Thursday, April 15, 2010
Prairie Patchworks Materials and Construction
It occurs to me that some visitors may have some questions as to just what a Barn Quilt is!
A Barn Quilt isn't a quilt at all, in the traditional sense, so much as it is a painting of a quilt block, for outdoor display.
I have made my quilts with exterior plywood or MDO board. MDO board has been referred to as "the workhorse of the sign industry". It is a very stable plywood that has been covered with a resin paper overlay, hence, Medium Density Overlay, or MDO. It makes for a beautiful work surface. I also like the heavier wood grain look of the plywood, and so I have used both. Since these quilts are intended for outdoor use, the details such as woodgrain, tend to flatten out with just a little distance. It is not as if it is hanging in your kitchen or living room and therefore up close and personal...although I suppose it could be:)
I fill and seal the edges of the quilt, then give them 2 coats of primer, followed by 3 coats of each of the colors.
The whole process is very gratifying. Here is what one looks like "in-progress" vs. the finished product. A wonderful transformation, I think!
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