Storm at Sea barn quilt pattern
The Storm at Sea barn quilt has 31 shapes in 3 colors, laid out from marks along the edges of the board.
Square-in-a-square corners and diamond-in-a-rectangle sides around an Economy block, on a four-by-four grid. All straight lines, though from the road they look like waves.
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 | 3", 6", 9", 12", 15", 18", 21" | 3", 6", 9", 12", 15", 18", 21" |
| 4 × 4 ft | 6", 12", 18", 24", 30", 36", 42" | 6", 12", 18", 24", 30", 36", 42" |
| 8 × 8 ft | 12", 24", 36", 48", 60", 72", 84" | 12", 24", 36", 48", 60", 72", 84" |
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 Storm at Sea 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. White | 31% | 1 quart (1 oz) | 1 quart (4 oz) | 1 quart (13 oz) |
| 3. Sky blue | 19% | 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 sky blue, 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 Storm at Sea as a fabric quilt
The Storm at Sea quilt block page has the cutting for four block sizes and the piecing steps. Quilts made with it: Storm at Sea.

Try the colors before you paint
Quiltspiration draws any block in any colors, and gives the cut list when you sew it in fabric.











