resistance and resilience, a protest quilt, top completed

Rresistance and Resilience, a Protest Quilt
measures about 38 by 31 inches before quilting
top completed 2026

We have been dealing with ICE and CBP raids here in Chicago since last year.
I have confronted masked geared-up men here on my block and our old neighborhood has been teargassed. 
We have watched with deep concern of their escalating violence in Minneapolis. This quilt was a place to park some of my anger for a bit.

stacked bricks, a red and white bar quilt, top completed

Stacked Bricks  a red and white bar quilt
80 by 68 inches
Top completed 2026

This is based on my previous Stacked Bricks directions (which is a traditional design) but with a bit of a change in construction to make it a bar quilt.
I liked my 16-patch bar quilt made with 2 inch cut squares and wanted to try a similar design with 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangles.

PLEASE alert me if you find my piece numbers wrong.

White--I used Kona Snow
2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch rectangles
120

Red scraps
2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch cut rectangles
120 for the checkerboard panels
440 for the all red panels
560 total

There are two types of rows--all red and alternating white/red

Make units
Sew rectangles into pairs then 4s then 8s.
A: all red, 55 units of 8s
B:alternating white and red, 30 units of 8s
At the 8s unit stage, press south. With the alternating white/red units, press south from the white rectangle.

Make rows
Now join into rows of 5 units each--this will make rows of 40 patches
Press these joining seams consistant with the other seams

There are 6 rows of white/red patches and 11 rows of all red patches
Set aside two of the all red rows

Make panels
Lay out two panels of three rows each of white/red and three panels of three rows each of all red
Rotate every other row so the seams will all nest.
I did the alternating white/red panels first, with the row seams pressed up/down/up
Then the red panels with the row seams pressed down/up/down

Assembly of the top
Lay out the panels, rotating them so seams will nest
Press each panel to the west
Sew the panels together
Use the set-aside red rows and sew onto the sides of the quilt, orienting the pressed seams to nest.
Press entire top to the west.

Everything nests!
My design--use at your pleasure.

zinnias! A pattern by Alilison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew: red and white top completed

Zinnias
78 by 73 3/4
inches
top completed 2026
 
Allison Harris of Cluck Cluck Sew has a delightful huge flower pattern called Daisy.
To order the pdf, click HERE.
It is a simple sew and I loved making it in all reds. The white is Kona Snow.
I renamed my quilt for my favorite summer flower from my mother's garden, the zinnia. Went for a near square in sizing the top as I am trying to make quilts a bit smaller than my usual.

My small changes:
-I used the background white for the center of each flower.
-I used the length of the throw size and the width of the twin size, so it finishes a bit longer than it is wide.
-I used Doug Leko's Simple Folded Corner tool for the flipped triangles

Allison has many delightful patterns on her site, I will be back!

Love these rockets-- Moda fabric by Stacy Iest Hsu

Backing is Lola Dutch by Sarajane for Michael Miller Fabrics #DH8583
"Learn about Everything"

double 4-patch on-point, red and white, top completed

Red and White Double 4 patch On-Point
83 1/2 by 67 inches
top completed 2025

block finishes 6 inches
143 blocks

I made a double 4-patch with different sized blocks in my solids + prints series, block described HERE and quilt described HERE (that was a great quilt!) and I wanted to make one with red and whites.

This quilt has a smaller block size.
I have lots of white with red prints and while making the chickens quilt cut those and more into parts for this quilt. I kept the backgrounds tight from white to cream with red prints but I also included other color prints to make it more interesting to my eye.
I was not sure what to do about the red--solid? scrap?--when I came upon this great chicken wire print.

Morning Serenade by Susan Wright for Wilmington Prints 

The print is directional so I had to make the decision of keeping the orientation constant or letting it go every which way. Oddly, every which way is harder to make happen with one print, so I went with consistent.  I let the whites go every which way.
I only had to pay attention with the first seam of the 2 inch squares--being consistent with how I fed it into the machine. After that, making sure I fed the 4-patches with the red entering first, then the chicken wire orientation was consistent for the whole quilt.

Cutting for one block:
Four white scrap 2 inch squares 
Four red constant 2 inch squares
Two white scrap 3 1/2 inch squares

Cutting for this quilt:
(((note, there may be errors in numbers)))
572 red 2 inch squares
572 white scrap 2 inch squares
286 white scrap 3 1/2 inch squares
32 white scrap setting triangles *details on cutting below
4 white scrap corner triangles*

Sew the red and white 2 inch squares together
PRESS to the red square
For each half-block make a 4-patch
Be consistent with feeding in the four patches by always having the red enter the machine first.
PRESS consistantly
Add the 3 /12 inch white square
PRESS to the white square
Then piece into full blocks. Make sure to feed into machine with a 4-patch first.
DO NOT PRESS yet.

half-block piecing

half-block pressing

Full block sewing

Reserving a single block for each row, I sew blocks into pairs and 4s, keeping the block seam parallel/horizontal with the block joining seams.
Sewing the blocks into pairs makes laying out the top easier--half the quilt will already be sewn!
Lay out in an on-point set.
Sew into diagonal rows

I trim the setting triangle at 6 1/2 inches on the side that needs to line up with the end block for each row. I wait to trim until ready to sew so that I make sure I trim the correct edge.
PRESS all block seams and the half-block seams and setting triangle seams of odd rows to the left and even rows to the right.
Sew rows together
PRESS rows as you sew them together.
Press rows up to the left for the first half of the quilt, then start pressing remaining rows down to the right.
Everything nests!
Staystitch around the quilt

*Setting triangles
I prefer to over-cut my setting triangles so to float the top.
For this quilt I cut the triangles using my large square with the hypotenuse along the straight of grain and the cuts at 7 1/2 inches.
The corner triangles were cut from bisecting 6 inch squares.

cutting a setting triangle with the 7 1/2 inch mark from each side on the straight edge

trimming a corner of a setting triangle at 6 1/2 inches

I have a great variety of white with red fabrics. I also added a scattering of other colors on white to add to the mix.

That barn is very reminiscent of our barn which I fear is no longer present
 

My design of a traditional block. Use at your pleasure.

Backing is Lola Dutch by Sarajane for Michael Miller Fabrics #DH8583
"Learn about Everything"

quilt installation: red and white

I was honored to display my red and white quilts for about two weeks to provide a festive atmosphere for holiday events at St Pauls.
I had 17 completed red and white quilts on display. All but one were quilted by Sue Divarco. And I think there are about 8 more in the quilting queue!

Merry Christmas 2025!

Irish chain made from 2 inches cut scraps, top completed

Irish Chain
Top completed 2025
73 1/2 by 52 1/2 inches
Made from 2 inch cut squares

I love an Irish chain.
My 2 inch darks and brights were overflowing so I took them along with some Kona Ice Frappe to a quilting retreat this past January.
It is an easy sew as long as I stayed with my pressing plan.
I finished the top months ago, but just got to writing it up.

There are two blocks. Do not do any pressing of the units or blocks until all the units are made.

Vertical UNITS
1: solid, 5 scraps. solid
2: 7 scraps
3: scrap, solid, 3 scraps, solid, scrap
4: solid, scrap, solid, scrap, solid, scrap, solid
5: scrap, solid, scrap, solid, scrap, solid, scrap
6: 2 scraps, solid, scrap, solid, 2 scraps
Make the units and press each to one side. You will rotate them in the blocks to make all seams nest.

Block A

18 of Block A--made mainly from the scraps
Has two of Unit 1: 5 scraps and a solid on each end
*NOTE: for the four corner blocks I replaced the solid in the corner with a scrap to be more pleasing to my eye than having that lone dot of solid in the corners. If you choose to do this, wait until the final layout to construct these blocks as pressing issues will come up. 
Has five of unit 2: 7 scraps

Block B

17 of Block B--includes the chains
Has two of Unit 3: 
Has two of Unit 4:
Has two of Unit 5:
Has one of Unit 6:

Make all the units, keeping them in separate piles
Take each pile of units and press all in one direction

Lay out the block, rotating every other unit, keeping the first column in each block with the pressed seams going south.
DO NOT press blocks until they are sewn into rows.

Lay out quilt, rotating every Block A so it nests into Block B
Sew into rows
Press Odd rows to the east and Even rows to the west
I pressed the rows to the South then stay stitched around the top

Everything nests!
My directions, use at your pleasure.

my darks and brights 2 inch squares bin when I started--still plenty remain

backing is by Dear Stella

I've been trying to make some of my quilts a bit smaller--this is difficult for me as I always want to add more. With 2 1/2 inch squares this quilt would be by 98 by 70 inches--I may just make one as my 2 1/2 inch box is pretty full.

I have a workshop coming up called "Sewing the Bits" and I will include this as an option for pattern selection.