A few more hand dyed checkerboard blocks etc

I am up to 30 blocks and I think I will make about 8 more blocks for a total of 36. I  am going to replace 2 blocks that I don't like. I m removing the 3rd and down in the center vertical row 5th blocks. I believe the green and orange fabrics are both commercial solids and they just seem to look out of place; the dark purple and mottled pink seems too dark overall. I made this decision after Jack came in my sewing room to talk to me and I asked him what he thought, not mentioning that there was something bothering me. He didn't hesitate at all in telling me that he thought those 2 blocks looked out of place. I don't always think too much of his color sense but when I ask his opinion he usually comes up with a good suggestion. I think it is because he doesn't get hung up on the color so much as value and balance. If he zeros in on the thing that is bothering me his opinion usually carries some weight.

When I started making these blocks I didn't have any sort of plan at all so I didn't pay attention to pressing the seams other than to press to the dark. I usually have a pressing plan so I have opposing seams through out if at all possible. About halfway along I gave it some thought and my blocks from then on all have opposing seams and I will just deal  with the rest of them as I put the blocks together. I am making some notes to myself so I will make future blocks in the same way  as it really is quite simple. If I make all the blocks the same all  I have to do is turn alternate blocks 180 degrees and the seams nest together.

This is not going very fast because I wasn't all that into it in the beginning and then when I started getting more enthusiastic about it there were distractions.  Jack wanted to go to Walmart for something and I tagged along just to take a break  and get out. While he was looking for what he wanted I wandered down to the kitchen gadgets and then had a look at the microwaves. I have been looking at them from time to time because it is so difficult to get the turntable back in place after I wash it. When Jack found what he wanted he found me and had a look too. We found one that we liked and when they didn't have it in white we went down the street and got one at Home Depot. After we got it home I spent the rest of the day in my kitchen.
Our microwave has to sit on top of the refrigerator because there is no counter space in my kitchen except 26 inches on either side of my sink. (That is why has been so difficult to put the turntable back after I clean it.) In order to get at the plug we had to pull the refrigerator out. Well!!! the floor sure was dirty underneath so I cleaned that and then I moved the stove and cleaned under that and washed the sides of the stove and refrigerator that are not usually accessible. After cleaning the floor under the stove and refrigerator the rest of the floor looked really bad so I washed the floor. Before we put the new microwave up on the refrigerator I had to clean the top and, oh yes, I had to vacuum the coils on the back of the refrigerator. After we got everything back in place I cleaned the old microwave inside and out (it looks almost new). After cleaning the microwave and  cleaning up the counter top I decided that since everything else was so clean I would take the glass jars down from the shelf over the sink and wash the outsides and clean up the shelf.

This sounds like the long story 

"If You give a Mouse a Cookie".

A chunk of time tomorrow and Wednesday will be taken up with Jack's cataract surgery and the follow up visit the next day. Maybe by the end of the week I will have my checkerboard blocks sewed together and I can get out to the quilt shop to find something for the border that will pull all those colors together.