Hello, I thought I would start a thread on barn quilts. Does anyone here paint them? I would love to hear about yours and see pics. Below is mine in progress. I need to put a sealer on it and get it mounted on the barn in the Spring. This one is a 4x4.

Your is beautiful. Can't wait to see if when it is finished. I have wanted to make one but I already have too many irons in the fire. I have been taking pictures of them for the past few years if I can get a good picture as we are driving. My DH does not stop for anything----pictures, garage sales, curb junk, nothing.........I will have to post pictures of some that I have seen from my other device---main computer........

I totally understand about the not stopping. My DH does for a few rest breaks at antique shops :)

I will be watching for you photos. I love seeing other barn quilts. I am trying to decide how I want to mount mine. Some screw them directly onto the barn.

Here are some pictures of a few barn quilts that I saw while traveling to and fro.

Thanks for posting those. I have seen where you can also make the a 2x2 for a smaller bldg.
One lady at my church has one on her garage. She said she didn't have a barn so she bought a smaller one.

Here is what I want to paint for the daylily garden. http://www.generations-quilt-p...

My grandmother was a big quilter, my MIL was also. I do machine quilting but I don't quilt by hand anymore.

That is really a nice one. My mother used to quilt by hand but she is gone now. I never had an interest in it. My girl friend does quite a bit of it when she has time. My sister-in-law also does some quilting.

To me it is more of a heritage thing. It is almost a lost art. If you are ever in the Paducah area. The National Quilt Museum is worth seeing even if you are not a quilter. Some of the quilts look more like paintings. Just stunning. I am planning on another trip in the Spring with a couple of friends.

http://www.quiltmuseum.org/

The front of my house has a large empty flat space that I have never liked. I keep thinking of something to put up there. I might seriously look into something like this. I saw a painting of a sunflower that I really liked several years ago and thought about recreating it and putting it up there. Seeing these Barn Quilts have made me think of that again. Not to mention that I do have a barn.
Pay no attention to the badly in need of re-staining lower part. Another project for this summer. LOL

You should Holly. I would paint what ever makes you happy. If it is a sunflower then that will make you smile when you come home and see it.

I have a friend that purchased one and she has it on her house. It is on a wall beside the back door.

It would be a summer project and you know how busy we all are in the summer. But this thread has given me another boost towards doing something. Will post a pic if I get around to it.

A couple of years ago I was on a camping trip and came across several barn quilts on some buildings. In western North Carolina they are using the barn quilts as a way to attract visitors/tourists to the area. It's called Quilt Trails.They recently installed the 200th barn quilt on the on-going tour.

http://www.quilttrailswnc.org/

These are just beautiful. What wood did you use? quarter, half inch plywood or something completely different. I need something on my shed. One of the small ones would be perfect on the side. Maybe I could go a little smaller and one on each door. Watch out, head is spinning again.

Robin, I used a commercial grade sheet of exterior sign board. I asked them to cut the 8 x4 sheet in half. I have seem them painted on wood but the ones near me are not. This is a lighter product and will be easier to mount.

Where did you get that. A sign shop?

Great, thank you. I think one sheet would do the trick for me, with some left over for a future craft. Next question, I thought about this during a dream (I know weird) do you mount straight onto the barn or do you put slats on the back for air circulation etc.?
Sorry for all the questions. Also during the dream I thought about patterns Lone Star, pin wheel and maybe something else or another pin wheel in different colors.

Good question Holly, I was going to Menards or Lowes hoping that they would know.

Bluegrassmom,
Is the sign board by any chance a product called Coroplast?

I was thinking of maybe using cement board. It will handle the weather well and takes paint beautifully. It does have some weight to it but there are some thinner types that aren't too heavy.

Any kind of board that is weatherproof and that will hold paint will work. In my hometown, when doing a 'refacing' of the old buildings, they added a small 'barn quilt' to each of the stores, most of them on the sides of the buildings and most were no more than 3'x3'. They used signboard and I think it's been about 6 years now but the barn quilts still look beautiful.

I've done several for others; I live in town and with no outbuildings there are none here, though I'm tempted to add a small one to my front entrance. Mostly around here they are large and on big outbuildings in the country. As you drive along interstates in KY you will see many barn quilts. If they are simple designs, it's easy enough to block off all but one color, spray paint that color then let it dry, then block that color off and move on to the next color and spray it. Same thing with each color with blocking in between. The paint used then is outdoor spray paint that will adhere to the board. Sort of like stencils, block then paint, then block then paint, one color at a time.

And I have all this boring fence line..................Now you all have me thinking of yet another project.....like I need another one.