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.