How to build a barn

Hi there, Larissa's husband/coauthor (not to mention playroom designer) Martin here with a guest post.

Though I'm not much of a knitter myself, I've lately been scouring Ravelry to see how crafters have been executing the Barn Raising Quilt, one of my favorite patterns from Knitalong.  BRQ's can make a symphony from scraps.   Check out Senora Fuerte's version (rav link, photo used with permission):

Since this week we're embarking on the layout and sewing-up of several BRQ's for the Sock Summit (see here if you'd like to help), I thought it might be a good time to point out some standout versions of the project, and speculate on the challenge of laying out a BRQ for ultimate effect.  [more below the break]

One thing I've noticed about my favorite versions of this project is that they're not utterly random.  The colors or striping patterns are restricted enough to maintain a kind of sanity to the image.  The potential of a more controlled approach is beautifully obvious in this quilt-style version by JillKnits1968, which uses blocks of four solid colors:

Of course one probably couldn't assemble something so coordinated out of mere scraps.   But there are lots of ways to rein in the chaos.  You could stick pretty close to one type of striping pattern, like MoreThanOneWay did.  You could stick to one "color family" (e.g. pastels) like SenoraFuerte and MissMagpie5 did.  You could add a dark border to each square, like maxlabradoodle did.  Or stay on one basic color, like SheepInTheCity's project for her dad:

Of course a lot of BRQ's aren't going to be limited by any rule.  They're going to have just about every color and pattern available.  They can be striking in the extreme, I know:

 

But it's a big artistic challenge.  How does one keep a hundred patterns and colors from looking, um, as pleasantly deranged as the man who sells backscratchers on a nearby corner?

How would you lay one out?  What are your favorite Barn Raising Quilts and why?  Enquiring minds want to know.

Comments

[suse]

Oh Larissa and Martin, they are all so exquisite!!!

[Stacey]

How fun to see all the different versions! I'm in the process of knitting another BRQ, this time for myself. I haven't fully decided on how I'm going to lay out all the multi-colors that I'm using, but I'm thinking of grouping all the "like" colors together and then fading into the next color.

[Terrie]

It's great to see all the different variations! They look stunning. I'm slowly working on a BRQ for myself and I can't wait to see how it all comes together :)

[april]

I do really love the one-basic-color idea. But I think if (when) I were putting my own together, I'd go with Stacey's description: grouping like colors and then fading across colors.

[Heather]

I am most attracted to the BRQs that are based on the same color, that red one is really captivating.

[Alicia]

They are all beautiful but I like the last photo the best. I like the rustic colors and the way that it's a hodge-podge of color but it still seems to flow together. I think it reminds me most of scrap fabric quilts and I like that look/idea.

[Krissy]

All I have to say is that I have seen SenoraFuerte's BRQ in person and it is truly magnificent. It was so fun watching her get excited as she was knitting it up, picking out colors, and organizing them for sewing. (Inside source, she's started another one).

I've started saving my sock scraps for my own, except for those scraps that I gave her. This pattern is really amazing.

[Nicole]

Like a rainbow