Value Study

Weather Report - today it is NOT raining and the sun is peeking out!!! Now for the fields to dry out so we can get back to combining the corn. We missed the snow that came down west of us thank goodness, but did get over 2" of rain so the soil is supersaturated now. Our daughter reported it was a real mess on their county roads with the 3" of snow on top of very wet, rain soaked roads.

I have been steadily working on the first of my tessellated leaf quilts. Have all the (3/4" finished) blocks stitched for the first one and have them pinned to my flannel board. (Paper does not stick to flannel- ha, ha!) Anyway - what a disappointment. The values are too close on some of the fabrics and the design disappears. I thought I had a good value distribution but guess it was just color. I neglected to check it out with the green and red plastic value finders I have before I started stitching. Took a black and white photo this morning and you can really see what I mean by a mushy mess!

Since these are PP blocks I am not ripping them all out to get it right, but will go ahead and stitch them together like I planned. My new plan is this....the second quilt will be the better one and this will be a good example of what Not to do. Works for me if I can get the next one to turn out good. Was thinking of names and thought maybe the bad example should be called "Autumn Leaves - After a Rainstorm in the Gutter" and the good one "Autumn Leaves - Before the Fall". Another idea for a combined name might be "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!"

This next black and white photo is of the second quilt strips pinned to the flannel board. I have used the green and red value plastic things plus taken black and white photos on my digital camera to make sure each set of 2 fabrics contrast with each other. The camera thing works better than the green and red value plastic. What do you think of this arrangement? Let me know if you see a problem somewhere - please.

Had a nice time yesterday after lunch with two quilty friends. I had John cut some smaller OSD boards and round the corners for me and we made pressing boards like Sharon Schamber shows in her free video. The boards are 16' x 20" and a nice size to sit beside the sewing machine and also if you have to take a board to a workshop sometime. I figured up the cost and the materials for each only came to $4 or a little more. Pretty cheap for a nice pressing board.

You know I told you I was cleaning house for some company this weekend in a post or two before this. Anyway, yesterday morning I was running my vacuum and it started making the most horrible noise. Shut it off and unplugged it and took the hose off. What a disaster - half of the blades just inside were completely gone and the other half were damaged. Know I didn't pick up something that broke them - just old age I think. I was thinking I only had the machine for 12 years or so but when I found the information about this Kirby in my files we have had it for 20 years. Wow that is a long time.

I decided I didn't want to get another Kirby brand of vac. even though they are really good because they are so awfully expensive - over $1300 now. John I made a trip to Grand Island last evening (1 1/2 hrs. away) to get a new vac. so I could finish getting everything cleaned up before the weekend. I had looked on line and found some reviews and so took the recommendation and got a Sears Kenmore. Sure hope it works good but probably won't last 20 years like the last vac. I had. Here is the new machine ready to go to work. I wonder...do you suppose I could get an add-on for this machine that would include a person to run it besides me?

John thought it was interesting that I am willing to pay top dollar for a sewing machine but not a vacuum. I said I sure know where my priorities are and they don't include cleaning!

Lynn