Kaleidoscope barn quilt pattern
The Kaleidoscope barn quilt has 12 shapes in 3 colors, laid out from marks along the edges of the board.
Eight wedges meeting in the center with a triangle over each corner. The lines run from the center to marks on the edges.
By Editorial Staff
Measurements for 2, 4 and 8 ft boards
| Board | Marks across the top and bottom | Marks down the sides |
|---|---|---|
| 2 × 2 ft | 7", 12", 17" | 7", 12", 17" |
| 4 × 4 ft | 14", 24", 34" | 14", 24", 34" |
| 8 × 8 ft | 28⅛", 48", 67⅞" | 28⅛", 48", 67⅞" |
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 Kaleidoscope 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 | 41% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (5 oz) | 1 quart (17 oz) |
| 2. Harvest gold | 41% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (5 oz) | 1 quart (17 oz) |
| 3. White | 17% | 1 quart (1 oz) | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (8 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: white, then harvest gold, 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 Kaleidoscope as a fabric quilt
The Kaleidoscope quilt block page has the cutting for four block sizes and the piecing steps. Quilts made with it: Kaleidoscope.
Try the colors before you paint
Quiltspiration draws any block in any colors, and gives the cut list when you sew it in fabric.
