Snail's Trail barn quilt pattern
The Snail's Trail barn quilt has 20 shapes in 2 colors, laid out from marks along the edges of the board.
Four rounds of triangles spiraling out from a four-patch. A Snail's Trail hangs on the Groves barn in Adams County, Ohio, where the quilt trail began.
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 | 6", 9", 12", 15", 18" | 6", 9", 12", 15", 18" |
| 4 × 4 ft | 12", 18", 24", 30", 36" | 12", 18", 24", 30", 36" |
| 8 × 8 ft | 24", 36", 48", 60", 72" | 24", 36", 48", 60", 72" |
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 Snail's Trail 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. Navy | 50% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (6 oz) | 1 quart (21 oz) |
| 2. Harvest gold | 50% | 1 quart (2 oz) | 1 quart (6 oz) | 1 quart (21 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: harvest gold, 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 Snail's Trail as a fabric quilt
The Snail's Trail quilt block page has the cutting for four block sizes and the piecing steps. Quilts made with it: Snail's Trail.
Try the colors before you paint
Quiltspiration draws any block in any colors, and gives the cut list when you sew it in fabric.
