Mari Has Done It Again --

This is Mari's second free pieced church.

I think it is fabulous.

You can read her post about it HERE.

The link for her post about the first church here.

And you can see her free pieced chapel post here.

Go, Mari, GO!!

More Free Pieced Lighthouses

Kaja recently finished hand quilting

this pillow featuring another of her 

wonderful free pieced lighthouses.

She's still hand quilting

this second piece.

I really like her working small approach.

Kaja blogs at Sew Slowly

and is one of the two leaders for

the Ad Hoc Improv Quilters group.

Congratulations to Wendy!

Wendy's free pieced barn quilt is a winner!!

Wendy was part of one of my local barn building classes

and I was so impressed with all the little extras she included

like the triple edged roof line,

the fussy cut and double-framed haymow,

and a secondary shuttered window with flowers.

She quilted her piece on her DSM

and took full advantage of the many different stitch styles

to lend even more interest and texture.

You can double click this last full-view photo

to enjoy all the details.

CONGRATULATIONS, Wendy -

WELL DONE!

AQS Virginia Beach - Quilt Sighting

It took some effort on their part,

but Tina (L) and her friend Jennifer (R)

were finally able to spend quality time

with The Seasonal Sampler

at the AQS Virginia Beach show.

They had searched and searched without luck

until they started asking AQS folks 

where they could find the quilt.

OOPS.

Somehow it had been missed 

during the frenzy of unpacking 

and getting the show ready to open.

The Sampler was quickly pulled from its traveling trunk

and displayed in the Author/iQuilt Showcase area.

Tina and Jennifer examined every little detail 

and shared that seeing the quilt in person 

was the highlight of their visit.

I am thrilled and amazed at how good 

The Seasonal Sampler looks after four-plus years 

of traveling all across the USA.

Seeing these photos is like visiting with an old friend -

thanks to Tina and Jennifer for sharing their visit.

Two More Barns from Glen's Recent Trip

In Glen's words:

"Here are two barns.

I believe they were located 

in the village of Liepvre France."

"Liepvre began as a monastery in the 8th Century 

through a monk called Bobolinus.  

King Charlemagne talked about it in 774."

Glen Shares a German Barn

SSOBB Charter Member Glenda Parks and her husband

have just returned from a trip to Europe.

At one point she texted me this photo

with a simple caption ...

German Barn!

You can read more about their adventures on her blog.

Her first trip-related post is HERE.

Thanks, Glen - Barns are awesome all around the world!

Spreading the Word

Let's help spread the word

about our love for barns

and free pieced barn building . . .

We have several hashtags on Instagram

and the more we share images of barns and

our free pieced barn (or other building) projects,

the better for all of us!

The primary hashtag is 

#freepiecedbarnproject

but we also use

#freepiecedbarns 

and

#build_a_barn

and 

#buildabarnnopatternconstruction

When you discover a grand old barn

or one that is in a sad state of dis-repair,

stop and take a photo or two

and share them on Instagram

using the four hashtags above.

(and if you are not on Instagram,

email the photos to me using

julie at sefton dot info

and I'll share them here along with

credit to you as the photographer)

LOTS of people love barns,

so let's share that joy.

Barns deserve our respect and appreciation -

so let's share more barn photos!

And Another One Begins

Mari from The Academic Quilter

continues to work on her series 

of free-pieced churches.

This one - San Miguel in Santa Fe NM -

is the next one she plans to re-create.

Challenges include the height of the church

and the fact that it is made of adobe.

Stay tuned!

A Winter Barn by Becca

Look what Becca Fenstermaker built!

Inspired by the Winter Barn from

BUILD A BARN's Seasonal Sampler,

she created this "Christmas in July" barn

in response to the current annual challenge

for her county fair.

I think her Christmas tree is wonderful,

and check out that red and white barn quilt

above the barn's double doors.

And isn't this a gorgeous Christmas wreath for the haymow!

Here is her finished quilt.

(you can double click these photos

to supersize them for even more detail)

You can find more of Becca's work on her website

or by following her on Instagram - @prettypiney

Thanks, Becca - I hope your entry wins the blue ribbon!

Added later - 

And Becca DID win a blue ribbon

for her free pieced barn quilt.

Congratulations!

The Shipping Forecast

This is Kaja's amazing quilt top named

The Shipping Forecast.

Kaja used liberated free piecing methods

from BUILD A BARN for her lighthouses.

You can read some of her thoughts HERE.

Well said, Kaja!

One VERY Special Group of Quilters

Brenda S (L) and Valerie L (R) 2018

Of all the good things that have come from

the publication of BUILD A BARN,

the friendships that grew up amongst 

the charter members of the

Secret Society of Barn Builders

is the one that warms my heart the most.

We are an international group

with quilt makers in Germany,

Canada, and all across the US.

None of us live anywhere near each other

which makes what I'm about to share

even more special and amazing.

* * *

This past month, Brenda Suderman 

and her husband traveled/camped

nearly half-way across Canada

to visit Valerie in Nova Scotia.

I absolutely love the photo above showing Brenda and Valerie

 together with two of their SSOBB Gallery Quilts.

Valerie (L) and Glen P. (R) 2017

Last year Glen traveled from Louisiana

 to visit Valerie in Nova Scotia.

(They live roughly 1,800 miles away from each other)

Lynne's Liberated Bird Class in St. Louis 2013
Julie S. and Cherie M. back row / Lynne front row right with Millie

Lynne Tyler has met up with several of us 

including yours truly, Cherie Moore, and Chris Ballard.

Debbie (R) with her mom (L) during Lynne's class at Quilted Threads

Lynne has also met Debbie Voigt,

who drove from NC to NH 

to take a liberated birds class with Lynne.

Lynne with Kathy French - November 2016

Lynne traveled about 200 miles each way

to spend a weekend with Kathy French

not long before Kathy learned she had lung cancer.

Salem Stitcher (L) with Nancy (R) and Debbie (front) - Asheville, 2011

Debbie Voigt and Nancy Stevens 

have met up with each other

even though they live several states apart.

Julie Post with The Seasonal Sampler at AQS Des Moines

And Julie Post (Iowa) and Brenda Suderman (Canada)

had planned to meet at AQS Des Moines 

to see the Special Exhibit of SSOBB Gallery Quilts,

but ended up missing each other by a day.

L to R:  Lynn Harris, Heidi B, Cherie M, Julie S.
Chattanooga 2016

Cherie Moore (Illinois), Heidi from Germany 

and I met up with each other

during a liberated quilt making class

during AQS Chattanooga 2016

where our instructor was Lynn Harris 

who took some of the photos used in the book.

Julie S (L) and Brenda S (R)

I met up with Brenda S.

during AQS Grand Rapids 2013.

Julie (L) and Debbie (R) - 2017

I met up with Debbie V.

at the Folk School last year

after being online friends for many years.

Julie and Chris shown here with Lynne's newly-quilted
Letters From Home that was published in Word Play Quilts.

I've spent hours and hours with Chris B.

since she quilted almost all of my quilts

for the first many years of my quilty-life.

And there are plans afoot for me to meet up with 

Nancy Stevens in Nashville next year 

during Quilt Con 2019.

Collaborative quilt made by the SSOBB for Glen 2016

Best of all, the correspondence that flew amongst us

during the creation of BUILD A BARN continues

as we have supported each other through

the death of Hilda's husband, 

the flooding of Glen's house,

 Hilda's breast cancer and Kathy's terminal lung cancer,

serious illness of various family members,

retirements, the deaths of parents,

 the births of several grandchildren,

and for so many other reasons.

I don't know about the gallery quilt makers 

who have been part of other books,

but I am thrilled to be a part of THIS group!

Price Reduction

For those who want their very own

author-autographed copy of BUILD A BARN,

the book's price has just been reduced.

$15.00 plus USPS Priority Mail shipping charges.

 Please leave me a comment

that includes a way to contact you

and we'll work out the logistics via email.

THANK YOU!

Sightings and New Construction

SSOBB Charter Member Cherie Moore

sent this photo of herself with The Seasonal Sampler

from the Spring Paducah AQS show.

And Preeti and Mari shared this photo

from the Lancaster AQS show.

* * *

The Seasonal Sampler continues its travels

with three more AQS shows this year.

Grand Rapids, MI. August 22–25, 2018

Fall Paducah, KY. September 12–15, 2018

Virginia Beach, VA. October 3–6, 2018

If you see it there, please share a photo!

And a while ago, this photo was shared

as Mari's inspiration photo

for a new free pieced construction project.

Look what she created!

* * *

If you are working on a free pieced building

inspired by BUILD A BARN's process notes,

please let me know.

I'd love to share your work here

to help inspire others.

Reality Check

Barn and silo built  ca. 1920

You may remember this photo 

from page 38 of BUILD A BARN.

I took it on a summer morning in 2015 

at a property less than a half mile from our house.

This is the second barn on that same property.

The photo was taken as a drive-by in late winter 2015.

That second barn was the inspiration

for my SSOBB gallery quilt Flying Lessons.

I took this photo today on my way home from PT.

The property has been sold 

and now the barn is no more.

I know this is the reality of our world,

but it still makes me sad to see

these venerable old buildings destroyed.

So many stories it could have told . . .

Another One Begins

Mari over at The Academic Quilter

is planning her next free-pieced church.

Go read all about it HERE.

You can read about her other efforts HERE.

Go, Mari, GO!!

Author / iQuilt Showcase 2018

The Seasonal Sampler from BUILD A BARN

will be on display during the 2018 AQS Quiltweek shows!

Daytona Beach - February 28-March 3, 2018

Lancaster - March 21-24, 2018

and

Spring Paducah - April 18-21, 2018

as well as

Wendy Caton Reed from The Constant Quilter

Grand Rapids - August 22-25, 2018

Kevin the Quilter

Fall Paducah - September 12-15, 2018

Teresa Raleigh from A Quilt and A Prayer

and

Virginia Beach - October 3-6, 2018

Julie Post - one of the Secret Society of Barn Builders Charter Members

If you attend any of these shows

and visit with The Seasonal Sampler,

please get a photo of yourself with the quilt

and send it to me.

Cherie Moore - one of the Secret Society of Barn Builders Charter Members

It is SUCH fun to see your smiling faces!