Panel Queen

I teased I'd share the cheater panel story one day. I'd rather share a finished quilt. Or even one in progress. I guess my secret life as a panel queen will suffice on a day when I have nothing better to share.

My father-in-law created a quilt stand for me years and years ago. I asked for cactus-shaped, and he delivered. I'm almost embarassed to show how full it is now. But, at least it's organized once again.

In April, I had to move the extremely top-heavy quilt stand from the living room/dining room/kitchen/entrance to the bedroom to make room for the hospice bed. While moving the (overweight) stand, many of the panels I've collected over the years and unfinished projects from the last decade or more fell off. I had to pick them all up and move them out of the way in a hurry because my time was limited. I think I had about two hours before the hospice bed would arrive, and I still had furniture to move.

While recently trying to rush a quilt finish for my new neighbors' toddler, I had to search through my haphazard stash of panels. I realized I had never straightened out the pile. So, before I ever started the rush quilt, I organized my panels. All 60 of them. (Not including the probably 30ish Spoonflower panels I've designed over the years.)

One of these three was one of my first panels. I adored it when I first ordered it online. I was too excited when I first found it to realize the measurement was not going to be big enough for a bed. Not only was it not going to be big enough (and I had not ordered any of the coordinating fabrics so I could try to make it big enough), but it was cut crooked on one side. Back then, I had no idea whatsoever how to fix that. Or that I could have complained and probably exchanged it for a properly cut panel. I later bought two more quilt panels I thought I might be able to add to the first to make it big enough. I think falling off the quilt frame in April was the first time these three panels had ever been moved. PS: I still love the other two panels, and I'm not sure I want to insult them by putting them with the third now.

My kids were grown by the time I bought this one (the last one!!!), but I thought it would make a great gift when grandkids began arriving on the scene. My oldest grands have now graduated, and I still haven't turned this into a fun and useful wall quilt. I confess; I forgot about it. Because it got buried by all the rest!!! Which I also forgot!!! It might make a great gift for a great-grandkid one day...

I went through a butterfly phase.

Actually, I'm still in butterfly phase. I've actually finished a few butterfly quilts.

I've even designed my own Spoonflower cheater panels...

Shoot, I've even designed and crocheted butterflies!

I even love butterflies in real life.

I also experienced a powerful peacock phase. Animal and color. Still in the color phase. Possibly permanently.

And, yes, I did indeed design a crochet peacock.

I can never get enough sunflowers.

Or rainbows.

I love winter. Especially in the middle of a heat dome. I love snowflakes. I love polar bears. And owls. And penguins. And eagles. And tigers (my high school mascot, and Lizard's, too). And lizards. And bicycles. And hot air balloons. And southwest/desert scenes/artwork. And sunrises/sunsets. And northern lights. And flowers.

I apparently also love "last one" descriptions. I could not believe how many of these and scores of others I haven't even shown were purchased not only because of an incurable love at first sight, but because they each were the last one. I guess I have a few collectibles in my collection. I probably have enough to open my own cheater panel fabic store. And on that humorous note...

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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