Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Red and White and Black All Over....

Do you remember the old jokes of what is red and white and black all over?

This quilt started out as a workshop at the Grimsby Quilters Guild in Grimsby, Ontario. And this joke is on me! 

It was a technique based on a pattern from the Missouri Star Quilt Co. Wonderful free patterns and You Tube Video's. 

I have slowly been working on it over time but it is now sprinting to a finish.

I choose the fabrics out of my stash. Red, white and black because I had bought some with no purpose in mind other than I liked them... (typical quilter behaviour)

This pattern could be made from a jelly roll but I stripped my colours into the 2 1/2 strips myself before the workshop.

4 units 8" squares form one large 18" block


I tried for a pattern but it was mostly random placement of the strips. We sewed strip sets then sub cut them and formed the squares. 

I didn't like the busyness of the blocks all added together so I bought some grey intending on sashing the blocks. But I didn't like that idea. 

So I got the idea to place them on point but still didn't like that. 

Then I make an alternate block with one 8" unit sashed in the dark grey. A wonderful piece from Northcott. 


Laying the squares out on a sheet to pin them in place to remember the layout.

I was adding white blocks to as the alternate blocks from the patterned ones.  But when I added them in I thought they white stood out to much and looked to stark.
So off to the fabric store to get some red for the centre of the white blocks. 
Auditioning a piece of deep red in the centre of the white space.

This is the layout I decided on. 

Some how this lap size quilt has grown to around 100 or so inches on all sides. 

The answer to the opening joke is this quick technique for a lap quilt has grown to enourmous proportions. 

It will be awhile until I quilt it. I am still practicing on my Babylock. This is such a big project to quilt but I know once it is done it will find a home.... 

Finally I feel like I am getting things done. 

I will post a picture of the finished quilt top when all the sewing is done for today.  

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