barn--tutorial

Barn
finishes  by 6 by 8 inches

I designed this block to have a float at the top so I wouldn't have to watch the triangle points while sewing long rows.
I plan to make 143 blocks, set 13 by 11, 78 by 88 inches.
My design, use at your pleasure.

For this tutorial I feature a block made with a delightful vintage fabric depicting gold panning, pick axes, and bags of gold dust. My neighbor Sharon took in the sewing stash of a neighbor who died and I chose this. It was the cut aways from a shirt construction and there was just enough for this block. It is a rough weave cotton and I guess it is from the 1950s.

Cutting:
Solid
Cut one 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch rectangle and two triangles from a 4 inch strip using Bonnie Hunter's Essential Triangle tool or the EZ angle
Print
Cut two 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch rectangles, one 2 1/2 by 6 1/2 inch rectangle, and one triangle from a 3 1/2 inch strip using Bonnie Hunter's tool or the EZ Companion Angle.

Trimming:
After sewing left sky to the roof and pressing to the roof, use ruler to trim away excess

Pressing:
Press left sky to the barn roof; press right roof to the sky
Press away from the door to the barn
Press the lintels up in half the blocks and down in the other half so every other block will nest into each other.

Press left sky to roof

Carefully trim excess sky to have a straight sewing line for right sky

Press roof to right sky piece. Trim dog ears.

Sew three sections together

Press horizontal seams up or down every other block so seams nest