OK Grannma
You got it very close to being perfectly easy.
Now think it through again. make the whole thing out of strip piecing! Alternate colors as per necessary.
1.) The two outer pieces are nothing but 6 1/2 strips sewn together then cut to 3 1/2 widths. Done.
2.) The top and bottom are a 3 1/2 strip sewn together with a 2 inch strip then cut into 3 1/2 inch widths. You will need a light/dark for each of those.
3.) The inner blocks are two 2 inch strips sewn together and cut into 2 inch widths.
4.) Sew the inners to the top and bottoms.
5.) Sew the tops and bottoms together.
6.) Sew the inner sides together.
7.) Sew the outer pieces to the inner (done) block
This quilt should take no more than two days to complete the top of.
tim (an engineer) in san jose