This past weekend as I took inventory of the pieces I have already made for this year’s state fair project, I had to be careful not to think about all of the work that is left to be done because if I were to think about it, I would probably panic.

There are some granny squares yet to be crochet, a few joining details to be worked out, still more embroidery to be done, and lots and lots of pieces that need to be assembled.

My original goal had been to finish making all of the pieces and then begin the piecing, but of late we have had one overcast rainy day followed by another, and I decided that it would behoove me to take advantage of a small break in the weather and use the available light to lay out the pieces for what I have come to think of as the piano panel.

Here is how it looked after I had gotten all of the pieces laid out:

and here is the transformation the panel began to undergo after I had gotten squares for five of the rows joined:

and in the moments available to me when I was not weaving in ends on the three-round granny square I had made earlier and joining the one-round granny squares that form the bulk of the piano panel, I managed to crochet a few more of the two-round granny squares that I will need for this year’s project:

With just fourteen full workdays between me and the entry deadline, it might be tempting to succumb to a moment panic, but the truth is, I just don’t have the time.