Thursday, March 22, 2012
My barn quilts have now safely arrived at their new home in Hillsboro, IL. Now they are Linda's barn quilts and have been hung on her garden shed and the front entrance to her home. It's a strange feeling to see something that you've created being displayed, in all it's glory, for all to see. Both barn quilts look fantastic with the red background. If you would like to drive by and see them, they are located at 733 S Oak St, Hillsboro, Illinois.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Spring has arrived!
Spring has arrived in Southern New England. The temperature has been in the high 70's for the past several days and may reach above 80 by Thursday! The buds are swelling on the trees and shrubs and the birds are beginning to build their nests. With perfect weather like this it's hard to stay indoors and not enjoy it. However, the sacrifice must be made, as there are new barn quilts to create.
In my last blog I showed you a picture of the Double Star barn quilt that I made for Linda in Illinois. She also wanted a 1' x 1' Mariner's Compass to be displayed at the front entrance to her home.
The Mariner's Compass pattern is one of my favorites. I have made three so far. One is hanging on the side of my garage and the other, as you can see from the photo, is an old sign plaque that I repainted and made a smaller version of the one hanging on the house.
I am now making anything Mariner's Compass barn quilt for a lady at work. It will be similar to the one above, except that the red points will be solid red and not the two-toned shown above.
I also have several more orders in the works from several people to make barn quilts for them.
It looks like it will be a very productive and busy Spring in the basement! However, I have to make sure that I spend some quality time outdoors and enjoy the Spring weather!
In my last blog I showed you a picture of the Double Star barn quilt that I made for Linda in Illinois. She also wanted a 1' x 1' Mariner's Compass to be displayed at the front entrance to her home.
The Mariner's Compass pattern is one of my favorites. I have made three so far. One is hanging on the side of my garage and the other, as you can see from the photo, is an old sign plaque that I repainted and made a smaller version of the one hanging on the house.
I am now making anything Mariner's Compass barn quilt for a lady at work. It will be similar to the one above, except that the red points will be solid red and not the two-toned shown above.
I also have several more orders in the works from several people to make barn quilts for them.
It looks like it will be a very productive and busy Spring in the basement! However, I have to make sure that I spend some quality time outdoors and enjoy the Spring weather!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
If the last two weeks are any indication, I have a funny feeling that 2012 will be a very productive year for me, as far as, creating barn quilts. When I received my copy of Suzi Parron's book, 'Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement, I brought it to work with me to show. As a result, I have an order for two barn quilts. My sister in law, Darlene, contacted me and asked if I could make her a 4' x 4' Mariner's Compass. She and her husband, Ivan, are avid sailor's! She told me that she would get back to me with her color choices. Last week I received an email, through my website, from Linda in Illinois asking me if I could make two barn quilts for her. She liked the Double Aster that I made several years ago for my neighbor and wanted a 2' x 2' that was similar. She also wanted a 1' x 1' in the Mariner's Compass pattern.
If you go to my website and read my front page, it indicates that I will not make two barn quilts the same. I would either change the color pattern and/or shading so that each barn quilt is unique and one of a kind for it's owner. That's what I did for Linda. Below is the Double Aster that I made for my neighbor.
I used 'Fiesta Red', 'Bright Yellow' and 'New Bud' (green) for the double aster. The border was done in black. So, to keep Linda's pattern unique and one of a kind, I made several subtle changes to her's. This is the result of those changes.
The red that I used for Linda's barn quilt, is a blend that I created using Fiesta Red and pink, which lightened the shading. I used 'Mayan Gold' to replace the yellow. For the green shading, I used 'New Bud' for the lighter green and a blend of 'Hunter Green' and 'New Bud' for the darker green. I then changed the black border to a 'Royal Blue' border. Linda was so thrilled with her barn quilt that she told me that she is spreading the word and trying to get other's in her area to order barn quilts from me!!
It's gratifying to me knowing that I've brightened someone's day with a barn quilt and I'm humbled by it. I am proud of the fact that my barn quilts are being displayed on home's in Connecticut and now Illinois, for all to see. I hope it continues!!
If you go to my website and read my front page, it indicates that I will not make two barn quilts the same. I would either change the color pattern and/or shading so that each barn quilt is unique and one of a kind for it's owner. That's what I did for Linda. Below is the Double Aster that I made for my neighbor.
I used 'Fiesta Red', 'Bright Yellow' and 'New Bud' (green) for the double aster. The border was done in black. So, to keep Linda's pattern unique and one of a kind, I made several subtle changes to her's. This is the result of those changes.
The red that I used for Linda's barn quilt, is a blend that I created using Fiesta Red and pink, which lightened the shading. I used 'Mayan Gold' to replace the yellow. For the green shading, I used 'New Bud' for the lighter green and a blend of 'Hunter Green' and 'New Bud' for the darker green. I then changed the black border to a 'Royal Blue' border. Linda was so thrilled with her barn quilt that she told me that she is spreading the word and trying to get other's in her area to order barn quilts from me!!
It's gratifying to me knowing that I've brightened someone's day with a barn quilt and I'm humbled by it. I am proud of the fact that my barn quilts are being displayed on home's in Connecticut and now Illinois, for all to see. I hope it continues!!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Patriotic Theme
My wife and her friend Sue have been quilting buddies for about 5 years. We met Sue and her husband, Joe, about 6 years ago at a country dance bar, Cadillac Ranch, in Southington, CT. Yes, the four of us have been country line dancing for that period of time and love it! I've got the cowboy boots to prove it......and I'm not bad on the dance floor!!!!
Well, my wife and Sue usually quilt on Saturday's together, switching back and forth from each other's houses. Two weeks ago Sue was at our house and was working on a quilt using a pattern that she loves called Hunter Star. She mentioned to me that she would like a door quilt for the summer, honoring Memorial Day and Fouth of July. So, being a good listener (of course, my wife will disagree!) I put two and two together and came up with the Hunter Star pattern in red, white and blue.
I had thought about doing a few imbellishments within the pattern, but, I like the clean look and lines on it, so I'm leaving it alone.
I had thought about doing a few imbellishments within the pattern, but, I like the clean look and lines on it, so I'm leaving it alone.
Monday, February 20, 2012
My first 'Themed' barn quilt
You're probably wondering why I'm calling my latest barn quilt a 'Themed' one. My brother in law Gary, who lives about 2 miles from me, started making maple syrup several years ago in a small building that was used for storage on his property. At first, he started boiling the sap in a small pan on his kitchen stove! Then he progressed to a bigger unit that was designed just for boiling sap. When he started tapping more trees, 14 in all, he naturally collected more sap. So, it was the logical thing to do to move the operation to the storage building.
While reading Suzi Parron's book, Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement, which I blogged on recently, I saw a photo of a barn with the maple leaf quilt block pattern hanging on the side. I had an idea!! I made a 2' x 2' version of that maple leaf pattern for Gary's sugar house.
When I brought my sap over (I have 2 maple trees tapped) I also brought over the barn quilt, which Gary had no idea that I made, and proceeded to hang it over the entrance to the 'sugar house'. Now, I'm not bragging, but it looks pretty darn nice on the building!!!
What's nice about the location, is that the building faces the main road, so it should be visible by people driving by. If anyone is interested in seeing the barn quilt, it's located at 100 South End Rd, Southington, CT.
I wonder now...........Could this be the starting point for a barn quilt trail in Connecticut?! Or could it be my sister in law, Jean, who is Gary's sister and lives in Brookfield, CT, who has had one of my barn quilts, Log Cabin, hanging on the front of her house for over a year!!!
I would hate to get her mad at me, so I will say that she is the start of the barn quilt trail in Connecticut!! The location of this barn quilt is 226 Whisconier Rd (Rte 25), Brookfield, CT and it can be seen from the road.
While reading Suzi Parron's book, Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement, which I blogged on recently, I saw a photo of a barn with the maple leaf quilt block pattern hanging on the side. I had an idea!! I made a 2' x 2' version of that maple leaf pattern for Gary's sugar house.
When I brought my sap over (I have 2 maple trees tapped) I also brought over the barn quilt, which Gary had no idea that I made, and proceeded to hang it over the entrance to the 'sugar house'. Now, I'm not bragging, but it looks pretty darn nice on the building!!!
What's nice about the location, is that the building faces the main road, so it should be visible by people driving by. If anyone is interested in seeing the barn quilt, it's located at 100 South End Rd, Southington, CT.
I wonder now...........Could this be the starting point for a barn quilt trail in Connecticut?! Or could it be my sister in law, Jean, who is Gary's sister and lives in Brookfield, CT, who has had one of my barn quilts, Log Cabin, hanging on the front of her house for over a year!!!
I would hate to get her mad at me, so I will say that she is the start of the barn quilt trail in Connecticut!! The location of this barn quilt is 226 Whisconier Rd (Rte 25), Brookfield, CT and it can be seen from the road.
Monday, February 13, 2012
BARN QUILTS and the American Quilt Trail Movement
I have been constantly searching for a book on the subject of barn quilts and the history behing them. For Christmas in 2010, I received a book by a well known quilting celebrity that had photo's of some barn quilts, but then devoted the remainder of the book to making the barn quilt block from fabric. Not what I was looking for. This past Christmas I received another book about barn quilts. This one had several photo's of barn quilts. It also had instructions on how to make an 8' x 8' barn quilt, which was OK, but, the book also had, of all things, recipes!!! Again, not what I was looking for.
My prayer's were answered this past week when I received my copy of Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement, written by Suzi Parron from Stone Mountain, Georgia. I've never met Suzi but have exchanged emails and blog posts with her for the past year or so.
Suzi dedicated a tremendous amount of time traveling through out the midwest researching, photographing and writing about the many barn quilts and barn quilt trails that had been organized over the years. What makes this book stand out is the family history behind each of the barn quilts featured. History that goes back generations! I am about half way through the book at the moment and find it very hard to put it down. The stories are very touching and heart warming.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this book, go to www.barnquiltsinfo.com and order a copy directly from Suzi Parron. You won't regret it!
My prayer's were answered this past week when I received my copy of Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement, written by Suzi Parron from Stone Mountain, Georgia. I've never met Suzi but have exchanged emails and blog posts with her for the past year or so.
Suzi dedicated a tremendous amount of time traveling through out the midwest researching, photographing and writing about the many barn quilts and barn quilt trails that had been organized over the years. What makes this book stand out is the family history behind each of the barn quilts featured. History that goes back generations! I am about half way through the book at the moment and find it very hard to put it down. The stories are very touching and heart warming.
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this book, go to www.barnquiltsinfo.com and order a copy directly from Suzi Parron. You won't regret it!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Christmas is over
It is now January 8th, 2012. Last year at this time we had fridged weather, snow was on the ground.......LOT'S OF SNOW!!!.....with more to come!!! This year it is completely different. So far the temperature has not fallen below freezing for any length of time. I was out in the yard yesterday, in shirt sleeves, with the temperature hitting a balmy 61 degrees!! It was a great time to put away the outdoor Christmas decorations, take down the Christmas tree's in our living room and sun room and finally take down my barn quilt, Christmas Star, that has been hanging on the front of my house since Christmas 2010!!!!!!!!
I suppose that you could call it laziness on my part that it stayed up all year, but the truth is this is one of my favorite patterns. So, as a result, it remained on the house. My wife mentioned about a week ago that it should come down and replace it with her favorite pattern, the Lamoyne Star.
This is the first barn quilt that I painted and it was hanging on the front of our house until I replaced it with the Christmas Star. Usually, this star pattern is not hung on point as this one is. My wife liked it this way, so that is why it is hung on point. In May 2010 my wife saw a picture of a barn quilt in a quilting magazine and asked me if I would consider make a smaller one, 2' x 2', for our house. I told her that I would give it a try, but I wouldn't promise anything. After a few trial and errors this picture is the result. My lines weren't very good and each paint color was seeping into the other colors, as I hadn't perfected my taping abilities. There was a lot of touching up done to get the colors segregated and the lines as straight as they could be. When I was done, I showed it to my wife thinking that I was done and I could hang it on the house. But, my lovely wife said that it would be really cool if I could paint stitch lines, to give it a look of a real quilt! Are you kidding?! Stitch lines?!?! Being the good husband that I am I made the attempt to paint stitch lines! Although time consuming the painted stitch lines came out quite good!
I was definitely proud of myself and what I was capable of doing. The rest is history and Barn Quilts by Dave was born! Since then my taping skills have improved and I spend less time touching up.
They say that practice makes perfect and I'm constantly practicing!
I suppose that you could call it laziness on my part that it stayed up all year, but the truth is this is one of my favorite patterns. So, as a result, it remained on the house. My wife mentioned about a week ago that it should come down and replace it with her favorite pattern, the Lamoyne Star.
This is the first barn quilt that I painted and it was hanging on the front of our house until I replaced it with the Christmas Star. Usually, this star pattern is not hung on point as this one is. My wife liked it this way, so that is why it is hung on point. In May 2010 my wife saw a picture of a barn quilt in a quilting magazine and asked me if I would consider make a smaller one, 2' x 2', for our house. I told her that I would give it a try, but I wouldn't promise anything. After a few trial and errors this picture is the result. My lines weren't very good and each paint color was seeping into the other colors, as I hadn't perfected my taping abilities. There was a lot of touching up done to get the colors segregated and the lines as straight as they could be. When I was done, I showed it to my wife thinking that I was done and I could hang it on the house. But, my lovely wife said that it would be really cool if I could paint stitch lines, to give it a look of a real quilt! Are you kidding?! Stitch lines?!?! Being the good husband that I am I made the attempt to paint stitch lines! Although time consuming the painted stitch lines came out quite good!
I was definitely proud of myself and what I was capable of doing. The rest is history and Barn Quilts by Dave was born! Since then my taping skills have improved and I spend less time touching up.
They say that practice makes perfect and I'm constantly practicing!
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