While working on the new project, I decided to finally get a new sewing "table" for my Bernina. Many years ago I purchased this machine that was theoretically designed for quilters but could be used by home sewers for other projects as well. Within a month I had broken one side of the removable "table" that depended on a narrow cantilever. Long after that accident, I broke the other side and had been super-gluing the three pieces together to use the machine. Now this was inconvenient and somewhat maddening but with everything else going on in my life I sure didn't want to think about looking for and buying any accessory for what I still thought (and think) of this machine as my new machine.

Guess what? Bernina doesn't make my machine anymore. I don't know when they stopped but that avenue for replacing the broken piece was gone. After looking online for something else, I found a company called Sewing Parts Online in Oregon. They custom make all kinds of parts including the part I broke. I got my new sewing table (to my way of thinking it isn't a table but that's what it is called). It is a good fit and it has four adjustable legs so even if one is using a fair amount of pressure to hold the fabric pieces in the correct position, there is no wobble or wiggle. At my age I did not want to purchase another machine for the very limited amount of machine sewing I do.

 As I wrote previously, the problems I had visually with value difference came up because I was trying to be more extemporaneous. Apparently that doesn't suit my nature since dissatisfaction has been dogging this project. I think I am on the right track now and obviously I am my biggest if not only critic.

Here is what it looks like now.

 Most of the time my fabric choices depend on having a contrast between the background fabric and whatever applique design I am working on. So far the current project is not dependent on applique although I do prefer to applique the curved seams to sewing them on the machine. But this is pieced fabric and depends on not just color but value.

I was making myself crazy trying to use the block fabric that was a cream or off white color as it was making the blocks busy and uncoordinated. So I tried changing the colors for the offsetting sashing bits that are common to New York Beauty, making them less contrasted to the sewn corner parts and that made me crazy too. After picking everything apart a second time I just went back to the background fabric of the four blocks comprising the center and substituted a plain cotton in a similar color to the Yellow Rose of Texas quilt, once again sort of mustard colored but this fabric is just a tiny bit more orangey than just Gulden's mustard. If I had to flat out describe it, it might even be Trump tan--that terrible pinky orange color. I will post some more pics soon but it is the light or dark value of the fabric that is currently causing issues. I am getting very good at wielding a seam ripper.

 Here is the first photo of the new project. This block is not complete yet but it does show the colors so far. Some of these fabrics are fairly new with the red being the newest. It's from one of my favorite team of designers, Lewis and Irene, who I believe are Scottish. The green and the blue patterned fabric are at least 30 years old.

 

 

 I started a new project the other day. If you have read this blog before you already know that I only work on one project at a time since I don't like "unfinished objects", UFO's. Even though I found a quilt store fairly close to my house, I am still relying on older fabric for this project. 

It's a New York Beauty design for the main blocks but I am still working out the other design elements. I used to plan assiduously, drawing designs out on a inch grid paper, but these days I work more on spur of the moment or what looks good now. I cannot say honestly that this is a good way to do things. I am way more of a plan everything down to the nth degree, but so far I like what I am doing.

While I was writing this entry, I looked up to our arched window and saw a rainbow.

 

 

This is looking to one side of my kitchen toward the neighbors' house. You can see a faint double rainbow in the image. Years ago I wrote a blog entry about a double rainbow early in the morning but did not get a photo. This rainbow isn't as spectacular as that but it is still very cool.