Saturday, December 16, 2017

More Decisions for Fifth Chinese Coins Quilt

For once I remembered to take photos while finalizing the design. Four of them are grouped to hopefully enlighten my thought process. At this point many Coin sets are sewn. Each column still has three to five sets so some movement or insetting is possible. And there's always the seam ripper.

Putting the upper coin facedown on the lower coin and aligning the left side before sewing means a wider column in the end. When they are sewn the left side is smoothly aligned and the right side is uneven, only that right side is trimmed much. It also helps me remember how they go back together.

Top left: All the Coins are laid out for the first time. It looked good in large scale but the photos shows a horizontal line of greens, some of which are too bright. I pulled greens from columns one and nine then added a few quieter green coins at the bottom of column one.

Top right: Column one now has a long section of light in the middle while column ten has darks weighing the bottom. I switched a set between one and ten.


Bottom left: Better but column one has too much bright blue while column ten has too much purple.

Bottom right: Before using the dreaded seam ripper, I folded out one blue coin on the left and covered two purples with white on the bottom right.

This is the old-fashioned, quiet look I want. It reminds me of my grandparents although none of this fabric came from them or even their era. A bit of bright to liven things up but not too much. My opinion of the whites varied as the quilt grew. They were moved and rearranged more than any other section. Scattering throughout is my final decision.

We're ready to launch!


Thoughts about Mobile Devices
When answering machines appeared years ago I wanted one immediately. Finally a faster way to contact people combined with a more convenient way to receive messages. No mislaid phone messages or depending on sisters who forgot to relay the message. The caller only had to phone once and the callee could pick up a message when she was free.

Then came pagers. All my engineer friends proudly clipped one to their belts, ready at a moment's notice for any emergency. But how many of those calls were really important? I remember them leaving concerts, school events, dinners... just to answer a question that might have waited until tomorrow.

So when mobile phones came out I was not an early adopter. My children argued people could reach me anywhere. That's exactly my point. Sometimes I don't want to be found. Sometimes I want a little "alone time."  Mobile phones make it impossible. Like one of our favorite scenes from White Christmas:

  • Bob Wallace: What's all back of this?
  • Phil Davis: Nothing. Only your happiness.
  • BW: My happiness?
  • PD: Yeah.
  • BW: You know, when you get an idea that's for my sole and ultimate happiness, there's always lurking behind it a little angle for you. Now what is it?
  • PD: Do you really want to know?
  • BW: Yeah, I really want to know.
  • PD: All right, I'll really tell you.
  • BW: Then lay it on me, will you?
  • PD: Ever since the day we became producers, you're a changed man. You've gone absolutely berserk with work. And the strange thing is you like it. You like being Rodgers and Hammerstein.
  • BW: It was your idea.
  • PD. Sure it was my idea but I didn't think I was going to create a Frankenstein. From that day on I haven't had one minute I could call my own. 
  • BW: What do you want to do about it?
  • PD: I want you to get married. I want you to have nine children. And if you only spend five minutes a day with each kid, that's 45 minutes, and I'd at least have time to go out and get a massage or something.
I do have a cell phone and in many ways I like it. But {especially with my sister's nagging gentle suggestions} I've come to realize I use it too much and miss real events. I don't watch a parade; I film the parade and watch is later. And miss the excitement of the actual event. And my photos are never very good.

Tristan Harris believes companies design cell phones to addict us. He's begun a movement to change phone software. He wants a "Hippocratic Oath" to stop enhancing our psychological weaknesses and return power to the people.

Addicted to your mobile phone is quite an interesting read. I doubt companies will change but I can make my own changes. The phone goes off after nine; I practice leaving it behind. We played board games at Thanksgiving. Still working on not taking it out during meals. But I'm not addicted. Ha.

Enjoy the day, Ann

18 comments:

Quilting Babcia said...

Cell phone addiction - we recently helped a DD and SIL move, and SIL spent most of his time on his phone rather than actually helping lift anything. DD was taking care of the baby so we made sure the essentials were moved for her so she could begin settling in. We finally went home; it took SIL 3 more weeks to move the rest of his "collectibles" in what could have been accomplished in two hours had he turned the bloody thing off! While I have a cell phone, it's turned off 98 percent of the time - a blessing of living in a "dead zone".

Sue said...

Well spoken, about the cell phone. I don't always turn mine off, but often I don't answer it. They can leave a message, and if it is urgent, they can say so. Ditto the text messaging to which my family is addicted. DH feels he must attend to every one and answer it the minute it comes in. I don't. I'm having these same feelings more frequently these days, especially as regards social media which has made me think less, or at least differently, about some of my favorite people. More sewing and less connectivity in 2018!!

Paul said...

I can see being addicted to these coins! Thanks for elevating coins to art, at least for me. I'm inspired to work more on my coins.

Given I get so much phone spam, I rarely pick up a ringing phone, and I find that less than half of the time people leave a message, so clearly not important. I figured out how to turn off most notifications, so I am not interrupted. I do succumb to checking the phone when I am bored, but that isn't that often. I do go days and sometimes weeks without going into facebook or other apps. Just email is a bit addictive. Haven't quite figured out how to reduce that one.

But I hate the number of people answered their phones in the rest rooms. Why would I want to hear a toilet flush when talking to someone, yet several times I week I see this behavior. And more than once I thought someone was talking to me in the rest room only to find out they were on their phone in a stall! I can't believe people were able to function before cell phones! It scares me the number of drivers using them instead of focusing on the drive.

So let's focus more on fabric instead.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

I see teenagers getting off the school bus / or walking in the summer ...transfixed ...looking down at their cell phones, unaware of the nature around them, like zombies

Cathy said...

I'm going to have to make a coin quilt with my shorter strings one of these days.

And I can do fine without a cell phone. I only have one because when I was working it was a 20 minute drive at 4 am to work so I had it for emergencies. I rarely receive calls on it or text. I still have a land line and usually let it go to voicemail instead of answering it. I'm not on facebook, instagram, etc. I just have a blog (my quilt diary) and read blogs a few times a week.

Personally, I think smart phones are turning people into morons. What would some people do if they lost the internet all together?

Janie said...

I'm glad you're coming to 'peace' with your Fifth Chinese Coins quilt. That's a good place to be.
I have a 'pay as you go' phone because honestly I'd rather spend my money in other places.
And I like the feeling of being not plugged in.
My husband and I share an iPad and an iMac and that works for everything we have to get done.
Since we have to share we don't get a chance to 'over indulge' on either.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

I have a cheap phone and a cheap phone plan. I was a late adopter and never really caught on. I hate the telemarketing calls on my landline, and only use the cell phone for my own convenience. Your coins look great. That final checking and amending is so satisfying once you have everything set right.

Ann said...

It's too bad he couldn't help while you were there. And it sounds like he's unaware how disrespectful and obstructive his behavior is. I'm afraid most people who use smart phones become more focused on the phone than their real surroundings.
I used to have a cell only, no "smart" aspects. Now I have the works I need to practice responsiblity.

Ann said...

That is the smartest choice. I have turned off all notices of "activity" on my apps - including blogger. Now they are checked at my convenience and I'm not interrupted while doing other things. I got off Facebook before the election because I was being inundated by political messages from complete strangers. Now we see it was foreign interference and/or special interest groups. They must label their ads on TV and radio but not over the internet. It was too much.
More sewing in 2018.

Ann said...

I'm glad to find another Coin aficionado! The basic design is simple but there are many variations - especially when we are quite liberal in our interpretation of a Coin. Ha.
I don't pick up my landline until I hear who it is. Same with the cell... most of the time. There are lots of robocalls on both. Yuck. I got off Facebook two years ago because I didn't like the way strangers were being shoved at me as "something I'd like to read." There was a withdrawal period but I have so much more time. Actually, we each have only a certain amount of time. I'm trying to fill mine with what I want most to do. Like you, "focus on fabric" is a big interest.

Ann said...

We miss so much reality these days. So sad because I don't think they feel better connected.

Ann said...

Yep. String quilts for long strings, Coin quilts for shorter strings. We must use all our fabric. Ha!
I started with a cell for emergencies, too, but once I got one with apps it's been a slippery slope. It does take time to learn to use it. Now I'm focusing on managing it so it's a good servant, not a master.
I didn't have a TV during college and for several years after. Weather on the radio. Amazing how much I read, walked, interacted.

Ann said...

It's such a joy to work with household fabrics. Each time I touch or even focus on one of those Coins I get such a feeling of pleasure. I think I'm ready to baste it.
I do like not being plugged in although I enjoy playing a few games with my family. I don't want to play with strangers. Sharing devices sounds perfect. DH will never for for that though.

Ann said...

Sometimes I wish I had my basic cell back. The apps can be terribly tempting. Learn to use them then learn to "un-use" them. The cell worked better when only my family knew the number. Then robocalls finally caught up with these numbers. Ha.
I'm delighted I remembered to check the layout before the final sewing. You're right, it's very satisfying.

Kaja said...

I love where the Chinese Coins are leading you. As for phones,there's been lots in the press here recently about social media and the ways they have found to generate addictive behaviour in the users. I have started leaving mine behind deliberately and the world hasn't crumbled yet.

Ann said...

I'm certainly getting a taste of your style by using so many used/vintage/household fabrics. Some needed starching. Do you do that or just work with them as is?
I will always remember learning the Spanish banned novels (which were are recent innovation) along with heretical books from the New World because they distracted people from their work. Humans seem to constantly be drawn to new technology and fairly incapable of regulating their interactions. I'm with you. Leaving it behind and/or turning it off are healthy actions for me. It also helps to make a list of what I want to accomplish that day. I do like using it but want to make it a tool rather than a master.
I wouldn't have met you if I hadn't been "wasting time" reading blogs one day.

Kaja said...

Blogs don't count! I seldom starch, though sometimes wish I had once it's too late. If a fabric is very fine and I worry it won't stand up to use, I use an interfacing, but only as a last resort.

Ann said...

Exactly what I do. I learned to line those fine ones years ago. So much easier than worrying. And starch is always an afterthought... when it's too late.