Meghan's Material World

I can't think of a title today....

Despite the fact that I can't think of an appropriate title for this post, I am going to write anyway.  I am still working on the 7 weird things about me for Dy.  That will come later....this is just a quick bit to say hi to everyone who is still reading (thanks!) and to update you on a few of my projects.

I realized that I haven't even mentioned the yellow quilt is in the frame (it has been for a couple of weeks now!), and we are working on it whenever we have a spare moment.  The girls even work on it during their lunch breaks and before and after work! Here is a picture from early in the quilting process.  We were going to do stars around the border (since the other quilt has hearts), but when we saw these bows, the overwhelming consensus was to use them instead.

Now we are working on the last 6 blocks.  Hopefully they go fast.  I think they will, since it is mostly just straight line quilting.  Soon this lovely quilt will be all finished!  I will be so relieved when it is.  As much as I have enjoyed doing these quilts, and as much as I felt I NEEDED to help with them, I also feel like we are going too slow, and that everyone is waiting for us to just get it done.....Then I feel like I haven't spent enough time on it because of all the other projects that need my attention right now.  I really feel like I am being pulled in about 100 directions right now!  I can't tell you how thankful I am for the help of all the girls in the shop....without them, I can guarantee that I would still be working on the border!

While the girls from the store are helping with the quilts, I am lucky enough to have a bunch of crafty pals who were kind enough to help me crank out some more roses for the centerpieces! Here is one that is finished...what do you think? My Craftster group got together on Sunday to help with wedding crafts!  And with as much as I appreciate all the help they gave, I know that my brother and his fiance were even more appreciative of the help! I know I had a great time, and I hope everyone else enjoyed themselves, too. See how much we got done?   

There is still a lot of work to do.  But there was some major progress made this weekend (thanks everyone!) and I am feeling a LITTLE less stressed about getting it all done in time.  June 16 is coming up really fast!  Please keep your fingers crossed that I can pull it all off! 

Again, because of the massive amount of work, and loads of projects I am trying to get finished, I don't know when I will be posting again.  Thank you to everyone who is still checking in....after this marathon of wedding mayhem, I will be back to posting more regularly again. 

Still Busy, Busy, Busy!

I just wanted to let you all know that I AM still alive!  I have been so very busy with work, and the weddings, and life in general, that I have not taken the time to post on my blog.  Lately, by the end of work, I really just want to come home and take a nap!  Unfortunately that hasn't been an option....Of course, if I did feel that I had the time for a nap, my mind would be whirling with "things to do" and I wouldn't rest anyway!

I have a ton of projects for the wedding half finished.  I have the expectation of completing them all around the same time....that is the plan, anyway.  You may be wondering why I don't just do one thing at a time....sometimes I wonder that, too!  If I keep it mixed up, I don't get bored as easily, and I actually get a lot more work done in less time.  But then, there is the issue of not having any one thing FINISHED.  It would feel so nice to cross SOMETHING off my list....soon, very soon. 

You have seen the centerpiece bases, so here is a look at the flowers.  What do you think?  Do they look okay?  This is obviously not a finished piece...it is just flowers I stuck into a block of foam as I finished them.  In case you were wondering, yes, the roses are made of paper.  Coffee filters, painted with watercolors, actually.  These happen to look quite orange in the picture, but they are really a very pretty pink.  Really!

Now for some eye candy.  These are images of stuff I have made for swaps recently.  They were all shipped out before my last post, so I have not been "wasting" my wedding craft time with swap projects, for anyone who would question WHY I would do that to myself.  To be honest, it has been very difficult to stay away from any swapping for the past few weeks!  I keep reminding myself that it is just a little while longer before I can swap again....just a little while longer....

I made this as an "angel" package for the Tea-Time Swap at Craftster.  That means that the person who was supposed to send my partner a package, didn't.  So I volunteered to put something together for her, without the expectation of getting anything back.  This one was a lot of fun!  The tea cozy is reversible!

I made these for the From my Hand to Yours swap on Swap-bot.  I haven't heard from my partner, so I don't know if she got it, or likes it, or if it has been eaten by bears or some other horrible fate has befallen it.  This is what I sent, anyway!

Ah, and here is something that I GOT!  This is what I received from my partner in the 24 hour swap.  I love it so much!  I felted it, and now I want to line it with fabric so that I can have a zipper pocket.  You see, my bags have a tendency to fly off the passenger seat onto the floor, and if I don't have a zipper pocket, there is junk scattered everywhere!

I will be sure to show you when it is all finished....whenever that may be....

I must get back to work now...Hopefully I will post again soon, but please don't hold your breath....It could be awhile before I make time to do it again....but then again, I could post tomorrow....we'll see!

Busy, busy, busy...

I want to thank you all for leaving me such wonderfully sweet comments!  I get such pleasure from reading all of your lovely messages that I really wish that I could send each and every one of you a gift!  However, at least this time, I had only one gift to give, and Joyce was the lucky recipient!  If you were not as lucky as Joyce, don’t worry, there will be more goodies to get in the future.

What a crazy week!  I didn’t figure that THIS week would be the one that was so busy!  After all, the quilt show was last week.  So, the shop has been doing very well…Thank you all!  But it isn’t only the store that has been busy….my “real” life has been jam-packed with craziness, too! 

I have had a major toothache all week….not fun!  It isn’t just a toothache because it has been the cause of a headache and an earache, too.  Basically I am miserable!  On Thursday, I decided that it wasn’t going to get better on its own, so I have scheduled an appointment with the dentist on Tuesday morning.  Hopefully, I will survive that long!

Despite my desperately pitiful condition, I have been surprisingly productive.  I finally figured out a centerpiece idea for my brother’s wedding!  Do you like it?  Pretty, huh?

This is the dollar-store centerpiece by Meghan….a candlestick holder with a clear glass plate on top.  Both have been decoupaged with a glittery tissue paper in a very light shade of the bride’s color.  This one isn’t completely finished…I still have to clean up the edges, and the base needs another coat of paper to fill in the patchiness.  But you get the general idea. 

These will have a floral arrangement with little twinkle lites on top.  They will also hold the table numbers.  So they are very multi-functional.  I am very happy with them, and the lovely bride-to-be was as excited as she gets (she is a very calm, rational, person – I don’t get it!) about them, which makes me a happy girl!   Now, only 19 more to go!

Progress on my cake decorating has not really happened this week.  Who can think about cake when they have a toothache?  I did, however, do one cake early in the week that was fun, but not really a wedding idea.  It was more of a “playing with fondant” thing.  I LOVE that fondant is so much like polymer clay.  Not that I am a spectacular example of a clay artist or anything, but I do enjoy doing little projects now and then. I have always liked doing/making canes, so I wanted to see if the process would work with the fondant…and LOOKIE, it did!  This one was fun to do, but it isn’t something I would want to attempt for the wedding.  It was way too much work! 

With all the wedding activity, and the busy shop, I decided I needed to do something for myself last weekend.  And, because I LOVE to do swaps (I like the challenge of creating something for someone else, and getting mail is always a pleasure, too!) I signed myself up for the 24 hour swap on Craftster.  You sign up, and have 24 hours to create and mail out a project for your partner.  When I got the info on my partner, I discovered that she likes bags (okay, who doesn’t?!) and is particularly fond of paisley (again, who isn’t?!).  It took all of 2 minutes to decide what fabric I was going to use….Kaffe Fassett Jungle Paisley…But then it took me about 3 hours to decide how to use it CREATIVELY.  I didn’t want to just make a straight-up tote bag….where is the fun in that?!  This is the final result.

Of course, if I had more time, I would have added a zipper pocket to the lining, and I also would have added some sort of closure, too.  But, for the limited time, I think it turned out pretty nice.  In fact, I must admit, I had a tough time letting this one go.  I could really use a new bag myself, and I really liked this.  But guess what?  I got an equally, if not even more, great bag in return.  And, it is something I could not have done (easily, anyway) for myself.  It is crocheted!  Obviously, with only 24 hours, my partner didn’t have time to crochet and felt it in time to send, SO I get to do the felting myself.  I am excited to try it out….It will be my first time….My only real concern is that I will ruin all the work my partner did!  She seems to think I will do just fine.  I hope she is right!  I will be showing off the lovely thing once I have it felted.  I am hoping to do it today.  Everyone cross your fingers that I don’t screw it up! 

Oh, there is so much more to show you, and tell you about, but if you are even still reading this post, you deserve a medal!  I am even tired of it, and I am the one doing the writing! At least now I know I have something to write about next time, right? Well, I think it is time to take some more aspirin!  Have a great one, all!

Pretty Pink Piggies!

I recently did a swap with a talented gal from Craftster.  I had commented on the cuteness of an adorable crocheted pig she had made, and she offered to do a swap with me.   Chrissie sent not only one, but two piggies for my desk!  Aren't they amazing?  They are really small, too.  I am so impressed with them - chrochet is one of those crafts that I haven't been able to "get" yet. 

For sharing her awesome chrochet skills with me, I sent a couple of goodies to Chrissie, too.  I made an Amish Puzzle Ball Pincushion out of purple hand-dyed wool felt.  I also sent her a little ornament/pendant.  It is a piece of vintage eyelet sandwiched between two squares of glass.  I included a couple of pieces of fabric....one she had mentioned she liked, and the other had PIGS on it....so I thought it was appropriate.

Chrissie is the proud mother of 3 little boys, so I couldn't send a package without including something for them, too!  I got each of them a Little Golden Book.  Personally, I can think of no better gift for children than books.  Aparently, her boys really liked them, too!  She told me that her middle boy has even insisted on sleeping with his book! 

Thank you so much for such a fun swap, Chrissie! 

I got a fantastic package from another talented Craftster pal, too.  But more on that later.  Have a great one all!

A Button Book & Birthday Wishes...

On January 5 my pal Meshell turned 21.  Can you remember being 21?  Gosh, sometimes it seems like a lifetime ago, and there are days it feels like it was last week!  But I digress…I was talking about Meshell having a birthday. 

Coincidentally, I chose the winners for the Freshcut fabric bundles on that day.  And surprise, surprise, Miss Meshell was one of the lucky winners!  Let me just be clear that she won legitimately – it wasn’t “fixed” because it was her b-day (or because she is my friend)!  Of course, because I was going to be shipping something to her anyway, I decided to add a few little bits in honor of her special day. 

I knew I was going to send her buttons – heck, she probably knew I was going to send her buttons – we share a common weakness for the little lovelies.  I decided to send her 21 of them, for obvious reasons.  Let me just say, that it was a long process deciding which of my collection were destined for a new home in Oz.  To make it easier on myself, I limited my selections to white, MOP, and clear buttons.  I thought that perhaps one or two of them may eventually end up as part of her big final Uni project (you can read about it on her blog).

I thought I should make something for her, too, so I whipped up what was intended to be a needle book.  When I finished it, I realized that it would be perfect for holding and presenting the buttons I had chosen for her.  So, the needle book became a Button Book.  I think I may have to make one of them for myself….for some of my very favorite and most loved buttons….It will have to be much larger than the one I sent to Meshell, though!

 

I also sent a couple of packages of Tastykakes – because what is more appropriate for a birthday than CAKE?  There were butterscotch crumpets and peanut butter kandy kakes – what I believe to be two of the most popular flavors/types they sell.  I also included some candy and a little rubber stamp set.  But the best part of all, other than the fat quarter bundle, was this postcard of my town’s library circa 1960 that I had found at a local antique store.  At least, it is the most ironic thing that I had sent.  You see, Meshell works at a library, and she collects postcards….what could be more perfect?!  And, it arrived at her door on the very same day she was given a promotion! 

You don’t know how happy I am that Meshell got her box of goodies yesterday!  I am still fighting this being sick thing, and I have yet to do, or make, or even see anything worth writing about.  But at least now I am feeling well enough to be planning some new projects!  I have a really big one that I am almost ready to commit to.  I am off to start gathering my supplies…..wish me luck!

Look what I got!

  I got a couple of beauties from another of my partners in the Holiday Ornament Swap!  Kat sent me two awesome ornaments.  She said she wasn't too happy with her first one (the snowflake) so she made the bird as well.  I am not sure why she wasn't happy with the snowflake, I think it is fabulous!  Although, I do love the bird, too, and I am very happy to have both of them.  I can't imagine how much time Kat must have spent cutting all of the tiny details from both of these ornaments.  Just doing it one time would take some amazing patience, but these are both DOUBLE-SIDED!  I was thrilled to get them, as they are both wonderful!  Thank you, Kat!  See more wonderful things Kat has made at her Etsy shop - Kitkabbit Designs.

I found this delightful little birdie at a local thrift shop yesterday.  The red flocked bird is so cute!  His little swing really swings inside his golden plastic cage!  The strange thing is that it isn't a hard plastic, it is almost rubbery.  You can crush it, and it pops right back into shape!  I am guessing that crushing it for a prolonged period of time, would result in some warping, or creases, but it can handle some tough love.    To get this little guy, I had to buy an entire bag of interesting (yes, we will go with the polite adjective, today!) Christmas things.  I re-donated the rest of the items that came with it!  It is my wish that someone else is as thrilled to find my cast-offs as I was to find this one! 

Do you remember my sewing fiasco from several posts ago?  You know how I said I was going to put it away for awhile?  Well, I got it back out yesterday!  I really was optimistic that I would find SOMETHING to do with the mess I had created, and I think I have done it!  I used my "Hurling Rainbows" disaster, and turned it into a couple of ornaments!   What do you think?  Do you like them?  I figure they could be used on the Christmas tree, or, because they aren't really Christmas-y they could hang around all year long.  I suppose if someone wanted, they could wear them as pendants, but they are a bit too large for my taste.  I am just thrilled with how they turned out!

Oh, I hear a truck!  Fingers crossed that it is my Fresh Cut Collection!  It was supposed to ship this week, and it is only coming from Jersey...I'll let you know!

A couple of things...

I am now going to attempt to redo my frustration-causing post from yesterday.  Hopefully, it will be more cooperative this morning!

I took part in the (now annual) Ornament Swap sponsored by Cake + Pie Creative, and Freshly Blended.  It was a really fun way to get into the holiday spirit and have a chance to do a swap in the process!  I sent out ornaments to 9 people, and I will eventually have nine lovely ornaments arriving at my doorstep.  So far I have received six, and they are all wonderful!  Below, you can see the fabulous creations that are now decorating my space.  Once you have enjoyed my festive bounty, you may want to pop over to the flickr group to see even more Christmas Lovelies! 

First, here is one of the ornaments that I sent out to my partners.  I had so many ideas, I had a difficult time deciding what to make, but finally settled on the snowflakes.  They weren't a difficult design, but I had a heck of a time pushing the needle through all the layers.  My finger still hurts!  I only did about half of them before I wised up enough to grab a thimble!   I am quite pleased with how they turned out.  I hope that my partners were happy to receive them!

Now, take a peek at the amazing and creative ornaments that have been sent to me!

From left to right - Paula from www.thegrassygarden.com.au sent this adorable bird ornament and a delicious card - which is just one of the delightful designs she has available on her website. - Next is a fun paper ornament that comes from Jenny in the UK.  She used darling vintage Holiday images, and retro stars, as well as a bit of glitter on this beauty.  - This adorable character comes from Frances in NYC.  I love the way she incorporated the wood veneer (which she apparently has used for several projects throughout the year) into the ornament. 

Again, from left to right - This beautiful paper ornament is from Minna.  The blue paper has a textural quality, and it is really charming. - This adorable, fluffy sheep ornament comes from Angela.  This cutie even has a bell around his neck!  - Check out this kick-butt Christmas ninja I got from K. Werner of KiWi Cuties.  She has many more fun creations available for sale in her Etsy shop. 

Thanks to all of my partners for the wonderful crafty Christmas goodies!  They are all Fabulous! I have had a great time with this swap.  I can't wait to play again next year!

I am very pleased to announce that we have reached order number 5,000!  This is a big day for us here at Z&S fabrics.  While I would like to be able to say that there was a huge fanfare, with bells and whistles, balloons and confetti flying everywhere (like in cartoons!), but we are a little more subdued here. (Although, there may have been a little bit of a happy dance going on!)  Besides, I would end up having to clean up the mess!  Instead, we will be celebrating this milestone with a lunch of pizza and cupcakes!   

Linda C, from Australia, is the lucky customer who placed order number 5,000!   She will be getting her entire order for free, including shipping!  Congratulations!  Thank you all for getting us this far.  We certainly could not have done it without you!

Now I must go fill some orders!  Have a great one all!

 

Mail for Meghan!

We have been so busy at the shop that I haven’t really had anything to blog about in the last few days.  Although, I have added some more new collections – including a beautiful new group from Robyn Pandolph called Empress Woo – which I cannot wait to make something with!  Another highly anticipated collection, Jo’s Necessities from Andover, has also been added to the site.  Apparently, though, for some reason, we have yet to get most of the pinks…hopefully, they will show up soon. 

 

Here is what is cool enough for me to take the time to blog today….I got a wonderful package from my pal, Meshell, in Australia.  It is always a treat to get a package from her.  This one took less than a week to make it to my door  (in fact, it only took 3 days!) – hooray for the postal service being on top of things!  Plus, it took a little detour with the customs folks.  Check out the green tape they resealed the box with.  And notice what the box itself says…..Blythe is a trademark of Hasbro….Miss Meshell….have you recently acquired a new friend?  Why have we not met her?  I suppose I can harass you about this later….back to my package!

   

I could tell that Meshell had carefully wrapped up all my goodies, but unfortunately, most of this package seemed to be a bit mauled by the time it got to me!  Almost every one of the wrapped items had a slit cut into the paper…I guess so they could sneak a peek of all the fabulousness that was on its way to me!  Here is a peek into one of the slits in a package!

 

Did you see what was inside?   There was a package of some really nice pink envelopes, and a tablet of pretty tulip stationary. See that pretty paisley book?  It says diary on it, but it will make a terrific daily planner for appointments and stuff!  Plus, I love the Paisley!  There is a pack of adorable yellow paper with kitchen-y goodies along the bottom….I think that will be perfect for some of my favorite typed-up recipes. I can print them out and put them into a pretty little recipe notebook – now, I just need to make that notebook!

 

There are 2 great cook books.  Meshell took the time to mark a few of her top picks in each of them.  She also sent several hand-written recipes too.  I am in love with the recipe cards!  I must find some like this for myself.  They are so charming with the zigzag stitching around the edge. 

I got 2 new CDs, A Christmas Mix & the Aussie Musak Mix.  I haven’t listened to either of them yet.  But I know that there are some fantastic selections on the Christmas mix, and I am looking forward to experiencing the Aussie Mix.  I will have to share my review with you all later.

 

Here are some other fun things….Santa is checking his list….I hope I am on the Good List!  That little house next to Santa is a rolling stamp!  It is so cute!  There are a couple of patches that say “stitch it”….Are they stenciled?  Meshell also sent me 3 little spools of pretty ribbon trims.  Aren’t they cute?

I must say that I am one lucky ducky! Meshell sent me one of her fabulous ornaments that she designed for the Ornament Swap.  I have been drooling over them since she first showed a peek of them on her blog.  There is also a candy cane ornament, and several real candy canes.

Now onto the real candy haul!  Meshell sent a couple of types of candy this time.  She knows that my hubby loves the Tim Tams – I think they are pretty good too, but he LOVES them!  He was so excited to see them when I pulled them out of the box.  But the poor guy has a stomach bug (flu) and so he hasn’t eaten any of them yet….If he’s lucky, I’ll save a couple for him! 

  Isn’t this the cutest little tea bag holder/ spoon rest?  I think it is adorable!  Meshell also sent some coasters to use when I am drinking my tea.  Aren’t the cherry coasters awesome?  They are painted and then varnished – heavily varnished!  They look like they are lacquered. They are very shiny and pretty.  She also sent along 3 criss-cross coasters which are pretty cool.  There is a tutorial for these here.  It looks like a fun little project.  I think I will have to stitch up a few myself.

 

Meshell sent an Aussie Vogue Living….This is an absolute pipe-dream in print!  I don’t think I am capable of even imagining such perfection! 

I think I need to go enjoy a “cuppa.”  And maybe I will have myself a Tim Tam while I look at the pretty pictures in my new magazine.  I think I may just have to throw the Christmas Mix into the CD player, too.

Thank you Meshell!  I love it all!