864 Pieces

Our newest project quilting challenge was a pixelation-type piece.

Here is this years.

Too big to get it all on the thumbnail for our submission

I'm kind of familiar with the process of making these types of quilts.

I made this one last year:

Zebra completed in 2018

This was a full-sized quilt and I remember just how long it took me to complete it. My girlfriend, Kathy, made a tiger that is astonishing! If you're ever in the Charlotte, Michigan area, look for her truck. She had it duplicated and skinned it over her Avalanche.

Moving along...

...I have a newly spayed puppy. I knew she'd require a lot of attention this week so I didn't want to commit to anything huge since time was a huge consideration for this challenge.

I sketched this out with the help of my Alphabet Letter book.

Sorry for the sideways pic

The way Kathy and I completed our two quilts were using the same method one would use to make a Mondo Bag. I started gridding out my fusible on Sunday night so Jim could keep an eye on Hazel.

Monday morning I started to work the letters. Hazel was still pretty sleepy and lethargic from her surgery, so I made hay while the sun shone into the studio windows.

Starting to get everything together

I pondered filling in those bigger spaces with larger cuts of squares, but didn't feel like that would have:
a) Achieved the correct look I was going for, and
b) Didn't feel like that was true pixelation.

In the afternoon, the puppy started regaining her senses and started testing her boundaries. I had to put the brakes on major construction for the afternoon, but did sneak in a few cuts/blocks when I could. When Jim got home I was able to finish placing the cut pieces and quickly sew the columns together.

An accordion

Tuesday brought a more adventuresome dog and even less time to work. But between taking her out to potty, and dealing with her clinginess, I would sneak in sew time to get the rows of the together.  The evening provided me the ability to get the piece at least loaded onto the long arm.

Finally on the long arm

Today didn't start out well. The pup had started to scratch and lick her incision and she has figured out how to get the cone of shame off in about 3-5 seconds when she's out of her crate. Constant supervision was required this morning. 

And then this afternoon, she crashed and decided to take a long, long nap! Let's go!!!!

Here's the finished piece! 864 pieces. I reworked the original design because as I've said before, the last thing I need around here is another stinking wall hanging. This will be displayed in the corner of my studio, just above the east and south windows, right over the pressing table.

12 1/2" by 72". 864 1" finished squares. 

Panel Quilt

I didn't know if I would be able to participate in this weeks challenge. Here in central, northern Michigan we have received quite the weather situation. Not that weather directly impacts a quilter, but it does have factors affecting how much cam be accomplished when power is lost.

I was a little leery to begin anything because after having severe storms to include sleet, then freezing rain, and then a dump in temps, and then 40 mph winds, we were certainly going to lose power. We live on a dead-end road and our power would have been one of the last restored in the area should this situation have happened.

But yesterday, after an almost three-day ugly weather event, the sun came out again. The winds started to calm, and the race was on to get something done. What I had planned in my head just wasn't going to happen in two days. Now the search for a project.

I found a panel in my stash while rifling through to locate some quick inspiration. I've had it for a while and never really had any plans for it. Because I was in such a rush to complete everything I didn't even take time to get many pics while feverishly wielding the rotary cutter, the iron, and the long arm.

Here was the panel roughly being created into something.

Making something out of a found panel

My husband delivers propane and is on-call for the next week. He had to head to bed rather early last night because he was scheduled to work again today. I certainly could not long arm while he was in the loft catching some Z's. So the long arming commenced today.

Some of the quilting detail

Despite having to have to finish my grandsons Fire Engine quilt (the rule is to get the binding on the quilt just taken off the long arm before another can be loaded)...

Tristan's Fire Engine quilt (had to be finished before getting this one put on the frame).

...and despite having to chop 1" of ice off all of our decks, I was able to get the quilt off and on the long arm before the sun set today. I machine bound it during the Spartan basketball game (a great husband babysitter) and here's the finished project.

The finished piece. Still haven't named it yet.

It measures 59" x 70" so the size requirements are certainly met. 

I'm Going to Utah!

My long arm machine is a Handi Quilter Fusion. His name is DW. DW and I entered a contest to win a trip to the Handi Quilter headquarters in Salt Lake City last month. Guess who won?

Amongst the thousands of entries they received, I was one of 12 who was chosen to go in March! I still can't believe it and I was notified a few weeks ago. I couldn't tell anyone because they haven't released it to the public yet, but now I'm able to do so. I'm pinching myself almost daily because it still doesn't seem real.

Hazel is now 22 weeks old. Here she is on her weekly birthday yesterday, enjoying more mud.

Look at me mom! I LOVE the mud!

What have I been doing in the studio the past week? Lots and lots! But again, I didn't want to disrupt the Project Quilting story, so haven't posted.

Tristan's Fire Engine top is completed.

Stripe Me Happy

Strip me Happy top is completed.

I have pulled off the Seasonal Silhouette from the long arm to put on and take off, two customer quilts.

Still needs to be stuffed

I made a turtle.

I made a bag.

For my Utah Trip

Aunt Lil is "roughed in" with the borders yet to go,

Aunt Lil

and I'm still trying to decide what to do about this weeks' Project Quilting challenge piece. I may have to skip this one since I'm coming up with about nothing that I can do well in the next few days.

Here is a better (not muddy) pic of our little girl being not so little anymore.

She likes to sleep by the back door now. I think she's waiting for dad to get home.