I saw a few of these this summer during a road trip and now I can't remember what sate I was in when I saw them. I remember thinking, "I wish my husband would let me paint something like that on our barn".

No it is just something that got started. They are registered, someplace, Here they are at Chamber of Commeris. They are getting to be more and more all the time.
I am from Iowa if that helps

a childhood friend and i went to Kentucky to visit another childhood friend...
there were a lot on the barns down there too...we would have loved to take pictures of all the ones we saw...will have to be a project for next time...altho we did manage to get one or two pics without being run over...lol

They are getting quite popular here in WV. I have already purchased the wood and had it cut into squares and trying to decide what patterns to use. They are going to be gifts for my daughter and my niece who both love quilts.

You don't paint directly onto the barn or building. You paint it on squares of heavy plywood and then attach it to the barn or building. I guess you could paint it directly to the building, though.

I hope you bought treated wood. Plywood won't hold up more than a year or so. It would be a shame to put all the work into it, then have it rot so quickly. Our group here is painting them on metal for that reason.

Plywood WILL NOT hold up anytime at all. The art teacher here wouldn't listen when we told her they had to be done on metal or specially treated wood. Plus, they are tremendously heavy when painted on wood.

You either have to paint them directly on the barn/building or paint them on lightweight metal.

Yes, it is heavy plywood that has been treated and I was advised to put a sealer on it. However, I sure am glad you told me. I know it's going to be a lot of work and I sure don't want it to fall apart immediately. Thanks for the info.

There are a bunch in IL too. July, August, & September will be Quilt Fest in the 6 counties across Northern IL. See www.northernillinoisquiltfest.com for more info. I just finished drawing a "Corn and Beans" quilt block for Von Bergen's Country Market east of Hebron, IL.

I thought this is where the squares started with the hex signs in Amish country.

I've seen them in TN and NC also.
Cool.
simple quilter

I plan to make one, and out it on my garage, in the back, just for me. I used to have a Pennsylania Dutch hex sign, chosen because the coor of it matched our house. After 'an unplanned, oops for a midle name, just 13 months younger than his siter' son was born, I learned that the hex sign I chose is the sign for FERTILITY!

Good to know that plywood may not work. We have a metal garage door, so might try to paint on it. The only thing is it might fade in the sun after a while. But then, you could just repaint it.

Yes there is a barn quilt block, there also is a register some where, so you can be on a tour list. I how ever have been looking a long time for some one to let me know where to get a pattern that large, as I just have gotten a brand new barn door, abour 20X20 that is facing the road and begging for a new paint jib.

Racine county in southeastern Wisconsin has about 30 quilt patterns on barns - and the tourism center has a map so you can drive around and see them. go to realracine.com to ask about the map. Its very pretty

When I travel to Iowa I love to see the barn quilts. I wish my DH would make one to put on our privacy fence.

they have a quilt block on barns in NC too

There are a lot of counties in several states that are promoting Quilt Trails or similar projects...there is a 3 county project in western North Carolina in the mountains near where my daughter lives. We drive the route to see what's new every time I am back there.

I took a bunch of pictures the last time we drove the route...they have installed over 100 quilt squares on buildings there.

My husband and I just took a trip to the Oregon Coast and we saw a bunch of the barn quilts in Tillamook County.

Something fun to do I got a gift card to buy supplies for one for our barn. But it's not a tall farm barn, just a shorter shop barn, so I'm going to make mine 4x4. Probably make two, actually.

Some areas of the country have groups that help make the barn quilts. One group uses a special aluminum with special paint.

Hopefully that gal will see you post and give you information on one.

How complex a block are you wanting that you need a pattern? I'm just going to mark mine out on the plywood and paint.

WTG! Make sure you post a photo for us!

Yep, big up here in KY. You see them everywhere, and people sell them at craft fairs. Thought about getting one for my garage. Figure why not, my neighbor is a corn feild, i can call it a barn... Right? LOL Don't see many of them on the Tn side. city council in KY encourages it, they use it with theri slogans like "make KY beautiful" I love the idea. So neat to see driving around.

Karen, did you ever find out exactly what type of aluminum your group uses?

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Here in MN and WI we have a lot of them. A friend of mine is even thinking about putting one on her chicken coop.

We have alot of them in Western NC... they have a map with all the locations, the names etc for them... not where I can look but I think website is something about NC Quilt Trails...... anyway if ever in that part of the country get online & find out about them... they said it would take a few days to see them all!!!

There is a lady who lives in Salem In. who makes those. I think they are so neat!

Accuquilt GO company currently has a contest on their webstie to design a barn quilt block to win $1,000!

My friend Connie has been instrumental in bringing a lot of the barn quilts to Mid-Missouri. I believe they are made of metal so they will last for yrs. People can choose which quilt block they wish to have if it hasn't already been chosen. Every yr she makes a quilt & sells tickets to help raise funds in order to do this. It is really neat to see them while driving around this area.

I'm not lucky enough to have a barn but I thought I would paint mine on wood and stick it in the garden on posts..like a gate. The question is..which block to pick?? I have too many favorites to have just one. ;-)

I had looked up barn quilts,and like them so much I made one for our barn. I dont have any pic her in AZ,but when i get home I will post my barn quilt. :D

I was in Mo. last fall, a lot of the barns there had the big quilt blocks, painted on them.

Silly question I know - but where do you get the metal & exactly what do you get? Thanks :-D

what you saw is called in our area 'quilt trails' ours is the western north carolina chapter www.quilttrailswnc.org these blocks are all up and down the eastern coast. where i live i can see 2- 8' blocks at all times.my daughter is in college and is in the process of fixing a block to donate to her college for her senior project, this is her heritage, the college is so excited.this process can involve the local high school art department, carpenter dept. and retired people . it also helps to bring tourist in (people really do go quilt block looking) we have our county divided into 9 sections.my section has18 blocks and it takes 3 hours to drive, we are talking picnic lunch,beautiful mountains ect. these blocks are from 2' to 8' in size and cost from250. and up they are on barns ,churches and business. this is more info. then you may have wanted ,so tell husband you really did see quilt blocks on barns.

If you contact www.quilttrailswnc.org Barbara can give you all the info. on supplies.

I haven't seen them out here in Washington, but then haven't really looked hard, either. However, a couple of weeks ago my husbnad and I were in a town on the Oregon coast and saw one on a large dairy barn. I didn't have my camera with me, so told him we'd have to go back the next day so I could take a picture of it.
Well, the next morning we were awakened by a tsuname warning because of the earthquake in Japan and had to evacuate because our hotel was right on the beach.
Now we'll just have to go back because I really want a picture of that square. :lol:

That's where we were! I saw only one, though, so when we go back to take a picture of that one, I'll have to see about locating some more! Did you visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory? Yummm. The one square I saw was on a barn across the highway from the entrance to the Air Museum. Really pretty.

There are oodles of them around the Bardstown area too of Ky.

Sounds very interesting, need to do some research.

Anyone know of a painted barn in Illinois?