Milky Way barn quilt pattern
The Milky Way barn quilt is painted on a 5 × 5 grid. On a 4 × 4 ft board each grid square is 9⅝", and on an 8 × 8 ft board 19¼". It has 37 shapes in 2 colors.
Squares and triangles on a five-by-five grid. On its own it is a star with a checkered ring; set in a row of boards, the stars join up.
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 | 4¾" | 4¾", 9⅝", 14⅜", 19¼" | 4¾", 9⅝", 14⅜", 19¼" |
| 4 × 4 ft | 9⅝" | 9⅝", 19¼", 28¾", 38⅜" | 9⅝", 19¼", 28¾", 38⅜" |
| 8 × 8 ft | 19¼" | 19¼", 38⅜", 57⅝", 76¾" | 19¼", 38⅜", 57⅝", 76¾" |
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 Milky Way 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. White | 68% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (7 oz) | 1 quart (28 oz) |
| 2. Navy | 32% | 1 quart (1 oz) | 1 quart (4 oz) | 1 quart (14 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 navy. 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 Milky Way as a fabric quilt
The Milky Way quilt block page has the cutting for four block sizes and the piecing steps. Quilts made with it: Milky Way.
Try the colors before you paint
Quiltspiration draws any block in any colors, and gives the cut list when you sew it in fabric.
