Red and white is coming together

The Forsyth Piecers and Quilters Quilt show is fast approaching.  Ive been thinking about it since they announced it and the quilt challenge.  I love a challenge!  It motivates my creativity!  When I was in DOQ it was my favotie part of being in a guild.  I have been thinking, designing, and collecting red fabrics for months.  I didnt have any red prints or just red and white fabrics so this was a challenge.  When I want on the LQS Shop Hop last fall I acquired some good fabrics- red on white, white on red, red on red, ...  I was always singing to myself "All I need is red, wah, wah, wah...." 

First design,

 

 Another

not sure what happened to this file..



Still another

this was my last design

I liked some of the elements but they weren't exactly right.  Then the Swoon along happened. I have been lusting after making one of these quilts.  I have some Denyse Schmidt and Kaffe Fasett fabric in my stash that would be perfectly showcased.  So this lead me to a new design based on me making this last night





 A red and white swoon block. 

 I actually didnt use the swoon pattern but rather the Bethlehem star pattern with my Marti Mitchell set A templetes and a companion triangle ruler.  I modified the center and enlarged the whole block to 24".   I really wanted a large statement piece block and this came out perfect.  I didn't want a layout with traditional borders or a one block quilt.  I added 4 other blocks based on my favortite stars and what I am now titling the quilt-"All I need is red, wah, wah, wah...." The 3 wahs gave me the idea for all blocks to be 3' based.  So I made these other four blocks.

A 3" pin wheel star, a 6" free style star, a 9" friendship star, a 12" wonky star and the 24" Swoonlike star.  These are my favorite quilt blocks!  This is kind of what the layout will look like.  Im using that great red I got at Karen Gray's shop for the background.  I have a large scale red and white print called Kumari Garden that will add a statement as a strip down the side.  It will finish at about 45" by 45".

  Im hoping to complete the top this weekend.  I'll piece the back with whatever I have left.  Im still debating the quilting.  Maybe some hand quilting on the stars with red and white pearl cottons, maybe a few antique red buttons, beads... or just straightline overall quilting or maybe straightline over lapping large freehand stars or a combo?  I plan this to be a small throw for my favorite chair in the den.  Any suggestions?