Saturday, September 27, 2014

Short and Sweet: Pineapple Log Cabin Blocks and Apple iPhone 6 Plus

I am still working on the same projects, and no, nothing particularly exciting has been accomplished.  I finished another of my 17 3/4" paper pieced pineapple log cabin blocks:
So that's four down, thirty-two more to go.  I had to go buy some more neutral fabric prints to get through with the fourth block, not because I didn't have any more of the fabrics I used for the first three blocks, but because I was bored of those fabrics already.  Looking around my studio, you can see that I have chopped up LOTS of different fabrics into strips already:

See?  My Featherweight is completely surrounded by the blue fabric strips.  I just hope most of them make it into the quilt and don't end up as waste (or scrap bin replenishment).  I'm finding that I need more light/neutral fabrics than I originally anticipated because the neutral fabric strips are used on all four sides whereas the blues and greens are only used on two corners for each fabric.  I got some good suggestions in the comments from my last post about how to store and organize my fabric strips while this project is in progress, but so far I haven't implemented them.

In other news, I ordered a new iContraption last week but I haven't received it yet:

I ordered the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, shown on the right, to replace my iPhone 5s, shown on the left.  (Yes, I have heard about the iPhone 6 Plus supposedly bending when people shove it in their back pocket and sit on it.  If I was buying the phone with the intent of sitting on it, that would be a big concern...)  Consumer Reports tested a variety of smartphones for this issue and found that it takes 90 pounds of pressure to bend an iPhone 6 Plus:


As far as I'm concerned, resistance to bending under extreme pressure is not something I'm looking for in an iPhone (although it might be a concern to those who like to carry their phones in their back pockets).  I bought it to live in my purse, to hopefully take the place of the big and bulky iPad 2 when I'm out and about, and I almost never sit on my purse or put it in giant Consumer Reports phone smashing machines.  I'm more than happy to accept a slightly less rugged device in exchange for lightening the weight it adds to my handbag.

I was previously paying for a cellular data plan on the old iPhone as well as on the iPad, but the only time I was actually using the data for the phone was when I had left the iPad at home because it was too heavy.  I didn't like the redundancy of carrying and paying for data plans on two devices that do essentially the same thing, one of them a bit too small and the other one a lot too big.  I think the larger screen on the 6 Plus will be just big enough that I will be able to use it for checking emails, reading the newspaper, online shopping while waiting at red lights, and using Pinterest.  And of course, a new iPhone needs a new case (which presumably will also help to inhibit the ever-so-slight possibility of bending), which has also been ordered but that will probably take longer to arrive than the phone:
Leather iPhone 6 Plus Case in Brown Stingray from Piel Frama

I love Piel Frama leather tech covers.  They are handcrafted in Spain with a 30-day lead time, but totally worth the wait because they feel good in your hand, offer excellent protection, and last forever (or at least until I'm ready to upgrade to a newer device).

Well, I promised to keep it short and sweet with this post, so that's it for today.  Back to my pineapple log cabin blocks!  I'm linking up with Design Wall Monday at Judy's blog.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You and I must be long lost sisters! From the quilting to the "iContraption" to even the little chair pin cushion, our lives are close to the same! Ha!

Love the pineapple blocks thus far... I have always wanted to try it. Maybe this will be my inspiration. The only problem is my sewing machine is in the 'hospital'. I could start cutting though....

Carrie P. said...

Your blocks are looking so good.
At least you have the fabrics cut and you can sit and sew when ever you have a few minutes.

Julie in GA said...

Your pineapple blocks are amazing! That is going to be a beautiful quilt.

Jennifer said...

Love those pineapple blocks! Hope the new iPhone does the trick for you.

swooze said...

What are you going to do with your iPhone 5?

Rebecca Grace said...

I think my husband and my 13 year old son are going to fight for it. I plan to take a LONG time to decide who gets it. It should be like an endless Mother's Day, with each of them trying to outdo the other one washing my car, carrying the groceries, and saying I work too hard and deserve a spa day... 😉

JoEllen said...

I am in love with your pineapple blocks! Where did you get a 17 3/4 inch pattern?

Rebecca Grace said...

Hi, JoEllen! There is a link to my source for the paper piecing patterns, as well as an explanation of how I printed them on the large format printer at FedEx, in this earlier post: http://cheekycognoscenti.blogspot.com/2014/06/in-pursuit-of-paper-pieced-pineapple.html