Where the Green Grass Grows

This sample/demo/teaching barn block 

was initially pieced in September 2017 

when I was teaching barn building at JCCFS.

I shared its May 2019 makeover from 

Cows at Sunset to Where the Green Grass Grows HERE.

I used random scribble-zig-zag stitching 

around the cows' feet and in the grassy areas 

and added some gentle outline stitching 

around the bushes and a few of the cows.

I like the textural results.

The rocky area was stitched 

with lots of tiny liberated pebbles

to push it behind the grass and barn.

The sky's batik told me how to quilt using

random pebbles to outline and fill as needed.

Once again, I am very pleased with the result.

The door and haymow as well as the borders

were quilted with uneven and fairly close matchstick lines.

So why did I name this Where the Green Grass Grows?

That's a lyric fragment from an older country music song

that suited the quilt's theme and depicted scene.

Finished size is approximately 19" x 19"

* * *

Three-plus years have now passed

since the release of BUILD A BARN 

and the time has come 

to stop adding new posts to this blog.

Everything that is here will remain 

as a testament to the fabulous free pieced work

done by the members of the SSOBB and others

who have used the book's process notes

to create buildings of their own.

THANK YOU to our loyal followers and

please feel free to use the links within this blog

to keep tabs on those who have contributed

by following their personal blogs. 

CLICK HERE to read the story behind this photo

Until we meet again . . . 

Rosewood Farms - The Quilt

This was the last photo I shared of the pink barn.

(created mid-2016 as a  demo/presentation 

sample block for BUILD A BARN)

Since that threads-chosen photo was shared, 

I have been pondering how to quilt

the barnyard and the sky . . .

And then I saw these clouds and knew what I wanted to do.

(photo taken through the windshield while DH was driving)

From flat to fabulous.

My liberated free motion all-over fans

created perfect texture for the sky and

using the barnyard fabric design as my guide

provided realistic texture for the bushes and plants.

(for more examples of how quilting 

enhances free pieced work, click HERE

and scroll through the barns of See Rock City)

The batik binding works so well -

what a happy find from the stash.

Here's a detail photo to show 

the roof line ribbon candy motif

as well as the haymow and door details.

Rosewood Farms finished 

at 22" wide by 21.5" high.

Now I can share it 

as an additional example during

my upcoming class at our LQS.

* * *

If you have made a free pieced barn

or other building using the process notes

from BUILD A BARN,

I would be happy to share your work here.

Just email me photos and your project's story -

there's a link in my profile (see sidebar).

Quiltdivajulie

April Showers and BLUE

I made this liberated free pieced barn

as a teaching sample for my book

BUILD A BARN - No Pattern Construction

back in March of 2016.

A week or so ago, I received an invitation

to participate in the upcoming regional

BLUE quilt challenge

and I thought of this sample block.

In order to make it a bit more BLUE,

I changed the barnyard to a field of blue bonnets

and adjusted the overall measurements

to meet the required 24" x 24" dimensions.

Pin basted and ready to quilt . . . 

Quilted and bound.

For some reason, this one is tricky to photograph.

The light and angle make a huge difference

in the photographed colors - especially the sky.

This black and white version

shows off the quilted texture of the barn yard.

My free form double clamshell 

was inspired by one of LuAnn Kessi's sketch pages.

And here is the same photo in living color.

I quilted the blue bonnets with Glide thread in Royal.

I also quilted the silo using Royal thread

with a design inspired by Leah Day's Monster Teeth.

The silo's texture shows up better in black and white.

The sky was quilted using 

Affinity variegated thread in Aquamarine.

The barn itself was quilted with  Royal

and the door/windows with Hawaiian Blue.

double-click to supersize this image

I still need to make/add the label

and attach the already-made hanging sleeve,

but there is no problem meeting

 the April 1 entry deadline.

* * *

BLUE will be on display at Crosstown Concourse 

(Memphis, TN)

from May 10 through July 28, 2019.

BLUE is just one aspect of

STITCHED-Celebrating the Art of Quilting

which will feature other events including a 

Community Quilt making event with Maria Shell.

* * *

If you've never tried building a barn of your own,

get an autographed copy of my book 

BUILD A BARN-No Pattern Construction

 directly from me for almost the same 

price as Amazon Prime.

 ($15.00 plus $7.50 domestic USPS Priority Mail shipping)

Missouri Color Story - The Quilt

This one was quilted before I got sick and

I've only now gotten the binding and sleeve finished.

I used four different colors of Glide thread:

Graphite for the sky,

Aloe for the borders,

a warm variegated brown for the dirt,

and Silver for the barn itself.

I'm especially pleased with the texture of the dirt and sky.

I used organic (wavy) lines for the barn siding.

I added only minimal details for the doors and windows.

Missouri Color Story now hangs in our foyer.

Finished size 39" x 39"

* * *

If you've never tried building a barn of your own,

get an autographed copy of my book 

BUILD A BARN-No Pattern Construction

 directly from me for almost the same 

price as Amazon Prime.

 ($15.00 plus $7.50 domestic USPS Priority Mail shipping)

Quiltdivajulie

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!

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 . . .

Exciting!

I stopped by our new locally-owned independent book store

and look what I found on their shelf --

How exciting!