Quilt #118 :: Max's Robot

First, a moment of silence for the long-detailed blog I wrote about this quilt that I accidentally deleted. *Deep Breath* Exhale.....Okay, let's try again.

For the last six years, my son D has attended a fantastic community choice school with a focus on STEM and project-based learning. (Community choice is similar to a private public school. No tuition!). One of many reasons I love this school is that it is small enough that the students (and teacher) stay together for multiple years. 

One of D's best buddies for the last few years is Max. I met Max's mom, Nikki, one day while our kids were at the Y for swim lessons. Usually I keep my eyes on my phone--and occasionally D--during lessons, but Nikki started chatting me up and I'm so glad she did. She was looking for a school for her kids, so I was happy to tell her about ours. By the next fall, her kids joined D and Nikki became one of my best friends. 

Last year, Nikki coached our school's first Destination Imagination team. DI is an international competition in which students solve challenges. For our challenge, the team made a robot that navigated through a maze.

Shortly after our team competed in regionals, Nikki announced their upcoming move to Houston. It's not often that we find families where the moms, dads, and kids are all friends so we were very bummed. I'm glad for D's sake that we live in an age of technology where a cross-country move doesn't mean two friends can't stay connected.

Earlier this year, Max's sister Caroline needed a wheelchair due to some issues with her knee. I made her a Harry-Potter-themed wheelchair quilt. 

I gifted Nikki my newly-complete Wayward Transparency quilt. 

As soon as we learned that the Pauley's were moving to Houston, we made plans to attend the International Quilt Festival. And I had a deadline to finish a quilt for Max. I knew immediately which quilt I would make for him. 

The pattern is called "Does Not Compute." It was designed by Boo Davis of Quiltsryche and included in her awesome book Dare to be Square.

Boo is not your gramma's quilter. She is irreverent and her quilts are influenced by heavy metal. I first discovered her when I found her Bangover quilt, which inspired my Tool quilt. I bought her book a while back and have been waiting for the right time to make one of her patterns. The "Does Not Compute" pattern is a perfect way to remember our DI team with its robot and maze.

The only change I made to the pattern was to personalize it with Max's name in the center of the robot.

Originally, I made the name in blue, but it didn't show very well. 

It's never fun to replace blocks once a quilt top is pieced, but it was the right call. I also had a second chance to fix the X that I wasn't 100% satisfied with the first time.

Because Max and D are two peas in a pod, I knew that he would appreciate soft minky on the back. I ordered extra wide minky online and crossed my fingers that the shade of blue I picked would work. I think it does.

I've started doing my labels a little differently. Instead of using printable fabric, I've been cutting Kona White fabric into 8.5" x 11" pieces that I iron onto freezer paper. I design the label on my computer and, stabilized with the freezer paper, print the fabric. I find that the labels are much softer this way than they are with the printable fabric. I also use Steam a Seam Lite rather than Heat N Bond

for the same reason.

I fold the edges of the label under, then attach the Steam-A-Seam. I love that I can reposition the label before pressing it down. I topstitch it to keep it in place.

As always, D slept with Max's quilt to add the last bit of love into it.

All ready for Quilt Festival shopping and a very special quilt delivery.

Max is such a great kid. I love him so much. He has a wonderful attitude of gratitude. He is every quilter's dream recipient because of his joyful appreciation of gifts. I'm so glad I was there to see his reaction.

D was so excited to see his friend get his quilt. What a great way for these friends to stay connected.

To see more pictures of this quilt in progress, look for #MaxsRobotQuilt on Instagram. To see what I'm currently working on, please follow me at deJongDreamHouse.

Linky Parties:

Tuesday

Color Inspiration Tuesday @ The Clever Chameleon

Linky Tuesday @ Freemotion by the River

To Do Tuesday @ Stitch All the Things

Wednesday

Let's Bee Social @ Sew Fresh Quilts

Midweek Makers @ Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss @ The Inquiring Quilter

WIP Linky @ Silly Mama Quilts

WIPs on Wednesday @ Esther's Blog

Thursday

Needle & Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation

Friday

Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Mama Quilts

Off the Wall Friday @ Nina Marie

Whoop Whoop Friday @ Confessions of a Quilt Addict

Saturday
Scrappy Saturday @ So Scrappy
Show Off Saturday @ Sew Can She
UFO Busting @ The Madd Hatter
Sunday
BOMs Away @ What a Hoot
Oh Scrap! @ Quilting is More Fun than Housework
Monday
Design Wall Monday @ Small Quilts & Doll Quilts
Main Crush Monday @ Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Making @ Love Laugh Quilt
What I Made Monday @ Pretty Piney