A Barn Raisin'!

I love farms! Especially the barns and tractors. And the chickens and cows. Horses! Don't forget the tiny baby goats. Oh yea, the garden, both flower and vegetable. I also love sheep! Soft, wooly baby sheep. And the barn cats! I guess it's a good thing that my family and I live in a neighborhood, but it is out in the middle of the country! Our little lot grows a vegetable garden and I do have flowers and a barn cat. But we can not have livestock on our tiny almost 1/4 acre. I do enjoy the farmer-next-door's rooster crowing early in the morning while I walk. Sometimes I can even hear his cow mooing :) One day I hope to have a tiny hobby farm. But right now, I will have to continue pinning pictures for My Future Farm (you are welcome to head on over to my pinterest and check out My Future Farm). For now I will settle for making my home look like a farmstead. Right now I am working on Lori Holt's The Quilty Barn Along. I have jumped aboard! I did resist for a while, but it is so stinkin' cute!! And I love barns!! Anyone can join in, you just follow along on her blog, Bee In My Bonnet. Simple, easy! Just what I like. Every two weeks she comes out with a new barn block. Right now she has just posted #6 and there will be twelve in all. They are sew easy to make. I just started this past Thursday and already have picked out my fabrics from my stash (that took me forever!) and started cutting. I suggest that you work from your stash, even if it is limited. We need to cut into those fabrics so we don't look like an episode of hoarders :)  I have shared my stash photo with you before and it does look like it is a very small stash but what I didn't show you was my stash that is in the closet. Yes, I admit it, I am a hoarder  stasher. I love to built up my stock pile, because you just never know when you might be snowed in for months with no electricity (yes, I do have a treadle just in case) or have some sort of zombie apocalypse and then run out of fabric. That would make idle hands which is not good. So, stashes are our friend, but actually using the material is the key to that friendship.  So, pull out some stash, cuddle it and then cut into it. It may hurt at first, but comfort yourself with the thought that there is always going to be cuter fabric out there that you just have to have. Anyway, the blocks are a lot of fun and sew up quickly. I first cut out all of my pieces for the six blocks. I need to catch up, she will be posting block #7 in, I believe, a week. Now I can start my sewing.

Red strips for the barn and brown and black for the roofs.

These blocks are from the Farmer's Wife quilt. They are added to the side of the barn. I love the Farmer's Wife quilt! I have that quilt on my bucket list now. Go and check out Lori's. It is sew adorable, if you don't sew, this quilt will make you want to learn. I think that you are never too old to learn to sew. It is a wonderful life skill and your local quilt store would be happy to have you sign up for their beginner class.  

My Future Farm on pinterest. Lori Holt also has some wonderful pinterest boards. She has her quilts on there too. Her fabric line Bake Sale is already in stores and on Etsy. It's adorable!

I have been busy working on teacher gifts and getting ready for the end of another school year. D#1 is home from college and D#2 only has this week and part of next week, & son graduates in June and then summer starts! So my posts may become a little bit more sporadic. 

I will be posting my progress on the Barn quilt and tomorrow I will show what the wonderful Tammy sent me for our vintage box swap! 

 If you have joined Lori's quilt along let me know. I would love to see your blocks. Have a wonderful quilty night,

Holly