Amazon.

With an old rotary cutter (that’s dedicated for paper and crafting use), I cut the big piece of sheeting into ten 14″ x 14″ pieces.  I chose 14″ so I would have room to work on a 12″ finished block.  I saved all the leftover small pieces and set them aside. Of course anyone could cut any size they wanted, larger or smaller.

I took a “Baby Size” package of  Soft & Bright and cut ten 15″ ish squares - so all sides were larger than my 14″ plastic squares. Soft & Bright also available by-the-yard here.

I adjusted my sewing machine’s pressure foot as high as it would go.  I also used an old needle (or if you use a current needle, be sure to replace it with a freshie once you’re done).

I did a test run on the plastic and it sewed like a charm.  I used Aurifil cotton thread (because I love it and it’s always threaded in my machine) and I put my stitch length somewhere between a basting length and a piecing length.  Everyone’s machine is different, so kinda in the middle but more towards a baste length.

With the smooth side of the batting towards my worktable, and bumpier side towards the plastic, I centered the plastic on top of the batting.

It is important to stitch on top of the plastic so that your sewing machine’s feed-dogs have something to grab on to (ie, grab the batting).  Stitch about 1/4″ (or less if you’re comfortable) from the edge.

At each corner, be sure to back-stitch to lock your stitching. You do not need to cut your threads at each end, just pivot 1/4 turn to start the next side.

Trim the excess batting from your plastic board.

Flip your board over and admire your work. High five yourself.

Give it a go - try out your new board buddy and build a block on it. Pretty cool, eh.

Do a vertical test. What? Yup. Awesome. And you can even stack your board on top of other boards that have block pieces on them. The plastic backside no-likey the fabric pieces on the stacked board below it and doesn’t want to stick to them.

With your leftover pieces you can make mini Block Buddies. It’s also a good way to use up some batting scraps. I did try cotton batting scraps (Warm & White is what I use for quilting), but I particularly like the Soft & Bright poly for this project as it’s not too stretchy, has a low loft, and the poly makes for a nice stick.  It’s just perfect.

Click here to my Instagram for comments/to comment.

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The Strawberry delight PDF template pattern is now available in my shop or at my Craftsy shop.

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It’s a sale to celebrate my newest pattern release - Chicken & Stars PDF pattern!

Just enter soupweather20 (before Feb. 13, 2015) in the discount code field when you’re checking out. My entire shop is on sale until 2/13/2015, so shop big!

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