For the last year I've wanted to make some quilts based on the color pallet of the local old barns. I just couldn't find the right fabric to accurately represent the colors I see. Some areas are painted different from other areas. Paint peels away in this section, but not as much in that. And many areas are stained by organic matter or altered by the grain of the wood showing through.
A true solid wouldn't fit the bill, and mono-colored fabrics with a mottled look just weren't right either. Finally I found the perfect fabric at my local fabric shop, which turned out to be Moda's Grunge series. I'd seen it on some of the on-line shops, but it wasn't until I saw it in person that I knew it was what I had been searching for.
These fabrics, which at first read as a solid, actually have bits of color though out, similar to streaks of paint in some areas or peeling/faded paint in others.
Can you see bits of spotted areas in the finished quilt above? I know it's hard, as the neutrals are truly neutral, with very subtle bits of grey and cream added to the white, and subtle bits of grey and white added to the cream.... but they are there!
For this first attempt at using old barn colors as inspiration, I decided to also let the vertical and horizontal lines of the old barn siding also be a source of inspiration.
Currently I'm working on another piece inspired by some colors found in old red barns. I'll show that next post. Till then have a great week! xo
