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!

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.

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!

Cherie's Illinois Barn

SSOBB Member Cherie Moore

shared this Illinois pole barn

during the SSOBB blog hop last year.

CLICK HERE to read her post about its construction.

When I taught at The Folk School earlier this year,

Cherie sent me her pole barn block

so I could share it with my students.

Of course, I took a few detail photos

while it was in my studio.

Cherie is known for her wonderful use of thrifted shirtings

and this barn is a terrific example of her work.

I especially like the way she added the top on her silo.

If you ever wonder whether small details make a difference,

just look at the impact of that narrow inserted strip above her barn door

and the very narrow inserted strip along the barn's roof lines.

The answer is YES - little details DO make a big difference.

AQS Chattanooga - A Recap

Signage for the SSOBB Gallery Quilt Exhibit

at AQS Quiltweek Chattanooga 2016.

From the Chattanooga Show Book.

(double click photos to supersize)

A panoramic look at our Special Exhibit

at Chattanooga.

What a thrill to see our quilts hanging together!

The Seasonal Sampler 

from BUILD A BARN was on display

in the Author Showcase.

It was hanging beside the cover quilt

from Gwen Marston's Free Range Triangle book.

Left to right:

Lynn Harris 

Heidi Burkhardt

Cherie Moore

Julie Sefton

(taken at the end of the all-day class

taught by Lynn on Abstract Quilts in Solids)

Heidi, Cherie, and Julie posing

with fellow SSOBB Charter Member Lynne Tyler's 

Honorable Mention wall quilt Too Much Chicken.

* * *

Next stop for the Gallery Quilts?

AQS Quiltweek Des Moines.

How to Build a Pole Barn - by Cherie

We are now mid-way through

Cherie Moore's SSOBB blog hop week --

Her SSOBB Gallery page is HERE

if you haven't read the story of The Brave Chicken

Cherie lives in Illinois

where pole barns like these are common.

Check out Cherie's latest post 

Hint:  she shares how to build a pole barn

using shirting fabrics.

VERY cool!

And don't forget to follow the link in her post

to leave a funny comment --

she'll be drawing one person's name

as the winner of this week's

autographed copy of BUILD A BARN.

Cherie's Blog Hop Week

This week's featured SSOBB Charter Member is

CHERIE MOORE

who blogs at The Quilted Jonquil.

Cherie's first blog hop post is HERE.

UPDATE:  There is a second post HERE.

(with insight into making fabric choices)

She's also planning a second post for Thursday.

THIS LINK takes you to her third post.

There IS a giveaway involved

and 

maybe even a brand new free pieced barn!

Thanks for taking time to visit Cherie's blog

and for sharing your comments there 

AND 

on her Gallery page here.

AQS Paducah 2016

Photo by SSOBB Charter Member Cherie Moore (quiltedjonquil.com)
Photo will supersize if double-clicked

This was my first public presentation for BUILD A BARN.

I enjoyed sharing everything about my free pieced barn project:

* the possibilities that come with free piecing,
* the book's cover quilt SEE ROCK CITY,

* the book's SEASONAL SAMPLER that will travel

 with the Showcase for the next year,
* the Secret Society of Barn Builders, and 

* the SSOBB Gallery Quilts.

I also enjoyed hearing stories shared by those in attendance

about barns belonging to family members and

different styles of barns from around the country.

So many told me they have wanted to create a barn quilt

but just hadn't found a way to make that happen.

Their excitement about using the free piecing technique

and process notes/ideas from BUILD A BARN

to create their own long-thought-about barns

gave me goose bumps of joy.

* * *

To those who were there -

Thank you very much for sharing that hour with me.

I can't wait to see what you create!

Quiltdivajulie

p.s.  There are more photos and stories about this event on my personal blog - CLICK HERE.

Cherie Checks In

Even Casper (Cherie's cat) is reading my book!

Here's a link to the full post:

Build a Barn is AWESOME - Cherie Moore

* * *

Be sure to click on Cherie's SSOBB page 

to see her Gallery Quilt.

In Case You Missed These ...

Photo shared by Valerie Levy

Four of the members of the SSOBB

have shared posts on their blogs

about being part of this adventure.

Please - go check them out!

CHERIE MOORE- At Last

CATHY LABATH - Were You Wondering?

VALERIE LEVY - Wanna Know a Secret?


KATHY FRENCH - She's Been Too Quiet . . .

* * *

If any of you will be at AQS Paducah

on Thursday, April 21st,

I'll be speaking in the Author Exhibit area at 11:00 AM.

Please come by and say hello!

Quiltdivajulie