Pixeling...My Way (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 of my Pixel Quilt journey, you can find it here. For those of you who are waiting for Part 2…let’s dive right in.

When I last left you, I was explaining how I decided to make a pixel quilt; which has since turned into a hybrid-pixel quilt. What exactly do I mean by hybrid-pixel quilt?

Well, I’m mixing both 1 ½” x 1 ½” squares with strips that measure 1 ½” x different lengths. The benefit is that there are less seams to sew.  I applaud those of you who are tackling the usual pixel process, square by tiny square…I couldn’t do it.

So, a typical block from the Pic2Pat converstion looks like this.  Bold frames filled with symbols that measure 10 wide by 10 tall.  The symbols correspond to colors, and yes they even provide a handy key that shows exactly what is what.  

This is how I translated the above into fabric form.  As you can see, there are several instances where the same symbols (colors) are next to one another. I used that as an opportunity to use strips/rectangles, rather than piecing multiple squares of the same color.  This is what I call Hybrid-Pixel.


Now, what you can also see is that even with this simplified method, there are still A LOT of little pieces, and some of the colors are quite close. I decided right away that organization was a MUST. I started by grouping my cut strips into envelopes. I then marked the symbol that corresponded to the color on the outside of the envelope. That way, when I’m ready to work on a block (Yes, I'm making this a block at a time), I pull the corresponding envelopes, cut the pieces I need and then quickly put them away.  Yes, there is a method to my madness. 


Besides, I’m sort of impatient when it comes to quilting and this block at a time method gives me instant gratification rather then cutting all of my fabric first. 

What’s most interesting about a pixel quilt is that you are working so closely with the blocks that the larger picture isn’t visible.  All of those little squares don’t mean anything up close. Yet, put them on the design wall (or floor in my case) and take a few steps back.  Magically those pixels start to “fade” into the background and paint a larger picture.
Now, I've been spending most of my "free time" the last two weeks making block after block and I'm proud to say that I have 28 under my belt.  That's 28 out of 70...so I have ALOT more to go.  Yet, I am seeing real progress when I take those couple of steps back and that is what keeps me going. 
I'll check back in with Part 3 for the final process and quilt top reveal (fingers crossed).  For now, you'll have to be satisfied with this single finished block.
 


If you'd like to read all about my Pixeling (The Tenth) journey, visit these blog posts:



Happy Monday!