Quilting

With a sprint to the end, we both finished our quilt tops for the Barn project last week. So the entire thing got done in 2014! We are so proud of ourselves. The twelve blocks were sewn together in four rows of three blocks with the barns and silos alternating. Each block has a strip of sashing around it and there is an extra row of sashing around the outside so that each block has two strips of sashing on each side. The sashings alternate so that each block corner has a woven look. The four outside corners have small squares to finish it off. We dug through our stashes quite deeply to get sashing and I made some small purchases to finish us up so that all the sashing pieces are unique. That was a bit of a scramble! But we love the scrappy look to the finished project. We plan to sew backings and get them quilted sometime next year, then display them in the Alpine Days Quilt Show next August.

Team ShaRee

Team Sue

 

Our reflections on this project include:

• it was really fun to work on it together for support and mutual cheerleading
• we learned a lot about our machines during the project and as I acquired a new machine in the middle of it, that was also a learning curve for me
• we learned many new skills as we tried new blocks and techniques
• we shared tips and tricks with each other, thus increasing both our skill sets
• we just got better and better at piecing as we went along

We are now committed to sewing together and are busy planning projects for 2015. If you are on Pinterest, I have a board dedicated to this barn project.

In the last two weeks of group sewing, we made the last two barn blocks for the quilt. Last week’s block was the Summer Star block. This is the only “twinner” block we made. We both loved this barn and roof fabric and decided to use them. As we were looking at fabrics for the blocks on the side of the barn, we just found these fabrics that worked and decided to go the same and be twins. Because of the planning we did, this is probably the most harmonious of all the barns. Most of the wall blocks are independent of the barn fabrics, but this one all blends together. I took the photo alphabetically: Team ShaRee on the left and Team Sue on the right. [Read more…] about Last of the barn blocks

Two more more barns built this fall and with only two more to go, we are starting to think about the endgame.

We did a lovely Maple Leaf block on a barn with silo for the fall season. We both fell in love with that darling silo fabric and decided we had to each use it, so we fussy cut the silos a little to get the big yellow flowers and stems where we wanted. Team ShaRee went with a brown barn and tied in the green leaves on the silo by using a green plaid roof. Darling! [Read more…] about Fall Barns

We are still working away on our barn construction and in the last couple of weeks we managed to get two more blocks finished and the barns all sewed up. The Waterturn block was named by Lori Holt as an homage to her Dad’s irrigation turns. In the West we live and die by irrigation, so you plan your life around your turn to get the water. It involves opening the gate to allow water into your property for a set amount of time, then closing it again. Since we are both familiar with irrigation turns and have each done our time with them, we knew we had to include this block in our quilts. [Read more…] about Barn blocks 8 & 9

We decided to look forward to fall and harvest time and do some blocks that fit the season. We loved the “Canning Season” block with its little canning jars full of yummy goodness. We are trying to use scraps for this quilt and except for the massive amounts of white and a few tiny purchases of very small quantities, we have been succeeding. Between the two of us we usually come up with what we need. Team ShaRee went with a traditional red gingham for the silo and a lovely dark blue print for the barn that really made the canning jars pop!

[Read more…] about Barn construction continues