Contrary Wife barn quilt pattern
The Contrary Wife barn quilt is painted on a 3 × 3 grid. On a 4 × 4 ft board each grid square is 16", and on an 8 × 8 ft board 32". It has 13 shapes in 3 colors.
Five squares and four triangles on a three-by-three grid, the triangles lined up in two diagonal stripes.
By Editorial Staff
Measurements for 2, 4 and 8 ft boards
| Board | Grid square | Marks across the top and bottom | Marks down the sides |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 ft | 8" | 8", 16" | 8", 16" |
| 4 × 4 ft | 16" | 16", 32" | 16", 32" |
| 8 × 8 ft | 32" | 32", 64" | 32", 64" |
Each mark is measured from the top left corner, rounded to the nearest ⅛". Mark both opposite edges, then join the marks with a straightedge and a sharp pencil.
Paint for the Contrary Wife barn quilt
Two coats of exterior latex on the front, at 100 square feet a quart for each coat (labels say 300 to 400 square feet a gallon). Reds and yellows often need a third coat to cover evenly, so buy the next size up for those. Exterior paint starts at a quart, so on a 2 × 2 ft board 8 oz bottles of outdoor acrylic craft paint go further; what is left is for touch-ups.
| Color | Share | 2 × 2 ft | 4 × 4 ft | 8 × 8 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Barn red | 56% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (6 oz) | 1 quart (23 oz) |
| 2. Cream | 22% | 1 quart (1 oz) | 1 quart (3 oz) | 1 quart (10 oz) |
| 3. Hunter green | 22% | 1 quart (1 oz) | 1 quart (3 oz) | 1 quart (10 oz) |
| Exterior primer | Front, back, edges | 1 quart (3 oz) | 1 quart (11 oz) | 2 quarts (42 oz) |
Ounces are what the paint takes; the size is what to buy.
Paint the lightest color first: cream, then hunter green, then barn red. A darker color covers a lighter one that creeps under the tape, but not the other way round. The full method, from priming the board to hanging it, is in how to make a barn quilt.
The Contrary Wife as a fabric quilt
The Contrary Wife quilt block page has the cutting for four block sizes and the piecing steps. Quilts made with it: Contrary Wife.
Try the colors before you paint
Quiltspiration draws any block in any colors, and gives the cut list when you sew it in fabric.
