Test, test, test. We've finished testing all of blocks for the two sampler quilts which will be in Every Barn Tells a Story. Whew, that's done! Now, off to see what's next on our checklist.

Rain, rain go away. The southern part of our state, where Diane and I visited with quilt barn owners and photographed their barns, is under water. One community measured hail several inches deep. My heart goes out to farmers who are trying to get their crops out of the fields.

Last weekend when I was in Jackson, MN, I spotted several quilt barns along the way. Have you thought about painting one for yourself, or maybe as a gift for someone? A brightly painted quilt block would add a spot of color, especially with winter looming. If you don't have a barn, think about hanging it on a fence or at the end of your driveway by your mailbox. Or, how about painting one for the inside of your house? The block doesn't have to be 8' X 8' like the blocks you see on barns. Paint any size that suits you! The instructions to paint one will be in Every Barn Tells a Story.

Every 4 years, Quilters Newsletter presents the results of the Quilting in America survey that they do in cooperation with International Quilt Market and Festival. Some of the results of this survery were published in the most recent Quilters Newsletter. I found some information interesting and some a bit surprising. Here's what I learned. In 2010, the total value of the quilt market was $3.58 billion, up 9% since 2006. But . . here's what I found interesting - - the total number of quilters (21.3 million) in the US has gone down 23% since 2006. Where are the quilters going???

Some other interesting survey information: The average quilter is about 62 years old (another surprise to me), college educated (I always knew that we were smart!), has been quilting for about 16 years, and purchased 94.3 yards of fabric last year (yikes!).

I wonder what else they learned from the survey. A complete survey may be purchased for $125 through www.quiltersvillage.com.

Ok, I stand corrected. Diane labored a bit while searching out some barn quilts - - she snapped this photos and some others that you just may see in Every Barn Tells a Story. Isn't it a lovely shot? Keep up the nice work Diane!

As Diane and I took off in opposite directions to celebrate Labor Day, it prompted me to think - - why the heck do we have a holiday to celebrate the end of the beautiful summer season anyway? Does that mean that we’re eager for winter? Not me! After a bit of reading, come to find out, the first Labor Day holiday was signed into law by Congress in 1894 after the deaths of several workers during a labor strike in Chicago. President Cleveland was looking for a way to get workers and labor unions to reconcile their differences, so the holiday was created as a sign of unity, at first in the form of a parade followed by a festival for workers and their families. Well, we didn’t have a parade or a festival, but we did get a little R&R.