The Work in Progress Project: Little Concrete Truck Quilt

This Little Concrete Truck started as a 9" orphan quilt block that I was initially unsure what to do with. I had shrunk down the initial 12" pattern and had initially thought about using this for a magazine photo, but then I stuffed up the front wheel and forgot to add the mudguard. I finished the block and threw it in my to be decided pile, and there it stayed for several weeks.

Then a few weeks later while I was enjoying some time with my local quilting Guild Papamoa Patchers, one of the ladies there announced that the local hospital needed baby quilts for their special care nursery, which the babies would get to keep. I instantly knew I wanted to help because I know first-hand how brilliant the staff who work there are and the amazing work they do.

As soon as I got home I pulled out this block and took another look at it. Even though I had messed up the colour around the front wheel, it is still clearly a truck and I'm sure some little person somewhere would still love this quilt. So I attached some colourful borders ensuring that it was the size required 20" x 24" (50cm x 60cm) and then left it on the bed for several weeks as a flimsy (an unquilted quilt).

It sat there staring at me while I moved on to other projects. Is it because I get overly excited about all the quilts I want to do? Probably, but also partly because I have the attention span of a goldfish!

This week I finally picked it up, gave it a hefty dose of the iron, basted it and started quilting. I made sure to use 100% natural cotton batting for this quilt since I knew it would be used for a baby and natural fibers breathe better and help them to regulate temperature better.  It actually only took me a couple of hours to quilt it using only straight stitching in the ditch of the borders, and then outlining the truck.

Then I found some nice soft winceyette in my stash and used that for the binding. Binding only took me another hour all up. It makes me wonder why I procrastinated so long!

I love how it turned out, it's so bright and fun and I hope the little person who gets to use it will like it.

Work in Progress Project Status: 2 finished out of 10.

Happy Piecing!

RJ