2 Cardinals Barn Quilt Pattern
A classic barn quilt block you can customize and print as a paint-ready plan.
Planning the board? Use the sizing calculator for exact cell and border measurements, or read the paint color guide before you buy paint.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Grid
- 12 × 12
- Colors
- 10
- Suggested board sizes
- 2′ × 2′, 3′ × 3′, 4′ × 4′
About the 2 Cardinals block
The Cardinal is best understood as part of quilting’s long tradition of drawing inspiration from the natural world rather than as one standardized historic block with a single origin. Birds, flowers, trees and animals were frequently translated into quilt designs, and those motifs changed as makers adapted them to different piecing and appliqué techniques.
Modern cardinal blocks continue that tradition, turning the bird’s unmistakable silhouette and bright coloring into bold geometric designs especially well suited to wall hangings and barn quilts.
Learn more about the history
Tips for painting a 2 Cardinals barn quilt
Prime both sides of your board and seal the edges before painting to keep moisture out.
Lay out the pattern in pencil first using a grid — every shape lines up on a regular fraction of the board.
Paint the lightest color first, then work toward the darkest so any drips can be covered.
Use painter's tape along straight edges and burnish it down with a credit card to prevent bleed-through.
Ready to design your 2 Cardinals?
Customize the colors in the online designer and download a printable paint-by-color plan with a grid diagram.
Open in the designerPainted the 2 Cardinals? Share your photo.
We feature finished quilts from real makers in the gallery — it helps other painters see how the 2 Cardinals looks in different color combinations.