Red and White quilts are some of my favorite to see and make. The classic color combination is timeless and never goes out of fashion.
In 2011 the American Folk Art Museum hosted an exhibit of 650 antique Red and White quilts in New York City. The exhibit drew huge crowds beyond just the quilting community. Individually many of these quilts were works of art and collectively the display took them to another level.
You can see quilts and photos from the stunning display here.
You can still find the book featuring quilts from the exhibit on Amazon. I bought it for myself a few years ago and have LOVED it. So much quilt-y inspiration.
After finishing my Red and White Churn Dash quilt a few weeks ago, I decided to collect and feature all of my red and white quilts plus some more red and white quilt inspiration all in one post.
This quilt is a great example of how even though the quilt is only two colors, by using different prints and shades of red or white, the quilt design still has a lot of depth and movement.
I have another red & white Churn Dash Quilt variation here made with vintage-style reproduction prints.
Another similar variation with a repeat of a tradition quilt block is this Hour Glass quilt made with a French General Layer Cake.
Here's a more modern, improv-style take on a quilt featuring my Pine Hollow Patchwork Forest quilt pattern. This is one of my all-time favorite makes. I love the Scandinavian vibe this one has.
To get a more "beachy" washed-out look when working with red and white fabrics, choose a lot of prints that have a white or pink background with a pattern with fewer or wider repeats.
Here's a look at the fabric pull for this quilt to give you an idea of what those patterns and prints look like:
Here's a mini quilt with a similar vibe - using pink and red prints to create lighter shades of red.
Red and White Scrap Quilt Idea
And here's another red quilt that came entirely from my red scrap bin. This improv-style log cabin quilt was made using this tutorial for wonky-improv Log Cabin blocks.
And here are more pictures of the finished quilt on vacation.
And here is the first ever red+white quilt that I made and probably the simplest. And I still love it just as much as ever.
If you love the look of red and white quilts, but aren't in the mood to take on a big project, grab your scraps and shoot for a mini project like this cute little heart mini quilt. This one was a sentimental make for me because I used all of the red fabrics from my first 3 fabric collections. 🙂
This quilt pattern is called Down Memory Lane by Aqua Paisley Studios. You can see the finished quilt and find pattern info here.
I also love graphic statement of these red and white flying geese on this quilted stocking.
Sweet and Simple Patchwork
And finally, you can never go wrong with sweet and simple patchwork squares in a simple checkerboard design- like this one. Just grab a stack of "White" background print squares and Red print squares and sew them together.
It's a great design, not only for it's simplicity, but for playing with scraps or busting through your stash of reds!
Another variation on this simple design is using Half Square Triangles. I love this quilt by Julia of Red Rainboots Handmade.
You can find the pattern for this quilt called Jump On It in a variety of sizes here.
Another classic and scrappy variation of tradition patchwork is a Irish Chain quilt like this one called The Subtle Quilt from Crazy Mom Quilts.
This one is on my bucket list to make. I love it every time I see it. Or you could always make a simplified strip-pieced version using this Nine Patch/Irish Chain tutorial.
Another variation on this Irish Chain style quilt is a red and white Plus quilt. Free pattern from Caroline at Sew Can She here.
If you're looking for more complex red and white quilt ideas, check out these two books:
Red and White Quilts I is out of print, but you may be able to still find it in your local quilt shop or find used editions here. Red and White II is available on Amazon.
You can find more red and white quilt inspiration on this Pinterest Board.
I hope this list has provided you with some good inspiration and options for making your own red + white quilt. They're timeless!
I was on a Podcast!
In other news, was interviewed by Sherri McConnell for the Quilting Life podcast. It was so much fun to connect with Sherri - she was one of my first internet-to-real-life friends years ago. But, thanks to a global pandemic, it's been a while since we've connected.
We had a great visit and I shared my quilting journey.
You can watch the interview on Sherri's YouTube channel here. Or you can find the link to the podcast on your favorite podcast-source here as well as the snow notes.
We had a really fun conversation about designing fabric, as well as how the quilting industry and social media have changed over the years.
Cindi
Thanks so much for writing this! I'm a new quilter, and it's so inspiring to see all the fabulous designs with just 2 colors!
Linda
Thank you so much Amy for providing such inspiration on red and white quilts! I love everything you do and you are such an inspiring person. I did the Riley Blake Challenge in 2023 but didn’t care for the layout so I used yours with the Irish Chain layout. I also shared it with my friend and she used yours as well. Thanks again for your wonderful blog. I enjoy it so much.
Catherine Peck
What a wonderful post! I loved all the red and white quilts! the churn dash is my favorite.
Kathi
Question. How to you prepare your fabric so there is no bleeding? Thank you!
Amy
Great question. To be honest, I haven't had any bleeding in the past 8 or so years using high quality quilting cottons. (The kind you get from a quilt shop vs someplace like JoAnn fabrics.) That said, I still throw a Shout Color Catcher sheet into the wash the first time I wash it and wash in cold water . If you're worried about the reds or you have some fabric but you're not sure the age or source, you can always pre-wash it.
Gwyn
I love Patchwork Forest. Can't wait to listen to the podcast this weekend!
Shannon D’Antonio
Quilts are fabulous. I have all the fabrics ready for a red/white quilt. All Moda fabric. I’m still stressing about the possibility of bleeding,lol!