Monday, July 30, 2018

And Another One Begins



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!



Sunday, July 15, 2018

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!


Wednesday, July 11, 2018

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!

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

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!