The Cliff's Notes version of this post:
- I don't exactly know what I'm doing.
- Not that it matters.
- Whatever I am doing is interestingly uncomfortable.
- That is probably a good thing.
Ever get an idea (maybe even a bad one) that you just can't leave alone? It starts out a seemingly simple thing, but when that doesn't pan out, before you know it, it has morphed into something unrecognizable. And yet you still feel compelled to keep at it.
Kind of like a bad poem. (Been there, done that.)
Let me explain.
Last summer, I bought a bagful of fabric at the thrift store. There was a little bit of everything in that bag, some modern, some vintage. There were a few true "dogs" as well, which went back to the pound during my decluttering phase.
This piece I kept, however. A vintage, I'm going to say early '70s, navy and yellow-gold, paisley-tulip thingamabob. Yards of it. Some would call it ugly, and they may have a point, but to me it was...interesting...and I was determined to use it somehow, some way, some day.
The other day, I saw it in the stash and pulled it out and started thinking about what might work. How about a Lemoyne Star, something simple, maybe use up some other odds and ends while I'm at it. Here was my little stack.
Here is how it looked cut and laid out on the table. Yuck.
I tried this and that, but no matter what, I didn't like that fabric in the mix.
Same fabric, different day. I played with the HSTs of the navy print and the yellow brick road type fabric. Maybe I'll just make a simple block.
Bo-ring.
How about I cut it up and sew parts of it back together again?
I made three strips. That was fun. Now what?
Let's put some other colors around the strips and then cut those strips in half.
Rearrange them on the cutting table a bunch of times, and finally sew them together again.
It looks like butterflies chasing each other. Can you see them? Kind of cool how that happened.
But wait, there's more. Cut a 12-inch square on a wonky angle.
Lay it on a dark background to see how it might look framed.
Put some other triangles, trimmed and saved from a recent project, around the square just for kicks.
That's where it is so far.
It continues to pester me like a sliver. I have no idea where it will end up (possibly the trashcan), but I do know that feeling my way along like this without a map is well outside my comfort zone.
And maybe that's the whole point?
I squeaked out two more minis before I gathered up the scrap piles and cleaned the sewing room yesterday. Must...move...on...
So this is it as far as these scrappy little numbers go. Das ist alles. For now, anyway.
I have decided that as soon as the followers tally rolls over to 150, I will give one away.
Nothing special about 150, it just seems like as good a reason as any, and I kinda like round numbers. Although if I get to 151 or 7,527 (although I know I'm not that interesting), I won't be too bent out of shape. Stay tuned for details.
I think I like the backs of these as much as I like the fronts.
It was basting day today. The kitchen floor got mopped first and then I went to work, thoroughly engrossed in the Breaking Dawn audiobook from the library. This book's been pretty intense. I had several holy crap! moments as I was listening.
I think I may always remember where I was when I heard certain parts of the Twilight series. More accurately, what I was working on at the time.
I was basting this quilt while Bella was in the throes of...well, I don't want to wreck it for any of my friends who haven't read the book. She was in the throes, though. Trust me.
Finally, just so you all can share the ear worm I now have in my head after thinking up this post title, I give you this:
You're welcome!
I swear I felt completely lucid after my scope procedure today. I came home, made myself an omelet, sat out on the deck enjoying the glorious weather and listened to a few chapters of New Moon on my mp3 player. Emailed friends while hubby took a nap—all that waiting around for me must have been exhausting—informing them that everything had come out okay.
In short, WA-HOO!
They tell you not to drive or operate hazardous machinery for 24 hours. I didn't figure that included a sewing machine. Although I have been known to run over a finger or two on occasion.
As for the driving, I just ran a few ditches. I don't think I did too bad. Mostly where I went off the rails was because I had sewn the squares together weird before I left for the hospital.
I was inspired by this tutorial at Don't Call Me Betsy, but I used solids,left some blank space, and arranged the pieces to be more reflective of my personal skill level.
I was never that great at Tetris but I liked the game a lot. You never forget your first computer game. Or your second...Minesweeper (or was it Pinball? Never mind, you do forget your second. Hey, I make it up as I go along sometimes).
You know what I didn't like? Drinking 4 liters of this craptastic prep solution.
See those red lines? I had to drink half last night and half this morning. I didn't want to take one sip more than I absolutely had to, so I got out the old ruler and marked the halfway mark between the fill line and the bottom (3-1/2 inches down/up, as it turns out).
That stuff is called "GoLYTELY." Because "Sh*tstorm in a Jug" didn't quite have the same marketing appeal, I'm guessing. I was never so happy to kick the empty into the recycling bin this morning.
But all's well that ends well, as they say.
We ignored the phone when it rang during a movie tonight. When I checked the caller ID later, this came up.
At least they're being honest?
