Cars, Stars and Fickle Little Boys

One thing about my Little Boy - he loves trucks (and trains). So, when he saw this truck fabric, he had to have it. OK, fine - I bought a yard and have been wondering now for the past few months what to do with it. This isn't some piece of fabric I still want in my stash when he is 18 years old!

So, this past week my project was to pull together some co-ordinating fabrics and make a quilt top for Little Boy using this much fondled piece of truck fabric and decide upon a pattern. And guess what? I actually have fabric in my small winter stash that I think goes together pretty well! The background is a light green marble, the orange is a bright marble and those red stars are from Moda. Deciding upon a pattern - well sometimes, I think that my big hang-up is just picking a pattern and getting started!

I have a new Wonder Cut ruler. I paid $17 for it and it was still in the plastic wrapper. When I bought the ruler, I also got the book that goes with it. The cover quilt (Spinning Stars - 60X74 once you add the borders) looks like the perfect pattern to showcase the trucks. What isn't to love about this pattern? Most everyone I know likes stars. The center is a perfect spot to showcase a novelty or a large floral, red work, embroidery, what have you? Here is a close up of one of the stars... isn't it cute!

Now, the Wonder Cut ruler technique is new to me. I don't really like new techniques. I stew and sputter over the directions and mumble and grumble until I have it figured out. But, once I have it figured out - I suddenly LOVE my new technique. Now, I've got to ask you - what Momma of a 2 year old wouldn't love a pattern that you can put together - as much as you see in the layout photo - in about 5 hours? Honestly! It goes very fast... once you get used to the technique. I am cutting and sewing and dreaming of all the wonderful quilts I will make using this pattern (I have a BIG family and would love to manage to make everyone a quilt!). And Little Boy is as excited as can be about his new quilt. So everything is going along just great, right?

BUT - and this is a big but here, I go and buy the new McCall's Quick Quilts (March 2006) magazine. Yes, you can buy this magazine at the magazine store over here for 7.10 Euros. And true to his curious nature, Little Boy has to scrutinize anything new from cover to cover. And then he comes to the last page. AND THEN he sees his NEW DREAM QUILT. Anyone who has this magazine - go take a peek - of course it is a quilt with, not cars and trucks, but a tractors, dumptrucks, cement mixers, etc. novelty fabric. He wants that quilt. And gosh - look how much easier the pattern is (Spinning Stars is easy - it just has more pieces)! He doesn't want anything more to do with his new car/truck/star quilt. No thank you Momma (well, at least he is polite). Aaaggghhhh!!! So, if anyone has the back issue (Quick Quilts - March 2002) I would really, really appreciate it if we could swap for something, because very obviously, I need that pattern! And e-quilter.com has a similar fabric, phew!

And, hence the name of my post... Cars, Stars and Fickle Little Boys! He must have quilter's blood in him - how else do all us quilters end up with so many UFO's and WIP's? Don't we often jump around from pattern to pattern, from fabric to fabric? Oh well, maybe this car/truck Spinning Star quilt will become a gift for one of my many nephews!

Oh yes, and in case any of you are wondering why I post photo after photo of BLOCKS - I don't have my 15" square ruler here to square up the blocks and I don't want to set them until they are square. So, I am just chugging along making blocks and will have to square them up once I get back to the same continent as my ruler!

And - a photo of the cover of the book - Back to Basics The Wonder Cut Ruler Way by Alice Walter & Deb Hopkins. I highly recommend the ruler and the book - a great combo!