Star Barn Quilt

I started quilting just a few years ago and I really love it.  I've made quilts for most of my immediate family and I'm always on the lookout for a new pattern.

While out driving on backcountry roads with the hubby I saw a barn quilt.  We have quite a few barn quilts in our area and nearby counties, so it wasn't the first I've ever seen.  But since starting to quilt they have been catching my eye even more.

So finally, this last winter and with lockdowns going on I decided to paint a barn quilt for one of our pole barns.  

I really love most versions of star quilt patterns so I picked a star for this barn quilt. 

I find inspiration on Pinterest for recipes, crafts and parties so also went there for my barn quilt.  Who else just loves Pinterest?! You really don't want to know how many pins I have, it's embarrassing!ple

Here are a couple barn quilt examples from Pinterest.  

    

If you haven't heard there are even barn quilt trails! Hanging barn quilts and signs on barns has been around for a long time and many Amish farms had painted signs on their barns. But in recent years it has had renewed interest and driving tour maps were even created. Now you can drive from barn to barn viewing the barn quilts in most counties in Ohio and in several states! 

"The first quilt trail was created in Adams County, Ohio, in 2001 by Donna Sue Groves. She wanted to honor her mother, Maxine, and her quilting art by painting a quilt block on their tobacco barn. In talking with friends and neighbors, Donna Sue realized that the project had wide appeal and also could be beneficial to the community as a means to bring tourism and economic development. Instead of a single personal tribute, she worked with the community to create a “clothesline of quilts,” which began with an Ohio Star, dedicated in 2001."  

     

So for my barn quilt, I first designed it on graph paper.  I drew it up the same way I design my quilts, with each square on the graph paper representing a measurement.  

For wood, I decided to use a 3/4 inch thick piece of plywood cut 4 feet by 4 feet. An 8 feet x 4 feet piece of plywood was the wrong shape for my design, and using two would have been way too big for us to even handle or be able to attach to our pole barn.  A 4 feet x 4 feet size was manageable. 

After designing the star on graph paper I used colored pencils to decide on the paint colors.  

I then drew the design onto the 4' x 4' plywood, first drawing squares, then marking off the design. Working with just 2 or 3 squares at a time I started painting.  It took me a few days because I had to let the triangles dry before I could paint the ones next to each other. And most needed two to three coats of paint. 

Nearly finished painting

I had lots of touch-up to do

When the painting was finished and dry, I gave the barn quilt 3 or 4 coats of varnish. I also finished the edges of the plywood with a frame made from 1 x 2 strips of wood. 

Adding the frame

Top coat

Once the weather improved and spring was finally here our son Daniel came over and helped my husband hang my barn quilt on our pole barn nearest the road.  And we love it! 

As I do with all my quilts, I gave my barn quilt a name, it's called "Color Wheel Star Barn Quilt"

And all my quilts have labels so I wrote on the back the quilt name, date I made it, my name, and city and state. 

Now that we are nearing the end of summer I'm thinking I may paint another barn quilt for our goat barn this coming winter. That is if I don't find 20 other things on Pinterest to make, haha. 

Hoping you've had a great summer,

Elizabeth  

Moving a Shed

Moving a small gardening shed or other small building is not impossible.  There's a couple of ways to move a shed; one takes hard work and numerous people, but no lifting. 

The second is to hire out the work.

We learned how to move a shed with PVC pipes and jacks from a guy who moved a shed for us about 20 years ago. 

The shed was sitting directly outside my kitchen at our newly purchased home and in the center of the yard.  Eyesore!  

Psycho Kitty or Sybil the Cat

Our small farm was once part of a much larger property with acres of farmland.  Included in that original property were woods.  Our land is still pretty wooded and has a creek, but now the denser woods are across the road from ours.  Two of our neighbor’s homes are in and surrounded by woods, a creek, and ravines.

Because of that natural setting, we see a lot of wild animals:  Deer, fox, coyote, opossum, raccoon, rabbits, snakes, and hawks to name a few.

A couple years ago on a trip to see Maple Syrup making demonstrations, we ended up adopting 2 barn cats from Malabar Farm, the historical farm of Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Bromfield.  Seems many cats are dumped in front of the park and end up living in their main barn.  The park workers are constantly looking for homes for the many (and I mean many) barn cats living on the property.

Restoration of Original Chicken Coop

Tobacco Barn July 2014, exterior repairs finished

Restoring The Original Farm Coop

Our little farm was once a much bigger property with a white clapboard farm house, a hand well pump and many outbuildings and barns.  The original old farmhouse burnt down in the 1950’s and the property set neglected for many years. 

In 1967 the property was divided up and sold at auction.  A builder bought the current property and built a custom brick ranch on the exact spot where the old white clapboard farm house used to be.

The new house overlooked a large pond and pastures. He also built a large pole barn and raised cattle.

After 25 years, the builder divided up the property a little more and sold more land and then sold the house too.  The second owner stayed for approximately 20 years.  While here he drained the pond and built another pole barn for horses.  We are the third owners.

Goat Birthing

Our First Goat Birth At The Farm:

We have 2 Saanen does and one Alpine buck to use for personal small scale milk production.  One of my Saanens, Miss Claudia Milkmouth was pregnant and nearly due so I was keeping a closer eye on her than normal.

Her udder had swollen in the last few days and she appeared thinner as her flanks had become sunken. Just as in humans, this happens due to the relaxation of the pelvic muscles in order to facilitate birth.

This morning was typical, with me making the normal rounds, doing the farm chores.  Usually the goats rush the door in anticipation of feeding times but this morning Claudia held back.  She seemed a little lethargic and did not attempt to eat.

I continued with the chores, periodically checking on Claudia and noticed a little while later her standing under a pine tree in a slightly squatting position.  I have had children, and distinctly remember the pressure and urge to push, which seemed to be what she was doing.

Pretty sure she was in labor; I called my husband Bill down to the barn to help me get her into a prepared birthing stall.

Easy Hay Feeder

Building a Pallet Hay Feeder

We started our goat herd in November of 2012.
Our baby goats, 3 kids, are now about 3 to 3 1/2  months old and finally weaned.

I started shopping around for a good quality hay feeder.  Goats are notorious for wasting hay.  My goat mentor and giver of the goats, Shelby, told me early on that if I wanted to save money on feed and hay, I needed to buy or build feeders.
Goats pull large amounts of hay onto the floor at a time, then once on the floor it is just too dirty and unclean for them to even think about eating!
Spoiled rotten goats, says I.

Italian Dinner Party

My son and his girlfriend Jennica

Italian (Birthday) Dinner Party In Our Barn
My son’s girlfriend Jennica’s birthday was coming up in June, so she asked me if we could have a party in our barn. We hashed over a few ideas, and came up with an Italian Dinner Party theme.

We searched the web for ideas, decorations and food because although I have had people over for dinner, and hosted larger Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, I have not had a semi-formal dinner party in a barn!
Jennica and I decided to keep it simple: Appetizers, wine, salad, garlic bread, the main dish and desserts.

Please keep in mind this party can also be in your backyard under a shade tree, on the patio or even indoors!
Jennica started out with an invitation list of 16, enlarged it to 20 and ended up with 18 guests for dinner.

Building a Chicken Coop

Shed turned into coop & scratch yard built (near my garden)

We decided when we purchased our small farm last August that we were going to raise chickens and have our own fresh eggs. We purchased 2 day old baby chicks in February from a local Amish farmer.

I had planned to use an old shed we call the “mail pouch” barn for the chicken coop, but after further inspection I realized it just needed too much work to keep the hens safe from predators.

Restoring this barn will have to wait.  Maybe I'll turn it into a camping cabin, smoke house or use it as a sugaring shack for making maple syrup.
Instead, I decided to divide my gardening shed in half by building an interior wall. One side would be for my gardening supplies, and the other a chicken coop.
We had electric installed (thanks to my nephew Sammie) then started construction.

Salvaging Barn Wood

Our Mud Room Is Born:
We sold our subdivision home in the city in June 2011 and purchased our small farm in August, 2011.
But even before we closed the deal, my husband Bill was on the look out,  collecting things for our little farm.

One day, while driving by our not-yet-house just to look at it again, (we did that often) Bill happened upon a yard sale. 
What's really strange about that is, he usually doesn't stop at yard sales.  Me?  I will wear the brakes out, screeching to a halt for a yard sale!
That day he found and purchased a load of old barn wood.  Enough to fill the bed of our pickup truck.
We didn't know what we would use it for at the new house, but he said he just could not pass up all that weathered wood for only $25.00 .
After purchasing our little farm, Bill decided to use the barn wood on one wall in our lower level family room (The Man Cave).

Fall Barn Party

Ideas for a Fall Party
Although we have been spending 12 hour days working on our new little farm, we decided to go ahead with our annual fall party.

We had very limited time to prepare and it would be a rush job, but we decided to have the party outdoors and in our barn.
Top of my list for a fun party?  Encourage everyone, including adults to come in costume.




We sometimes have a best costume contest with first place prizes for adults, teenagers and small children Everyone votes, then places their votes in a jar.  The votes are then tallied and special prizes handed out.

Buying a Farm

Oh my gosh what a year! My husband Bill and I sold our house in June 2011, but could not find a home we wanted to purchase.
We had our hearts set on buying a small farm, but could not find just what we were looking for.
We did not want to feel pressured into purchasing something that wasn't exactly what we were looking for so we decided to put almost everything into storage and move into a duplex.

Two storage units and a storage pod later Bill and I, our son Daniel and his girlfriend, our 2 wiener dogs and a cat, all settled into our little humble abode, all 550 square feet of it.
The tight living quarters was difficult at first but we managed to adapt being in the same room together.
After looking at about 100! houses for sale since March, we finally found our new home, a small "farmette."