HOW I DO IT.

Thought I'd show anyone who cared how that I am making my barn quilts. There is certainly nothing hard about making one but I think it takes a steady hand and eye....and enough patience to allow the paint to dry. There are some websites that show you how they make the barn quilts and not everyone does it the same or goes thru the same process. What I'll show you is just how I do it until I learn a better or more economical way. Feel free to contact me if you can help me improve.

Here are some pictures of a barn quilt that I am currently making. It's actually the first one that I'm getting paid to do. It's always a real treat getting paid to do something you enjoy. It makes me happy, happy, happy! :-)

Anyway, I start off with a sheet of 1/2" Hardwood Birch. I know this is cabinet grade stuff but, unless I went to 3/4" exterior plywood, there was nothing else worth getting at my local lumber yard. This stuff is strait and smooth and easy to work with. A little pricey but all lumber seems to be nowadays. I had the lumber yard cut it into two 4' x 4' pieces so I didn't have to. Their vertical saw is great.

Next, I cut some strips about 1-1/2" wide of either Pine or whatever else kind of wood I have and make a frame on the back. I glue and nail these to help with strength and also make it easier to hang.

Then, I paint two coats of primer/sealer on the front and back.

Then I lay out my design, masked off the areas that will be painted with the lightest color first. I then apply, at a minimum, three coats of semi-gloss exterior latex enamel. This design is called Harvest Star 4 and the customer wanted three specific colors.

This is what it looks like after I remove the masking tape with the first color done.

I then masked off for my next color. The customer wanted John Deere green, yellow plus black and told me where they wanted the colors to be. Because the background was going to be green, and because I did not want to be bumping up against the edge while painting the inside, I painted the black before the green.

Here's the result after removing the tape around the black. I also started taping around the circle as the black was drying.

I then started on the inner green color.

I then finished up with the first coat with the outside green. This was as far as a got this morning before heading to work. I'll show you the finished product next post.

Thanks for looking.