Tonight I’ve been watching the Iowa State vs. Iowa football game (Go Cyclones!) and got to thinking about how it’s like the Tartan Ties vs. the Traditional Ones. Usually a log cabin block has lights posed against darks in this “Barn Raising” pattern but when you have tartans (plaids) and traditional, well, it just seems like they should play against each other instead. Do you ever wonder what makes it a “Plaid Kind of Day” to wear a tie? Is it a more relaxed and fun day vs. a formal one? Hmm . . .  I loved the way all these tartans worked with each other in the design despite the coloration differences. As I noted earlier about the clans they represent, maybe when it comes down to it, they all end up unified into a strong “Plaid Kingdom” both worldwide, in Scotland, and in this quilt! When you lay the individual blocks down, the pattern created is “Barn Raising” because the darks or plains start to build a line around the lights or plaids. In a bigger quilt, this is very pronounced but here, it adds a surprising touch of another pattern appearing within the design. Back to the sewing room again .  . .more to finish this week.