Bonnie Hunter's Good Fortune Version 1

      Since I got sick, all I have done is paper piecing and wallets which do not require accuracy. Therefore accurate cutting and piecing are not my strong points these days! 
   I am having  problems cutting true strips w/o my Accucut, which is in the cold, very messy, and being used for storage studio. It would take me hours to warm it and more hours to put it in order. 
     Sewing a straight and true scant quarter inch seam seems to be a problem too. But I am determined to get it all corrected before I stop sewing Sunday! I did.

    One reason my seams are not scant quarter inch is that I am sewing on a 1950 straight stitch machine.  The needle does not move at all! My old seam guide came off and the double sided tape has retreated to parts unknown. 

  A temporary seam guide will be made out of masking tape as soon as I find that tape! A family member will get more double sided tape when they go to town this afternoon or I will get it Monday. Then I will make a new one out of old Casino card and double sided tape. Everything should become easier then! (Done!)

   Meanwhile, I will keep trucking by making strips a bit larger and then cutting down. That will work for now.  The first sub cut I  made was not the right width. The good news is that I cut larger so I won't lose the whole sub cut. (Recut correctly!)
 But practice with the seam ripper gives incentive for accuracy. It just may take me more than a day to piece my 4 patches. I'll just keep plugging away until skills are regained!
Second Try: 
    I made the correct sub cut. Then my machine unthreaded and being a pre-1960, it threads from left to right. While trying to rethread it, I broke my needle. Another puzzle my brain is having trouble solving! So I stopped until I can set up another machine or put this needle in correctly with thread. Instead I cut more red/white strip pairs at 1 5/8". I am set to try again. I will sew a scant 1/4" seam then sliver trim down. Then as I  regain my skill I will cut at 1 1/2". Baby Steps! One at a time.
  Then Glenda texted that she had 88 4 patches for me. She also stated that she liked the red/white ones better than the beige/red ones so she is remaking them. Got to love the gal!
   As I stated...2 steps forward and then 2 steps backward!

Lator Gators!