Technology

 

I guess I haven't been getting out much so maybe that's why I'm so easy to impress.

August is my birth month so that means going to renew my vehicle license tags.  I knew the county clerk's office had been closed because of COVID19  but is now reopened.

There is always a line to renew tags - a lot of people waiting in a small space. I figured I would be waiting outside in a marked off safe distance line at the annex building.

But no, when you walk up to the building, there is a sign with a code to scan with your smart phone.

After scanning, you receive a message assigning you a number in line and what number is currently being serviced.  

You can wait outside or in your car and keep checking your phone to see what number they are on, then finally they send a message saying mask up and come on into the building.

I had about a 40 minute wait but I think I liked it better that the usual way of sitting in that small stuffy waiting area with everyone staring at each other.

Some people did have problems with the code scanning though. Either they didn't understand what to do or had an older phone or no cell phone at all.  There was a representative there to help those who needed it.

Right across the street from the annex building is the library and some benches in the shade of the building.

When I sat down there I noticed this...a library book vending machine!

I walked up to take a closer look at it . One could check out books or DVDs using their library card. Each item was in it's own slot on rotating shelves.  

Just make your choice and your book drops into a compartment that opens.

I had to give it a try and checked out a Martha Stewart book on organizing your home.

Think it will help?

Anyway, I never want to shy away from trying out new technology.  

My latest credit card has the chip that you can just "tap" on the card reader.  I am always watching for a chance to use that feature so I can get used to doing that.

elephant quilt finished

 Not a quilt for an elephant of course, but a quilt with an elephant on it!

A few weeks ago I wrote about starting on this quilt and posted this photo...

It wasn't until after I had added more fabric to each side that I realized I'd sewn his tail in the wrong place!

Careful there!

I had to do some un-sewing!

I had originally found the elephant pattern in this book..

But I didn't care for the way they had the elephant oriented.  It's either a short wide quilt or a wall hanging.

So, I got the idea to use just the elephant part and add some pieced blocks, top and bottom, to make a crib sized quilt.

In the same book thre were some circus tent blocks that I thought would be perfect to go with an elephant...but nope...as much as everyone loved seeing circus elephants in the past, now we realize how badly the elephants were treated.  I didn't want that negative association on a crib quilt.

But, a few pages later in that same book I found another idea.  This quilt pattern featured rows of small blocks - each row finishing at 40 inches. All I had to do was add extra fabric to each side of the elephant section to bring it up to 40 inches and it would work out just right to match up with some of the row blocks.

I made a sketch but later decided to leave out some of the pieced rows to keep it from getting too busy and taking focus off the elephant.

And here is the finished quilt...

Three of the fabrics came from one of those "Three Yard Quilt" bundles that I like to buy...the blue polka dot, the white with blue print and the gold stripe.

I was worried that the white elephant print fabric might look weird since I'd used a gray background for the big elephant, but I think it came out okay.

So glad I realized in time that I had that tail sewn on wrong! Sheesh!

And here comes my nosy kitty waiting for a chance to get black fur on my quilt!

I machine quilted it with my usual meandering design.

I had a little boo boo on the back and quilted a wrinkle in. Later I hand stitched it down and made it a bit less visible.

The size is roughly 40" x 54". 

I used nearly all the leftover fabric to piece together the back of the quilt. I didn't want to add it to my scrap fabric bins because they are bursting at the seams already.

Now it's ready to be mailed to Baby Carson!

This was a very fun-to-make little quilt and pretty quick too.  I am kind of anxious to make another one in girly colors...a pink elephant!

But first, I have more tops to be quilted.