All the Above

FINISHED QUILT: 90˝ × 90˝ FINISHED BLOCK: 6˝ × 6˝

Designer: Amy Walsh

Machine pieced by Amy Walsh; machine quilted by Ann Davidson

I have always loved a basic checkerboard design. This quilt came about one day as I was drawing some checkerboard patterns in my design notebook and trying to find ways to vary them slightly. It’s extremely striking and makes a great quilt for guys and girls alike. I happen to love quilts that are constructed with alternate solid blocks. Not only do they look smashing, but they also come together very quickly!

Materials

The yardage given here makes a queen-size quilt. (For other size quilts, refer to Alternate Sizes and Yardage Requirements, next page.)

Note: I used 30 of Marcia Derse’s prints from Troy fabrics in the pictured quilt to add plenty of color variation.

Pieced blocks

Assorted prints or colored solids: 19 strips 2¼˝ × 40˝ or 1¼ yards

Cream-colored solid: 2¾ yards

Solid alternate blocks

Charcoal gray solid: 3⅝ yards

Other

Backing: 8⅓ yards

Batting: 100˝ × 100˝

Binding: ⅞ yard

Cutting

The cutting amounts are for a queen-size quilt. For other size quilts, refer to Alternate Sizes and Yardage Requirements (next page).

Assorted prints or batiks

•  Cut 19 strips 2¼˝ × 40˝.

Subcut each strip into 6 rectangles 2¼˝ × 6½˝ (Unit B). You need a total of 112 Unit B pieces.

Cream solid

•  Cut 14 strips 6½˝ × 40˝.

Subcut each strip into 8 rectangles 4¾˝ × 6½˝ (Unit A). You need a total of 112 Unit A pieces.

Charcoal gray solid

•  Cut 19 strips 6½˝ × 40˝.

Subcut each strip into 6 squares 6½˝ × 6½˝. You need a total of 113 solid alternate blocks.

Piecing and Pressing

For this queen-size quilt, you need to make a total of 112 pieced All the Above blocks.

For each pieced block, join a Unit A to a Unit B. Press the seams open. The raw pieced blocks measure 6½˝ × 6½˝.

Quilt Top Construction

1. Arrange the pieced blocks alternately with the solid blocks on a design wall or the floor in 15 rows of 15 blocks each. Try to keep the viewer’s eye moving constantly around the quilt top by varying the placement of textures and colors in the pieced blocks, keeping the blocks oriented the same way.

2. When you find an arrangement you like, sew the blocks together in rows, pressing the seams open as you sew.

3. Sew the rows together. Press the seams open.

Quilt assembly

Finishing

Layer, quilt, and bind the quilt.

Shake It Up!

Change the look of All the Above by using one or more of the following options.

Option 1: Use only pieced blocks and set them alternately, and reverse the direction of alternate rows.

Option 2: Scale down the size of the block, use only pieced blocks, and set them so that the narrow rectangles are facing each other. The finished block size in this sample is 3½˝ × 3½˝.

Option 3: Using only pieced blocks, set them in horizontal rows, creating a straight line of secondary color. In this example, we used blue florals with red for high contrast.