Per usual – I saved the last closer look for the Project QUILTING Barn Quilt Challenge for the quilt I came up with – Fractured Barn Quilts.
Before I get too far I have to say that my photo’s are not doing justice to this quilt. It’s so frustrating trying to get decent photo’s in my living room since I can’t outside right now – this spring I’ll be redoing all my PQ Quilt photo’s to help really show what they are like.
I knew right away what I was going to do the second I saw this challenge. The tough part was picking which four quilt squares I wanted to use. After searching through quilt books I finally decided to do the ones that represent Project QUILTING.
Block 1: Shoofly from the very first challenge
Block 2: Log Cabin, from a challenge in Season 1
Block 3: Flying Geese, from a challenge in Season 2 – this particular block is also the same block that FabricFascination teaches in her 2nd BOM. Just a slight tweek in fabric choices can completely change the look of this block.
Block 4: I chose a modified Constellation which is the same as the one that we put up on our orchard barn.
I chose to use solid Kona fabrics. I was first exposed to solids during the 2011 Modern Solids Quilt Along run by Patchwork Squared. The solids make your quilt so dramatic, so modern. Also – one of the first things my County’s Barn Quilt committee said when I wanted to put one up was to choose, solid, bold colors – exactly what Kona Solids can accomplish.
So, I put together my four blocks in both a 12.5″ size and a 6.5″ size. With the 12.5 blocks I convergence them Ricky Tims style – the result is incredible! So much bold geometric patterns were created – I LOVE it!
I used the other four ‘mini’ blocks as part of the border. I wanted to combine the traditional elements of lone blocks with a modern twist using convergence.
It took me quite a bit of time to figure out how I was going to quilt this piece. There are so many seams with all the piecing, cutting and re-piecing that I knew it was going to be easy. I even started one thing and tore it out (anyone that knows me knows I rarely, if ever, tear out my work). I finally decided to do a linear grid quilting in the main portion of the quilt. I did avoid the strips that coincided with the cool pinwheels that remained once all the cutting took place. The outer border I just did some simple linear quilting in the gray portions. I really love how tight quilting looks and it really helps pull out the modern feel. BUT since I have a new quilting machine I am always looking for more quilting ideas – what would you have done?
A thin grey lip of fabric borders the interior convergence part of this piece to help ‘stop’ the design and a grey binding does that again at the outside of the quilt.
I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this piece! It took A LOT of guts to cut apart my blocks! Especially since I had actually done a decent job of matching my corners during piecing – which is NOT my strong suit.
Approximate Direction: 30.25″ x 27″
Because of this challenge I did a lot of web browsing for barn quilts which inspired a new project for my orchard –
Somehow, someday – I’m going to have an outdoor quilt show at the orchard just like the one at Buggy Barn. When I told my husband he needs to help me figure out how to pull it off he responded, “Okay”. Gotta love him!
Tubaville Quilts says
This is FABULOUS!!!
Hillbilly Tonya says
Wow, this is awesome. I bought that Convergence book quite some time ago. I need to try some. I'd have never thought to cut those blocks apart. So cool!