Do you see what I see... [WIP Wednesday October 5, 2011]

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Having bad photography karma today.  Every single photo I took tonight ended up like {  }.  And, I am just exhausted so I am not going to fight with my beloved camera right now.  Actually it has nothing to do with the camera and everything to do with the lights in the studio...but I digress.  Just bear with me and accept my challenge of do you see what I see?  I don't know...squint...

Fussy Cut & Paper Pieced Frame Pouch - why?  Because I like to make my life difficult.

I am still working on a pouch for my Pretty {little} Pouch Swap Partner.  This is just the exterior - I enlarged the bag style and it stands on its own.  I like the rounded shape and with the frame it is going to be darling.  As for the piecing...I wanted to do something with kind of a woven look...which I think could look really cool with solid fabrics but didn't really happen with these prints. The prints are so large that it didn't really work the way I envisioned.  But, I love the use of selvage!  What do you think?  Do you see what I see?  Is there any weaving at all and does it matter?  

Other details...  Added a bit of hand stitching in green, plan on adding the same in other colors.  Not too much just as a tiny detail.  Thinking that the yellow Heather Ross roses as lining would be perfect with so much purple.  

I have to laugh because even though it isn't the result I intended I am kind of in love with it.  I keep going back and forth between love and befuddlement...but I have odd taste so I'd really love some honest feedback.  Honest.  Yes.  From You.  Go to it.  That is why we share isn't it???  This isn't for me so I do care what you think - If I am going to mail this to a complete stranger I need to know whether it is a Yay or Nay.  So I am taking a poll.  

Unnamed Quilt Top - Something about diagonal, or Across, or Flying from one point to another...?

Alright this is the ultimate do you see what I see today.  I'm so in love with this improv quilt that I feel naked showing it to you unfinished.  Do you ever feel that way about sharing a project unfinished?  As though it won't be appreciated because your vision isn't complete yet?  Agh...well that is how I feel about this so take it easy on this one please...

To make it worse - It is almost impossible to photograph this well on my design wall.  Envision all that white open space on the right as Kona Raisin.  The whole composition is moving from one corner to the other.  I thought the shapes were flying down to the right, but now that I see it in photograph it looks like that bee is flying to the upper left corner!  {Hmmm maybe it should be called Taking Flight oooh or Far and Away, Closer...mmm something...}  

Okay - my photos aren't museum quality today but now that I see the whole thing this small I really want to move that 2nd purple block, the one in the center, it is too perfectly diagonal with its similar friends.  That was amazingly helpful input.  Awesome!

And I just love this little square floating on its own.  So it got a glam shot!

4" Scrap Pouch - making a tiny pouch using the scraps from the Unnamed Quilt.  Love the butterfly.

Tumbling Blocks

Well, I intentionally included the closeups to demonstrate that this is clearly not my best work.  (If you haven't followed along with the Tumbling Blocks Challenge feel free to learn about the background here.) But I hope with quilting it will all work out in the wash (oops pun).  I do like the group of them together like that and am working on a layout.  I am going to add an additional black solid.  I think my layout might be a literal interpretation of tumbling blocks, perhaps I will orient them to pile up on top of each other...tumbling down to the bottom...  I know, that sounds like a lot of work!

My Visit to Family Court
Thank you all so much for your positive vibes about my visit to the courthouse.  I met some extremely nice attorneys and have actually emailed them today in the hopes of getting some of my questions answered.  I did not meet the Judge (whew, relief) as she was very busy.  This gave me the chance to sit in the back of the courtroom and just observe without pressure.  The atmosphere is very different than Brooklyn, smaller, more formal, rigid almost.  I have a lot to process but I have a few months to do so...in the meantime I'll be sewing as much as possible!  Some of you asked if I am looking forward to returning to work - the short answer is NO.  I am anxious because it is different than my past experience, excited at the potential of it being better than my previous position, and sad at the thought of not staying home with my girls anymore.  If any of you are working mothers with small children I am sure you understand the struggle between needing income, possibly wanting an adult life, and missing your babes.  Sigh, they do grow so fast but I have been very very very very lucky to have been home for a year and I have to remember that.

Alright, that is more than enough from me!  Don't forget tomorrow is Thursday Think Tank...what ideas are you contemplating this week?  I just had a doozy of an idea about 10 minutes ago.  Come back and see!

Linking up to Freshly Pieced - please go visit some other WIP Wednesdays...

- rebecca lynne

Finishing Your To Do List

What I'd like to be doing is this...

But I'm not.  Housekeeping is the order of the day - Sunday that is.  Of course, I am hardly keeping house at the moment and instead have sat down to contemplate my growing pile of WIPs.  My house is overrun in projects these days so I've decided now is the time to make a commitment, a goal, to finish something.

WIP Wednesday is a great day to take a moment to review your WIPs; but by the time Wednesday comes along I no longer have the inclination to set a goals for myself.  Nope, that fresh start, what shall we accomplish this week, can do attitude is more of a Sunday thing for me.  After visiting Lucy over at Charm About You earlier today I realized I am not the only one...and perhaps blogging about it will actually keep me committed to my goals.  Look at the Tumbling Blocks Challenge and how far Helen's support has gotten me! (update on that below, by the by)  I hereby dub this Sunday Sewing Stats.


Sewing Goals for the Week of September 11, 2011
- Hummingbirds & Hexagons: Quilt, begin possibly finish this week
- Across the Sea QAL: Finish Top, Aim to do back this next weekend
- Tumbling Blocks: Iron, Iron, Iron and check all points
- Everything else on hold [Botanika, Fall/Spring, Spinning Stars, Secret Project, 100 Quilts for Kids]

Other Goals
- Finish Chalkboard Project
- Complete Celebrate Color project

If you come back Wednesday hopefully I'll have made some progress on this list.  Maybe.

Now about that challenge.  I am happy to report that ALL 400 BLOCKS ARE FINISHED!!!  Proof?  What?  You don't trust me?  

This looks suspicious right?  Definitely not 400.  No it isn't.  It is 300!

The Final 100.  Still in a chain.

Actually it was touch and go for awhile.  I had work obligations that I could not shirk...and spent much of my free time finishing jewelry for an impending wedding.  But I plugged through and was able to finally finish all the tumbling blocks late late last night.  In fact, as you can see, I haven't even had a chance yet to iron and cut them from their chain.

 But - whew hew!  They are done!  Hmmm...now what will come next...I suppose they need to be sewn together don't they...  Hahahahahaaa...

So the question is...how do you finish Your To Do list?  What are your Sunday sewing stats?Do you need a little help from your friends as well?  If so, let me know by leaving a comment and I'll pop over to offer fresh encouragement!

- rebecca lynne

Tumbling Blocks Challenge - Update

160 Finished Hexagons

Okay...I know there are those of you out there dying to know whether or not I was able to finish 400 hexagons in a week.  [No, no, my head is not that big.  I am sure no one is really waiting with bated breath...but still I'll satisfy whatever itsy bit of curiosity you might be harboring anyway...]  To follow this whole story please read here.

Full Disclosure?  I DID NOT reach 400.  I know!  I know!  Stone me...berate me...better yet...do me the favor of further encouraging me to Keep Going even though I didn't reach this first goal.  In truth, the idea is to complete this by Christmas...so I don't think I've blown the Ultimate Goal completely.  Helen?  You be the judge.

The Why

Those of you who read making rebecca lynne regularly know that our dog, Paisley, ran away this week.  She has not returned to us.  But, we have spent the better part of this week looking for her, then mourning her, then reminiscing about her.  I have also been extremely concerned for Portia, our remaining pup, who has taken to moping by herself in corners of the house and refraining from all nourishment.  Coping with our recent loss has taken up a good portion of our free time; when I have escaped my sorrow to sew I wasn't exactly thrilled to face a large stack of Black Fabric Diamonds.  Instead, I chose to focus on cheerier, and yes, easier projects that kept my mind occupied.  For those of you who sew I am sure you would agree that to force yourself to continue a project when you are not in the right mood for it always spells disaster...and I have a stack of about 10 Hexagons with mismatching points to prove it!

Additionally, there has been a veritable heatwave here the last few days causing Mr. MRL to invade share my sewing room with me to watch Hulu.  The sewing room is in the basement, pretty much the only cool room in the house!  I took a photo as proof - of which he asked "why are you taking photos of me?" to which I responded "oh, just fooling around with the camera settings..."

The Mr. watching Leverage in Sewing Room (a.k.a. Basement)

The Totals

When the challenge started I had to complete 400 Hexagons.

130 Chain Stitched Hexagons.  One more Diamond Side to Sew.  

160 Hexagons totally completed to my anal Satisfaction

  10 Hexagons that require further talking to (mismatched points...do-overs)

130 Hexagons Chain Stitched (only Need 2nd Side of 3rd Diamond Sewn...so close...)

100 Hexagons that are just pieces as of this writing

----------------------------------------------------------

Goal: 400 Hexagons

Conclusion

I suppose with all those 2/3rds done chainstitched pieces I am not as far behind as I thought...  Doing the math is a good thing!  I know I'll be done by next Sunday!  What do you think?  Should I plug on?

- rebecca lynne

p.s.  Still have space for Giveaway Receiver in my Pay It Forward Giveaway!  Check it out here and leave me a comment if you'd like something handmade by me!

Tumbling Blocks Challenge - Accepted

The challenge is officially accepted. Helen has set a deadline of September 4, 2011 to have all of the blocks sewn.  Thank you again to Helen at Archie the Wonder Dog for being supportive and for sending me some of her supportive friends to nag encourage me.  Ha!  I have already met so many wonderfully encouraging people through this challenge that I just cannot let you down.  Plus, there is now more to the story involving The Mr...

The Drama Continues

Scene: 

Saturday Night.  The MRL Television Room.  The Mr. & Mrs. sitting side by side watching some brainless television show via Hulu (too cheap cool to do the whole whole paying for cable thing...ha)

Dialogue:

The Mr. turns to RL and asks - "so, um, what is going on with that box the one with all the black fabric in it..."

Mrs., alarm bells going off in head - "oh?  the one with the fabric for the bed quilt?  I'm just trying to see what to do about it"

The Mr. - "yeah well I nearly fell over when I saw that...it really brought back some memories.  it would be really cool if you finished it, I mean if you can finish it...eventually"

Mrs. tries to play it cool - "we'll see...I found my slender rotary cutter at least"

Mrs.'s Inner Monologue --> Agh!  So he did notice.  Damn.  ;)

The Infamous Tumbling Blocks

Many of you asked about how many blocks I have to go, how many there are total.  I responded to each of you individually via email saying that I didn't know how many there were...I was just sewing at will basically...

So, I started to do just that.  To sew.  But those unfinished pieces kept leering at me.  I played with my sewing machine tension, remembered the trick of making Tumbling Blocks (ugh, aligning those points?  pain.  but I mastered them once and it took me about 10min to nail them again...ha, so there points...so there...na na nanaa naaaah na), I changed my thread, refilled my bobbin...

Fine.  Enough Procrastinating.  I finally decided I had to count.  I had to find out exactly WHAT I was facing.

After counting, and recounting, and pulling small black pieces out of Miss V's hands (repeatedly) I determined that there is enough cut fabric for 390 blocks.  Each block is a little over 3 inches wide.  I think I intended at one point to create 400 blocks, but I recall a vague memory from 10 years ago of being in the midst of cutting and losing count and rather than count all 1200 pieces (400x3 for each fabric) I decided to just start sewing.  After last Sunday there are now 100 blocks sewn.  I have 300 blocks to go.  10 of which I need to cut out first from the fabric that I found leftover from this disaster.  This will only result in a quilt that is almost 60" thereabouts -- which means I am either making a throw or I am adding something.  Ugh, adding MORE?  Come on.

Note to Self:  Why did this project go awry?  Where were the anal math/documenting skills you have today?  I have to say I am amazed that this project could have gone so off course.  10 years ago I had No Children, No Dogs, No Law School, No *Profession,* No True Adult Responsibilities...I mean what was I doing with all my time that I could not sit down and finish this?  Well Rebecca Lynne?  Tell me?  Uh hunh, what is that saying about youth being wasted on the young???

TOTALS:
Goal: 400 finished blocks by September 4, 2011


Countdown Thus Far: 100 sewn blocks


To go: 290 pieces to sew into blocks + 10 block pieces to cut


Miscellaneous: Whether to add more to the blocks once finished, a border perhaps?  Or just call it a day and leave it at a throw?  Any thoughts, feedback, advice here is greatly appreciated... ;)

Helen, the photo below is just for you...

Reunited and it feels so gooood! 

- Peaches & Herbs

- rebecca lynne

Tribute to Archie the Wonder Dog

<< SHAMELESS PLUG >>

Don't forget to enter this week's Giveaway!

Basket of Denial - I mean - Tumbling Blocks

Last week I visited and began following Helen at Archie the Wonder Dog.  Helen, not that I want to speak for her but this is just based on my own observations, appears to be a long-time quilter but short-time blogger.  She created her first post on Sunday August 21, 2011 - but you can tell that she is totally herself when she blogs and I think that is the way to be!  She is a powerhouse with already 46 Followers and the drive to continue her internet adventures to the max...with Archie of course...

Anyway, if you pop over to Helen's blog you'll see that she has the same talent for chattering that I do.  So, it is no wonder that once I left a comment on her site, and she emailed me, that I responded, she wrote back...and well you know where I am going with this.*  The subject?  The hexagons posted on her blog reminded me of the tumbling blocks quilt I started for Mr. Making Rebecca Lynne oh so long ago.  No no, not last year...or the year before...no no no no no...I began this project in 2001.  First it was just a because gift, then it was a welcome home from a year abroad and far away from me gift, then it was an engagement gift, then a wedding gift, then I misplaced the perfect backing I had found for it, then I misplaced the blocks themselves, then I forgot about it completely until...well...Archie the Wonder Dog reminded me.  And guess what, in all of my reorganizing and unpacking of my stash I found the blocks and the backing too.

SO.  Where does this leave us?  Helen has encouraged me to finish this quilt.  After multiple emails back and forth you understand, Helen wrote, and I quote,

  I think you need to post about it and then we can all nag (sorry, support) you with it!  He must really like it - do you think you could get it finished for Christmas?  

Alright.  I do need motivation.  Helen's got my number.  Yes.  Yes, I will take on that challenge and I challenge all of YOU to help me with your nagging support.  The Mister does deserve it, he deals with three females (read: drama queens) all year long and thanks to him we moved to wonderful Far Far Away, NY and are much better off.  Therefore, it's on...

Challenge Tumbling Blocks

[if this truly becomes a following I am making a button...so come on, make it worth my while...

free reign to nag me?...awesome]

As I've stated in the past, I did a whole minimalist thing for quite awhile.  The Mister was also on board with that way back when and pretty much 90% of everything we wore and surrounded ourselves with was black.  The tumbling blocks are a testament to this stage of our lives as they are made up with three black fabrics, one gray on black floral, one blue gray on black swirl, and one solid black.  The backing is a black on black asian print theme - The Mister is way into everything Asia as he spent a year teaching English in Taiwan and learning Chinese.  Yeah, he's one of those linguistic types.  [And he's a grammar nag.  :P]

Before we get to the photos.  Let me just add that when I took this box out, and suspiciously brought it downstairs to the sewing room, The Mister just raised his brows and gave me a look.  A look of "uh hunh, this again..."  I think he has just about given up on me ever finishing this, so that really should be motivation enough, right?

Box with Hexagons

The hexagons lived in this box for 10 years.  Oh wait, what I mean to say is what I thought were all sewn together hexagons lived in this box.  See, see the finished hexies right on top in this photo above?  Oh contraire mon ami...  I dug a little deeper into the box and...

Yup...

PIECES.  Some of these are still just unsewn pieces!

But my annoyance soon gave way when I discovered my long lost rotary tool.  I knew I had one of these!

In the end, the quilt should look something like this.  I hope.

I'd like to thank Helen, and Archie, for encouraging me to straighten up and fly right.  As a shout out to Archie the Wonder Dog (the dog, not the blog) I am contributing to the Dogs in Blogs tonight by including The Girls.  Both Portia & Paisley thank Archie for finally getting my priorities straight...by featuring them in making rebecca lynne of course...

Portia & Paisley [a.k.a The Girls]

What do you folks think?  Can I do it?  Will You & Helen nag/support me through this struggle?  Go on, you can egg me on or tease me, I can handle it, leave a comment below...  ;)  

Have a great weekend everyone.  I will be MIA.  After all I have a lot to do!

- rebecca lynne

p.s. I am pretty sure Helen will know...but just so you all do too...I truly am very grateful to her encouragement and any antics in this post are just that...antics!  I think Helen would be the first to agree - I'm allowed to have fun on my blog, really.  ;)

*See Erin?  I'm a stalker too.  ;)