When I was not crocheting a cache of one-round granny squares to be used for my 2016 North Carolina State Fair project:

I was busy with what is turning out to be a rather painstaking process of crocheting crazy quilt pieces for the center panel of the project.

Complicating matters, this afternoon, while I was working on a non-crochet project, my mind wandered to thoughts of this year’s project.

I was giving a lot of thought to the particulars of how I would incorporate various elements of the center panel, and I had a realization about what I had to do.

In one respect, it didn’t exactly thrill me, but I also saw that what I needed to do was necessary, and that it would be a waste of time to try to figure out another way to do it.

Is there an easier way?

Probably.

Is there a better way?

No.

So despite the fact that the crazy quilt crochet pieces for my 2016 project are accruing at a slow pace, with the reality of the design finally making itself clear to me, I decided that today was the day I needed to get the center panel template made so I could better visualize (and document) how the crochet crazy quilt pieces would fit together.

I started by getting out a roll of brown paper, scissors, tape, a tape measure, and these hot sauce bottles:

The hot sauce bottles were necessary because I needed something to weight the corners of the template so that I could keep it unfurled.

Once I had the template situated to my satisfaction:

I got out the pieces I have made so far and attempted to arrange them:

and I learned a few things from the process.

One. I need more pieces. A lot more pieces in fact.

Two. the last dozen-and-a-half pieces are probably going to require me to develop more skill at crocheting pieces that fit, and I will have to pull out all of my crochet technique tools to get the shapes and edges I want and need.

Three. There will be a lot of ends to weave in.

Four. It will be worth it. I hope.