Bumper2Bumper

Most fun traffic jam I've ever seen! 

The pattern is Bumper2Bumper by Lorna of Sew Fresh Quilts.  There are two different block sizes; this is the smaller.  The pattern calls for 7 rows of cars but I left out one row to add in the "beep beep!"  I used my Accuquilt alphabet die for the letters, but note that Lorna also has a pattern for traditionally pieced alphabet letters. 

This was my Rainbow Scrap Challenge block/project for 2018.  Rainbow Scrap Challenge is hosted by Anglea of So Scrappy and is one of my favorite annual challenges.  You pick whatever project/block you want to make.  Every month, there is a featured color and you make however many blocks you want (or even a whole quilt!) in that color.  The idea is that at the end of the year, you have a quilt's worth of blocks in rainbow colors.  It's super casual and there are no real deadlines, just lots of fun and encouragement.  This is my third year participating.  For the first time, I didn't put my blocks in rainbow order but mixed them up, and for this pattern I think that worked better.  This is my second year using one of Lorna's patterns for RSC and I will use one of hers next year, too!

The background is Kona Sky, the wheels are Kona Indigo and the lug nuts are Kona Medium Gray.  The cars themselves are scraps.  Since it's a scrappy quilt I used a scrappy binding, picking out solid colors that has good contrast to the sky.  I am pleased to have used up 5 different leftover bindings!

I found the most perfect fleece backing in my closet.  I love to back my quilts, especially my donation quilts, with fleece.  I do not use bating, just the top and the fleece.  It's soft, it makes a great weight quilt, and honestly it's cheaper than buying batting for all the donation quilts I make.  I've been told that the kids really like the soft fabric and that makes sense; my son does, too!  This one I'm pretty sure came from my friend Snow who gave me several larger cuts of fleece she wasn't going to use.  The problem is, with the really light background fabric, you can occasionally see parts of the darker cars showing through on the front.  It's not really noticeable and I decided that the perfect (and fun!) backing mattered more than an occasional glimpse in *just* the right light, so I used it anyway.  And I'm glad I did! This will be going to my local Project Linus chapter and imagine having fun cars on BOTH sides of your quilt!

Bumper2Bumper was #15 on my list of Q4 goals for the globally-hosted Finish Along.  It was also my One Monthly Goal (OMG) for the monthly goal-setting link-up hosted by Patty of Elm Street Quilts (goal setter #70). And since I've been working on it for all of 2018, it was a UFO that is now finished, so I'll link up with Tish for her next UFO busting party.