Building a Barn

On my Facebook status this week (Piney's Needle, find me and "like" me there), I mentioned that I was building a barn.  Well, it's done!

I used Eleanor Burns' pattern from her book Quilt Blocks on American Barns.  I read the book first and then watched her video and that helped a lot for me to see her putting it together.  It really was fairly easy (although I don't see how she does a quilt in a day!).

I changed my layout up a little, adding some rolling hills in the background and some extra barn doors.  My son oversaw the production and has decided this is his (Christmas secrets!!!).

I've never been a fan of fusible items on a quilt, but since this is going to be a wall hanging, I gave it a try.  When, yes "when" because I am doing this, I make the quilt, I'll do the windmill with applique.  I didn't take any pictures during the process, but here is one of the ways that I varied from the instructions.

I almost didn't put the windmill on there, but it really makes the block.  The instructions call for black fusible bias tape, which I didn't have.  This and a few of Eleanor's rulers will need to be added to my supplies when I do the full quilt.   What I did have was these binding bars, used for applique, and I used them, along with my zipper foot on my sewing machine, my stiletto, and very sharp scissors.

I'll have to do an instructional post on using those bars, but I love them for adding very small stems to your applique.  In fact, I started to applique the legs of the windmill down, but did go back and sew them down (simply adding top-stitching to both sides).

To make the legs of the windmill, I cut a strip of material 1-1/2 inches wide and about 10 inches long, folded it half, pinned along the edges and then slipped one of these bars into it.  Using my zipper foot, I stitched closed to the bar (not too close, the fabric needs to be able to twist on the bar).  I used the stiletto to help hold/guide the fabric into the machine.  Then I twisted the fabric so that the seam opened flat on the bar and I ironed the seam open.  I also ironed the other side before removing the bar.  Then with those very small, very sharp scissors, I trimmed as close to the seam as I could.

For the blades and the bars on the windmill, I did do the fusible technique and then went around all the rough edges with a satin stitch, but no matter how good you are at this technique, there always seems to be some frayed edges (the reason I like applique better).

I added extra barn doors too and since that was an afterthought, I fused them on, satin stitching the raw edges.

Tonight's project will be to frame the "picture".  I want to used mitered corners to give it a framed look and here's a slideshow of how to make those.  I needed a refresher course before I got started.

Hope all your Christmas gift making is done.  I've got one more project to finish up...but I still have 4 days!!!