Barn Quilts

 It was lovely to be able to have an in-person meeting. Heather shared some history of "barn quilts" and her experiences creating them. Close to home, there is a barn quilt trail in Kings County, New Brunswick and another in Prince Edward Island. You can google these to find maps of the trails. 

After talk with a group of her gardening friends, Heather tried making her first barn quilt. It is still on her house. 

This was done on 1/4" thick plywood, primed,  then painted and finally lacquer to weatherproof it. Her preferred plywood size is a 2 feet by 2 feet square and she uses a thicker plywood (maybe half or three-quarter inch). A person can also use a stretched canvas for painting a barn quilt. These are displayed where there is protection from the weather - on a covered porch, under an eave, or even in the house. 

A tip for creating a successful barn quilt - use real yellow frog painter tape. It keeps the paint from bleeding underneath for clean, sharp edges. Thank you for sharing, Heather. Perhaps there will be a workshop down the road . . .

Note that our April meeting will involve a hands-on activity (not a barn quilt). Further info about what to bring will be sent to members. 

 Our community and comfort quilt stash is growing. Our latest community project is the 12 Neighbours Tiny Home Project in Fredericton. Betty has donated 3 quilt as you go reversible quilts. She says they are great scrap busters. One side is made with diagonal strips and other side squares. 

She has also donated a pineapple quilt. Thank you, Betty.

In other Show & Tell, Ruth has made a variation of the Wildwood quilt. This is destined to be a community or comfort quilt.

Debbi D showed a one block wonder she made by buying panels instead of yardage. The panel is shown on the back of the quilt.

Melanie shared a quilt she made by cutting up a panel and making some coordinating blocks. 

Evelyn shared her work from retreat.

Gisele made a large tote bag.

Heather has made 2 more zippered bags - one for herself and one for her sister. She also made her sister a matching knitting needle holder for making socks.

And Heather showed her chickadee created during the Darcy Hunter workshop.

Heather and Toni have been making the same snowmen blocks. 

Debby H got some fabric for Christmas. It is now a beautiful quilt.

This is an eye spy quilt.

This is a little wonky on the eyes but look at it on the diagonal. How can squares and rectangles look so 3-dimensional? Very interesting, Debby H.

Betty has been playing with half square triangles. The first pattern she says she would make again, the second one not so much.

Betty also has a clamshell baby quilt.

Pam K-D just got two quilts back from the machine quilter. The first is for a 13 year old girl that loves teal. 

And this one is for an 11 year old boy.

Betty also had a couple of quilts newly back from the machine quilter.

Leann made a dust cover for her mug press.

Kathy H has completed an applique featuring a goat. The McKenna Ryan pattern is called Munch a Bunch.

And she has made two door hangers for her mother - a daffodil for St. David's Day and shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day.

Here are two zippered pouches Susan F made recently. She particularly likes the denim bottom on the second one. She says it gives the bag a good stiff base.