They don't get much simpler than the Road Trip quilt. Named for its meandering pathways and Route 66 fabrics, the quilt is made from columns of squares, with rectangles at the ends of a few columns to create offsets. All you have to do to make the offsets appear is to sew fabrics of different color values into the slots. You can change the theme dramatically by altering fabrics, and if you like rag quilts, you can convert this one in a snap by altering patch sizes and using my rag quilt general instructions for assembly advice.

We did a poll awhile back that asked, Which Color Stacks Are Tallest at Your House?. Guess what the overwhelming answer was -- yep, you got it -- blues. So here's a monochromatic blue quilt to help you use up your stash. The blocks are 10" square and the quilt finishes at about 55" x 69". Change the look if you'd like: use bright juvenile prints for a child's quilt or go a little softer for a baby. How about batiks? Oh -- white and black prints with a touch of red, I think I'd like that. Color is up to you and there are endless choices.

_{© Janet Wickell}