Four-inch Friday

Well, today is Good Friday!  When I was growing up my mom used to always say "Plant on Good Friday."  Of course she was referring to her vegetable garden, but her saying stuck with me... I always like to get new house plants on Good Friday, especially if some of mine are having a hard time!


I have three more four-inch blocks to add to my collection! 

I had this little unfinished penguin and snowman postcard pinned to my design wall ...

Somehow the red, black and white combination reached out to me, and I made this block - #33:

sorta looks like a lopsided pair of pants!

#34

not too crazy about the color combination, but it'll fly!

#35

I was using up the last of the blue scrap!

You can see these and all my other four-inch blocks by clicking on my flickr link at the right!

Enjoy your day, sew forth and sew on...

Four-inch Friday

So, another week has rolled around... I have three more four-inch blocks to show, then I'll only be about 100 behind!

#30:

#31

#32

I've also been sewing together my string blocks!  When I posted about them last time I realized I have enough to start sewing them together, so I've sewn 6 rows already.  I'll have to make a few more blocks, but that's a "no-never mind" because they go together so quickly.

My first thought about border treatment is a blue or green inner border - small print - then a larger outer border, maybe scrappy.

This one should be finished quickly, I'm really not concerned about color balance or whatever. 


I had loc maintenance yesterday and I forgot my own rule about having conversations with my stylist!  This time it was all about ghosts and babies found inside walls when houses are being demolished.  But one good piece of info I got from her... I didn't realize (or forgot!) that the new Walmart being constructed at Georgia and Missouri Avenues is a "go" - they're really deep into digging up the area. 

That's it for now, get out and enjoy the spring air!

Sew forth and sew on

Four-inch Friday

My oh my, it's been well over a month since I've had a Four-inch Friday!  I sat down yesterday and did a few more, so I'm showing #24 through #29:

#24 - This one got started when I picked up a blue scrap from the floor:

#25

#26

#27

#28 - this one reminds me of a raspberry sorbet

#29

You can see these and all the others on my Flickr pages, I moved the link to the right panel.  Enjoy!

Today is our quarterly retiree luncheon, this time it's pot-luck at a retiree's home.  It'll be nice seeing everyone again, especially the new retirees!  Have a great Friday, everybody!

Sew forth and sew on

Four-inch Friday

Block #23

I think I'll do this one again and surround the colors completely; the center will be smaller of course...

I do like it and it'll go into the quilt, but it looks a bit busy.

Four-inch Friday

Time for another 4-inch block, #22. 

I like this combination of pale gold, grey and white...

It was inspired by an online game that I sometimes play on PopCap - Bejewelled Twist! 

This is the screen that comes up just after you load the game, and I thought it'd make an interesting block. 

As you can tell, this project has ceased being a block a day... it's turning into "at least one block a week"!  Since I started posting these in November, at one a day I'd have at least 75 by now.  It's all good  ;o)

Sew forth and sew on

Four-inch Friday

I used leftovers from Block 19 to make this one.  I thought grey (gray?) was a good base for the colors, I might use the same combination with a different background:

Block #21

For this one I went back to my scanner, the camera shot was coming out a bit fuzzy.

Four-inch Friday

Good morning everybody *yawn*

I'm up, yes I am

Since I'm up I thought I'd go ahead and post my regular Friday 4-inch block - where'd the week go??

For block #20 I paper-pieced this little strip into the block, I like that spark the red adds to it.  In fact, I like the strip so much I'll definitely use it in other blocks!

From now on you can click the block and see the entire collection in a photo stream.  To see each block at its best click "options" and uncheck the selection that says "Embiggen small things to fill screen..."

Well, they came an hour earlier this morning, those guys working on the house next door - at around 7:15.  Ask me how I know!  What I do know is they woke me up.

But things are looking up!  I think they're moving into the home stretch because the sounds I'm hearing now are rumbling sounds and a lot less banging. 

Two days ago they put up this sign-holder, which tells me they're about to release the house for sale, wahooo!

Last week I noticed a large pile of bricks in the back yard and wondered what in the world they could have torn out.  The only brick in these houses are at the front and back of the house, and in the basement where the built in garage is separated from the rest of the basement.  Isn't that a large pile??

(see my shadow, LOL)

But they had a plan I guess; they must have torn out the separating wall (I hope it wasn't a load-bearing wall!) and they redid the garage.

I don't know what it looked like before they rebuilt it, I've never been in the basement of that house.  In fact, as long as I've lived next door to the Mitchells I've never been any further than the first floor.  They put another door in at the right (out of camera range) that, in my house, would lead into the 1/2 bath?  But I'm sure it's all good.

Well, have a great Friday everybody; sew forth and sew on

Block a day

Hello everybody, especially my followers - I see we have some new ones, welcome aboard!!  *big wave*  We're always glad to scoot over and make room for another one  :o)

Thanks everybody for your comments and for visiting to see what I'm up to.  I haven't done anything else on Orca Bay since the mystery was revealed, isn't that interesting?  It's almost as if now I can slow my pace, swim a bit slower in the pod!

Today I want to show another four-inch block in my Block-a-Day series - block #19.  This one was inspired by the colors in one of my sister's favorite online pastimes... Scrabble!

Michelle (we call her "Shell") loves playing Scrabble on Pogo!  Almost anytime I call her she might be playing Scrabble; we laugh when she talks about people who get angry at her score and leave the game.  The robot players are more patient and they don't get mad.

Anyway, I liked that combination of red, purple and gold in the Scrabble logo, so I wanted to recreate it in a block...



click the block to see the others



it isn't a perfect match, but it doesn't really have to be  :o)

The camera makes it look lopsided, but it really is square!  I decided against scanning because sometimes the scanned image makes the colors look kinda funny.  I had to choose between lopsided or funny color!

So that's #19 and counting -- wait!  wasn't that the name of a TV show???

Sew forth and sew on

Four-inch Friday

Three things to be happy about:
(1) an unhurried awakening
(2) red mittens
(3) the Three Stooges

Actually I can't stand the Three Stooges, but they probably still make somebody happy!


It's been 4 weeks since I posted my 4-inch blocks, how did that happen!?

So far I've posted 16, so here's #17 - brown with orange and blue accents

that orange looks more like raspberry sorbet, but it really is orange.  My scanner does funny things with the colors!

Now #18 is a favorite:

I really like this red, white and black!  The colors look "true" in this shot, and I like the wavy design I made in this one.  I was inspired by the solid color challenge quilt I did a few months ago, you can see the finished quilt here...

So that's two more, only 340+ left to go!

Sew forth and sew on

Four-inch Friday

More blocks in my block-a-day series...


Block #15 -

red with four green stripes; I think it has a sort of festive look!

A few months ago I had to take my PC to the Geek Squad at Best Buy.  The folder they put my paperwork in made an interesting color combination:

So block #16 is based on those colors:

grey, orange, black and white.

Sew forth and sew on

Four-inch Friday

More 4-inch blocks in my Block a Day series...

#13 - light blue, aqua and gold (or tan)

another case of the scanner washing out my colors!  The background is really a little darker than it looks.  I like what I did on this one because it's simple and can be turned horizontally or vertically and still look great!

Block #14 -

This one reminds me of a window in a flat-roofed adobe building.  We're viewing it as if on an overcast day because of the two shades of gray for the background.

Sew forth and sew on

Block a day

Here are two more 4-inch blocks I made...

Block #11 is a simple arrangement of off white, green and purple. 

To make the purple and white strips I first sewed the white on either side of a 2" piece of purple, then cross cut them at just a shade under 3/4". I wanted the strips to be skinny skinny!

Block #12 is very pretty but the picture doesn't do it justice...

This is actually the first block I made when I thought of my 4-inch project, and I thought it was so cute I decided to go for it! 

The color is more aqua than it looks onscreen, and I think the scanner washed out the color.  But, if I take a camera photo of the blocks they have a moire effect that I don't like.  SO I have to decide whether to continue scanning them to eliminate the moire effect, or go back to the camera for a true color... decisions decisions.

Well enjoy - I might decide to post these blocks on Fridays as a "4-inch Friday" post; we'll see!

Sew forth and sew on

Block-a-day #9 and #10

Today we're homeward bound!  Time for one last brekky aboard ship... what shall it be??  Fruit and bagels? Cheese omelet? Fresh muffins? Eggs benedict? Smoked salmon & cream cheese?  Sliced bananas with cream?? 

How about all of the above  ;o)  By now it's probably a bit cold, so maybe some nice hot oatmeal!


In honor of our homecoming, Block number 9 is a house...

After I made this one I thought to myself  "for some reason this is one my least favorite blocks so far."  Then I realized why -- it's not abstract, it's a "thing!"  I've been making abstract blocks. 

Then I thought I'd make another one to go with it anyway, and I didn't like that one AT ALL...

ugh!  I tried working with it, took the top off and tried to redeem it, but finally I had to admit defeat!  So away with it to the popcorn tin...

which in this case is the trash!!

no help for that one!

I did make Block number 10 with the bottom portion, so it wasn't a total loss!

Block-a-day #8

Happy Veteran's day everybody, we have triple elevens today!   11/11/11

Block number 8 -

I had a couple of scraps left over from another project that I used for this one...

I cut strips just shy of 3/4" and pieced them together with the black area staggered in the middle.  The pieces below were left after I cut my final block... I think...

I didn't keep good notes as I was working and I swanee I don't remember how I ended up with these two pieces!

Block-a-day #7

Block number 7 -

I like that olive green contrast to the orange and yellow, with the staggered horizontal strips...

Block-a-day #6

Block number 6 - 

This black-and-white striping reminds me just a little bit of a striped awning.  I like this combination of colors.

Block-a-day #5

Block number 5 -

I said to my sister "Without thinking, give me three colors!"  She shouted "red and green and yellow!"

So, you have my sis to thank for today's block, with two shades of green.  I was trying to avoid a traffic light impression.