Here's my after. I set a timer, and it took only 3 minutes and 35 seconds to rip the whole set! I'm a happy girl!!!

Here's my before:

I have officially "abandoned ship" from trying the Striplate method, and have started paper piecing. I ordered Debra Wagner's book from a seller at Amazon 3 weeks ago, and it still hasn't arrived, so I'm moving on. I am sure there is merit to using the method, otherwise best-of-show winners like Pat and Sue wouldn't be using it. I just couldn't quite wrap my head around it with the info in the January instructions, and I AM DETERMINED NOT TO GET BEHIND THIS ON THIS BOM!!! I am going to order the book elsewhere, on the assumption that there will be more Striplate sashing to come, and I can try it again later.

I had already pieced all my strip sets several weeks ago, waiting for my book. I was NOT looking forward to ripping all those seams so I could recut the fabric for paper piecing, but I have a wonderful new gadget that has rescued me...a battery-operated seam ripper! It looks like mini barber's clippers, and in fact is made by Wahl, who makes haircutting supplies.

By machine. If it was by hand I would have given up by now. There is just so much of it. However, mustn't grumble, I am sure I will get there in the end.

Is that by hand or machine? hand would drive me insane too!

Thanks for the encouraging comments everybody. Susan, I found that once I had my pieces cut to size the paper piecing only took about 10 minutes per sashing strip. What took a lot longer was trying to decide a) whether to do it at all and b) what fabrics to use. I am still not sure about doing this quilt but I needed a distraction from the applique for my WotRoTT quilt because it was driving me insane having to blanket stitch around approximately 100 pieces per border.

I loveboth the red & white and the black & white versions... If I do decide to join in, I'd probably go along that line too. Been wanting to make a two color quilt since seeing the red-white show pictures from New York. That was so fabulous!

Wow, Rita, you got this done in one day? That's impressive and looks wonderful.

Beautiful sashing Rita! I think they will look great next to the white background fabric from the blocks

Luv it Rita!

Rita, your red and white concept is very nice, crisp and inviting. Really pretty red fabric up close!

Thank you to everyone for the nice comments.

Rita, I had the same dilemma and choose to put the black inside because of the fabrics I "think" I might be using that will be next to the outside edge of these strips. Maybe when you make your first long strip you could baste it the opposite way to the center piece and see if you like it better, that way if not the stitching will be easily removed.
Lori

They look great Lori. It took me ages to decide which way around to put my red triangles and in the end I put them on the outside with the white on the inside with a red strip between. I see from the show and tell that everybody has done the opposite to me - i.e. put the darker triangles on the inside. I wonder now if I should redo them the other way around? Hmmmm!

Lori, those look great. I finally did two strips in trial fabrics last night. It only took 4 hours. Then I went back and looked at this thread, read all the suggestions, and looked at the last video for the 5th time. Tonight, we try again for perfection. Or at least to get the fabric to cover the cutting lines I may need an extra bolt or two of fabric It helps to see the wonderful work by others.