Quilts and Barns

I have managed to combine my quilting passion with my passion for photographing old barns.  I have been quite immersed in genealogy this year, and I am wondering how I can combine that with quilting.  I have recently completed another donation quilt.  I decided I was going to make it fun and not fuss about making it masculine.  So, here is the latest girly donation quilt.  I know some young lass will really fall in love with it.  Although, this is a strip quilt, I stealthily included a couple little houses, one with a fox in the door.

I photographed this quilt at Eagle Island State Park.  They have a couple old barns and silos there.

Charity Quilt

I am sorry, I did not take a photo of this quilt while it was on my design wall.  Last September, I posted about two charity quilts I made.  This is another one, made with 5" X 5" blocks.  I threw in a few four patch blocks, and in the center are the blocks (which are bigger) I used in a demonstration last fall.

I made it less feminine, so perhaps some teenage boy will enjoy it.  There is something about old barns that really capture my attention and imagination.  I have been trying to photograph some of my quilts mounted on old barns.  This is my new favorite.  This barn has not long to live.  The house on the property is abandoned and the windows are broken.  It is a common story these days in Idaho.  In a year, I can expect to see a new business in here where this barn has been for so long.  It has a practically new metal roof on it, but developers don't care about that.  I can image an amazing quilting retreat space in this barn renovated, heavily.  I have a great imagination.

Charity Quilts

 I did take time, over the summer, to make a couple quilts to donate.  One of the gals in my quilt group inspired us all to swap 5" X 5" squares of fabric and make quilts with the variety.  As it turned out, I had a couple of charm packs that my dear friend, Teresa, had given me.  I swapped some of those and used the rest in one of the two quilts I made with five-inch squares.  In August I went to my long-arm quilter's house.  She just happens to have an antique manure spreader in her rear driveway.  She helped me get it on there for a photo.  It turned out pretty good.  

This is the one with the "Woof Woof Meow" fabrics in it.  I know Teresa would be happy that I am donating what I made, with her fabric gift.

Driving back from farm country, I spotted this corrugated make-shift gate, next to a barn, that was next to the road.  I pulled over and pinned up my quilt and shot it, and I was away again in two shakes of a lamb's tail.  But then I decided I liked the one my husband took of it in my quilt room. This is the other donation quilt.  I put a bold floral on the right border, just because I like being wildly eclectic.  I think someone will love this quilt.  Both donation quilts are the same size.  You can click on the photo, and it will enlarge, so you can see the details better.