Barn Quilt Memories

the Great Quilt Trail Gathering

2011-05-21T06:11:00.002-04:00

I could not make it to the great Quilt Trail Gathering this past weekend in Winchester, Ohio. I would like to post this really nice article from The People's Defender from West Union. I am sorry that I was not able to attend. I hope that all of these diverse groups will stay in touch in the years ahead.

The People's Defender
Quilt trail leads many to 10th anniversary celebration
Trails nationwide gather in Adams County

Carleta Weyrich
Staff Writer

WINCHESTER - Representatives from 15 states and of 22 quilt square trails across the nation converged on Adams County, where the quilt trail began, during the Quilt Trail Gathering on Friday and Saturday at the Red Barn Convention Center.

"Keep going - I'd like to see a quilt trail in all 50 states and every province in Canada," said Amir Eylon, State Tourism Director.

"With what happened in 2001 (911), the quilt barn trail was like a Phoenix rising up from the ashes - look how its grown," said Jack Wright, emcee for the event.

Julie Henahan, executive director of the Ohio Arts Council, talked about the impact of the Quilt Barns to culture, commerce and economic development. She commended Donna Sue Groves, of Monroe Township, who was the first to envision a quilt trail after coming up with the idea to put a square on her own barn for her mother, Maxine Groves, an avid quilter.

"Quilt Barn Trails have attracted tourists, and local businesses use the trails for innovation," said Henahan. "Donna Sue has shown what persistent vision and abiding love can achieve."

During the program, Tom O'Grady, of Athens, took participants back in time to the 1800s when many of the barns gracing the quilt squares were built.

"What remains of the primeval forests that once covered Ohio is preserved in the barns," O'Grady said, referring to the timbers used in construction of the barns.

He described the differing barn designs across Ohio according to the national origins of the builder. For instance, German barns were built in a bank with an overhang over the lower floor, or there would be a ramp to the second floor.

"No two barns are the same," he said. "They were built according to the lay of the land and the materials used."

Another key speaker for the Gathering was Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, founder of the Women of Color Quilters Network, an international organization. Her quilts have been included in five exhibitions at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, and her artwork can be found in museums and corporate collections, such as the Wadsworth Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, American Museum of Design, Bell Telephone, the Cleveland Clinic and Exxon.

She talked about her first experiences - and mistakes with quilting. She and an assistant showed some of her quilts, mostly with painted designs.

"Quilts capture a little piece of Americana," she said.

A panel of three quilt trail organizers discussed their trails and discussed how to make trails work for a community.

"The quilt barn trail was the best community-building project we've ever done," said Judy Sizemore, from Kentucky. "Quilting has deep roots in Kentucky... In each community, you find different resources. They match the trail to the purpose."

Diane Murphy, of Clinton County, explained that her county was known for the company DHL leaving in 2008, and the resulting economic stress.

"I thought, we will be celebrating a bicentennial in two years," she said. "With our trail, we wanted to give people something else to think about and to talk about."

"Everybody's done it a different way, but the same success can be achieved and shared," said Barbara Webster, of North Carolina, where, she said, there are still Civil War feuds.

"The quilt trail helped to soften some of these hard feelings," she said.

Suzanne Labry, of Texas, said in her state they have to find creative ways to distribute the quilt squares due to a lack of barns.

In "three-minutes-of-fame," a spokesperson from each of the 22 trails represented from Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and West Virginia showed photos of their trail and described its individual qualities.

Glenn and Barbara Gross, of Venango County, Pa., and Nettie and Irven Kauffman, of Berks County, Pa. said the Gathering expanded their horizon on what barn quilts can do. They especially liked the three minute section which gave a lot of information about organizing quilt trails and who in the community to go to for help. In Pennsylvania, they are involved with the Pennsylvania Farm Show, which fills a week in January and features a quilt show.

"I've had a wonderful time," Dessie Workman, amateur quilter of Stewart (near Athens), said after the event. "It's been more than I expected. I learned so much."

"I thought it went extremely well," said Sonja Cropper, of Brown County Department of Travel & Tourism. There were people from all over the country exchanging ideas and sharing what they have done with quilt trails in their own communities."

Cropper said she will be busily preparing for another date in quilt trail history that holds local significance, reported Michael Arthur, of the News Democrat in Georgetown. After the phenomenon started in Adams County in the fall of 2001, Brown County was next in line, establishing the second quilt barn trail in the nation in 2002. Next year, Cropper hopes a commemoration event can be organized to recognize Brown County's 10th anniversary in the quilt trail movement.

A discussion was held at the end of the Gathering on the future of the quilt trails, opening lines of communication between trails and the public, and perhaps establishing a national quilt trail organization.

For continuing information on quilt trails, please stay tuned to the Web site at www.quilttrailgathering.com or check the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/quilttrailgathering. Donna Sue Groves may be contacted by email at dsgroves@bright.net.

Facebook

2011-04-11T10:08:00.030-04:00

Below I have listed existing Facebook sites that are directly related to, or dedicated to the Barn Quilt Arts Movement. I too have created a Facebook Group called: Barn Quilt Memories. This may make it easier for me to keep up with new developments across the country (world).
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American Barn Quilts

Appalachian Barn Quilt Trial

Appalachian Quilt Trail

Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail

Barn Quilts of Lafayette County

Barn Quilts of Washington County

Benton County Quilt Trail

Clinton County Bicentennial Barn Quilt Trail - Ohio

Daviess County Barn Quilt Trail

Fremont County Barn Quilts

Keith's Barn Quilts

Maysville Heritage Quilt Trail

McDowell Quilt Trail

Montgomery County KY Quilt Block Trail

Morgan County Barn Quilts

Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail

Ohio Quilt Barn Trails

Quilt Barn Trails

Quilt Barn Trails

Quilt Trail

Quilt Trail Gathering

Quilt Trail Lake County, California

Quilt Trails of Western NC

Southern Middle Tennessee Quilt Trail

Tillamook County Quilt Trail

Wardsville Ontario Barn Quilt Trail

Busted

2011-04-03T11:04:00.019-04:00

It was three years ago this month that I started my Blog called Barn Quilt Memories. I was excited about what I saw. I was excited about finding something new and I felt compelled to spread the word. It has been a fun and enlightening experience. In May of 2008, I started a social network called Barnquilting.ning: A network for those involved in the creation, construction, support, inspiration for or enjoyment of the Barn Quilt Arts Movement. Today there are 374 members and 580 photographs posted on the sight. This too has been fun, enlightening and enriching spiritually. For a time, I thought that I could make money by creating a store at CaféPress.com called the Barn Quilt Shop, and I invested in getting a license to do business in North Carolina as Barn Quilt Memories, LLC. I never made a dime. Looking back at my expenses I would have been well advised to invest my money in something else, but I do not regret the time spent being passionate about what I have called the “Barn Quilt Arts Movement”.

Life is about passion! We need to be moved spiritually. I was excited about Barn Quilts because they expressed the sense of community that seemed to me to be lost, hidden or not appreciated as we all dashed through the countryside at excessive speed. It was much more than a design and a splash of color in the wilderness. I have been jaded by the color and flash of Madison Avenue and Techno-Advertising but the Barn Quilt still speaks to me of collective interactions, and touches me on a personal and familiar level. Maybe it is the thought of the quilt owner or artist sharing something with the world that has been tucked away or folded with love in a private space. Maybe it is the story of family and connecting with the history of passing generations. For whatever reason, an increasing number of us are touched by this artistic vision and the way that it brightens our lives.

Now is a time to change my tack. It has become necessary for me to focus all of my energy (and money), on survival. I can no longer continue to pay a monthly stipend ($19.95) to Ning.com to maintain the Barnquilting web site. If anyone else would care to take over, please let me know by April 10th. My e-mail address is Barnquilter@gmail.com. This may not seem like a big burden, but it is currently above my means to pay. I will continue to maintain the Blog at Barn Quilt Memories. I hope that there is always a means for this community to share information. Starting out on your own, or the first Barn Quilt hung by a group can be daunting without the shared experience of others to help guild the way. I do suggest that each and every community Barn Quilt Trail have a web page hosted by a benevolent organization (county co-op, rural development, travel & tourism board or art committee), and have 1) some sort of communal mission statement, 2) a map, preferable with pictures and stories, 3) shared experiences and best practices.

It’s good for the soul, and good for the community.

Barn Quilts are Art .

new

2011-03-18T08:38:00.011-04:00

There is a sneak peek (PDF) of the new book Every Barn Tells a Story, available on-line at: http://www.crocuslanequilts.com/. Ann Zemke of Blaine, and Diane Entrikin of Corcoran, Mn., look to have put together a beautiful book of Barn Quilts, with stories about the owners and sewing patterns as well. I have not yet seen the publication (available March 30), but would love to get a review posted here.

Also see the everybarntellsastory's photostream on Flickr

Accuquilt is doing a second Barn Quilt contest with the first prize winner receiving $1,000 in product from the company, plus an all expense paid trip to Freemont, Ne. Eligible entries must be received on or before midnight April 10, 2011, and winners are to be announced at the AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, Ky., April 27-30. Go to http://www.accuquilt.com/, and good luck!

The Tillamook County Quilt Trail has a new interactive map for a tour around the town of Tillamook, Wa. This is done in addition to the map of the county also found at http://www.tillamookquilttrail.org/.

The Appalachian RC&D Council is sponsoring a bus trip to the Quilt Trail Gathering in Winchester Oh, May 12-15. For more information go to: http://www.quilttrail.org/

South Dakota

2011-02-13T10:39:00.006-05:00

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Here is one of the missing states… I know that there are Barn Quilts in locations other than the counties found in the 20+ states listed on Barn Quilt Memories, so I try to keep my nose to the wind. The barn that is shown above is to be found just north of the Hwy 11 and 229th Street intersection in rural Lincoln County, South Dakota. It was posted by wildernessmama on www.waymarking.com under the category Painted Barn Quilts. There are over 300 examples of Barn Quilts posted on this site.

If there is a web presence that I have not previously listed, or a news story of an aspiring group that is interested in Barn Quilts, please contact me at barnquilter@gmail.com. Reach out to those with similar interests on the Social Networking Site: barnquilting.ning.com . Also, there is another superb set of over 500 pictures on the www.Flickr.com group called Quilted Barns.

Enjoy!

News from...

2011-01-25T12:48:00.009-05:00

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Illinois

Barn Quilt Presentation
Saturday, Jan. 29th, 2011 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Cost: Free

Location: Kankakee County Historical Society Museum
801 S. Eighth Ave.
Kankakee, IL 60901

Description: Learn more about the Barn Quilts of Kankakee County at the first of the museum's new lecture series. Free and open to the public, go on a "tour" of the Barn Quilts. Learn the stories about each block and the barns they adorn. Refreshments will be served.

Ohio

Quilt Barn Committee Meeting
Wednesday., Feb 2, 2011, 6:30 pm

Location: Snyder House at Cottell Park,
5847 Irwin-Simpson Rd,
Deerfield Township, OH

Description: The MDAA is looking for like minded people interested in creating more quilt barns throughout the Warren County region. The MDAA is looking for those who are interested in building a stronger sense of community by celebrating the history, fiber arts, the land and the people of the county through this on-going project.

Deerfield Township is just North of the beltway around Cincinnati. The Mason-Deerfield Arts Alliance has done a wonderful job putting together a short YouTube video of the painting and hanging of the Fleckenstein Quilt Barn: see how it was done. (click here)

Lake County Quilt Trail announces raffle winner

2010-12-16T07:43:00.007-05:00

From the Lake County News
Written by Vicky Parish Smith

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Mary Secord, a longtime resident of Lakeport, won the Lake County Quilt Trail raffle.

The prize was a hand-crafted cloth quilt comprised of 13 different quilt blocks.

“I’m so pleased to be the winner of the beautiful quilt,” Secord said. “I enjoy seeing each quilt block on buildings all around the county. Each has such a good meaning.”

The quilt was designed and machine quilted by Kerrie Hershey. Quilters Nancy Carpenter, Bethany Rose, Kerrie Hershey and Patti-Cox Frankenfield hand-pieced the cloth blocks.

The quilt block names are (in order of installation) Square in a Square, Martha’s Vineyard, Big Oak Ranch Blazing Star (a variation), Peace and Plenty, Lady of the Lake, 54 40 or Fight, Rising Star, Monkey Wrench, Bear’s Paw, County Fair, Tulip Time, Ohio Star and Squash Blossom.

Lake County is the first location in California to create a quilt trail.

This past spring, with seed money from the Kelseyville Pear Festival, vibrantly colored quilt blocks inaugurated the first phase of the project.

Each block, specifically designed and painted entirely by volunteers onto 8-foot by 8-foot wooden panels, was hung on pioneer barns, pear packing sheds, winery tasting rooms, an orchard ladder manufacturing facility and even an exhibit hall on the Lake County Fairgrounds.

Each unique quilt block on the Lake County Quilt Trail was selected to connect with the history of the building, honor farming, or celebrate the family, as well as pay tribute to the generational history of beautiful quilts.

Phase two of this project is currently in production. By September 2011, another 12 quilt blocks will be added to the Lake County Quilt Trail.

Information about the Lake County Quilt Trail can be found at http://www.kelseyvillepearfestival.com/.

2010-11-27T04:19:00.004-05:00

Terry Mayer took this photograph for CSI Media, and it was published by the Walworth County Today. Cleanup begins November 23 on a home damaged by a rare November tornado the day before on Lakeview Road in Lynn Township. The Spinning Spools Barn Quilt appears to have survived.

gREAT sTATE OF kENTUCKY

2010-10-24T11:26:00.007-04:00

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The University of Kentucky - College of Agriculture - School of Human and Environmental Sciences - Family and Consumer Sciences has a link for their services and projects in each county. Now under the County of Allen, in the great state of Kentucky, is a link to the Allen County Quilt Tail Brochure and Application. I had not listed Allen County in my sidebar, but I will correct that omission immediately.

I have not yet mentioned the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association. The (KEHA) is a volunteer organization that works to improve the quality of life for families and communities through leadership development, volunteer service and education. They have developed some wonderful Kentucky Quilt Trail Materials that will be of interest and / or help to any Quilt Trail Organization, or individuals interested in learning more about or starting a group or Quilt Trail in their area.

Extra Quit Trail Pictures Power Point

Newbie...

2010-10-11T05:05:00.005-04:00

There is a new Barn Quilt Trail in a neighboring county. This morning is the first that I have heard of this effort. I will be glad to provide more information as it becomes available, or you can contact: the Taproot Artisans of Iredell County, NC. The Statesville Record and Landmark has published the story this morning.

a choice for some...

2010-10-09T09:31:00.006-04:00

I have heard of several Barn Quilt committees getting a special deal from a local hardware or paint supplier, and often soliciting help mounting large panels from the power company's (or other’s) cherry picker. This is good for the committee, and I do believe that this is a good public relations for everyone involved. Now I see a national sign board company taking notice of the Barn Quilt Arts Movement.

This is not an attempt by me to promote any product, but for those that feel the more traditional plywood panel is too cumbersome or heavy, Dibond® graphic display board by 3A Composites USA could be an alternative. The Barn Quilt story is published on-line at signshop.com and also wide-formatimaging.com. It should be sufficient for me to say that I enjoy the more traditional approach, and with as much community involvement as you can muster. If it is your barn, and you have scaffolding, and are not fearful of heights, and have a way of keeping lines straight, then painting on the actual barn siding can be very effective... but definitely not for amateurs.

gathering

2010-10-05T07:13:00.007-04:00

The Quilt Trail Gathering
May 13-14, 2011

" The Quilt Trail Gathering, May 13-14, 2011" is the only info available on the new (still under construction) website: www.quilttrailgathering.com

... as reported on October 5th, in the Georgetown, Ohio, newsdemocrat.com:

In addition to all the promotions planned for the remainder of 2010 and through 2011, Brown County Tourism is working with an Adams County family to stage an event that could potentially draw thousands to the area next spring. On May 13-14, 2011, The Brown County Department of Travel and Tourism will co-host "The Quilt Trail Gathering," organized to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the beginning of the Quilt Barn Trail.

The event will be co-hosted by Donna Sue Groves, an Adams County resident who started the quilt barn project in 2001 as a way to honor the memory of her mother. Brown County was the second to join the trail, and when it began no one could have anticipated how much interest in Quilt Barns would have grown. Over the decade Quilt Barns have generated interest across the nation, with quilt patterns now on hundreds of barns in dozens of states.

Ky, Boone County

2010-08-17T22:18:00.004-04:00

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A grand thanks to Joyce Foley, Chair of the Boone County (Kentucky) Barn Quilt Trail. They boast almost 50 "boards" so far, and are now listed on the sidebar of Barn Quilt Memories as http://boonebarnquilts.com/

... from the past few weeks

2010-08-15T13:35:00.003-04:00

I have been busy with a new job for the past few weeks, and I have not been able to read many of the e-mail notices from the world of Barn Quilts. I will attempt to catch up this afternoon.

There are over a dozen Barn Quilts in Lake County, California. Go to: www.kelseyvillepearfestival.com, and click on the “Quilt Trail.” The Lake County News is doing a great job of documenting these additions.

A guided bus tour of all 54 of the barns on the Clinton County (Ohio) Barn Quilt Trail is planned for Oct. 13 from 8 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided along with information about project history, farm stories and more. For more information and to register contact Carol at The Cotton Junky Quilt Shop 366-3602.

2010 Plymouth County (Iowa) Fair Queen Kristen Ahlers gets help from fair board members including Brent McNaughton as well as other royalty members (hidden) in displaying the "Barn Quilts of Plymouth County" quilt at the fair auction Sunday in Pioneer Village. The 42 squares represent barn quilts and welcome quilts in Plymouth County. The quilt sold for $10,000. The LeMars Daily Sentinel has a photograph of this amazing Quilt, or see this at: The Sioux City Journal at: ( Photo 1 ) or ( Photo 2 )

I suggest keeping up with Suzi Parron at: http://americanquilttrail.blogspot.com/ Her book will be a big hit, and she keeps adding to her blog. Stay tuned.

Columbia County (Wisconsin) is starting a Barn Quilt Trail. Go to: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/columbia/ for more information, or contact Margo Holzman at: mitesag@yahoo.com.

After months of their hard work, I have added the Wardsville Ontario Barn Quilts blog, to the sidebar of Barn Quilt Websites. They have been very busy with this Bicentennial Celebration and it is worth more than a look-see.

Welcome

2010-08-02T05:23:00.001-04:00

Osceola County in Michigan has been added to the sidebar of Barn Quilt Trails

These could be yours !

2010-07-10T05:31:00.002-04:00

To view these Barn Quilts, go to:

http://visitcaledonia.com/Auction%20Quilt%20flyer%20rev1.pdf

These are the real McCoy. 8' x 8', and they will be auctioned on August 21

bicentennial celebration

2010-06-09T17:32:00.011-04:00

The Wilmington News Journal of Wilmington, Ohio is one of the most consistent news sources publishing stories about Barn Quilts anywhere. Their focus is on Clinton County. They regularly print pictures and stories as new Barn Quilts are hung in the area. There seems to be a special sense of local pride and community that really gets to the roots of this Arts Movement. Below, I am posting a few excerpts from today's story. You can read the rest at: wnewsj.com. Thanks for the honoring all those involved, and all of their hard work.

Take self-guided quilt barn tour Saturday, Sunday
JOHN CROPPER
Staff Writer

The 200-year history of Clinton County will be on display this Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13, during a bicentennial barn quilt tour which will take participants through five eras of local history.

Five of the 54 paintings, which have emblazoned the sides of barns around the county this year, will be featured during the self-guided tour. There will be two stops in Wilmington and one each in Martinsville, Clarksville and Sabina. Each quilt site will feature events or activities that correspond with a given era.

“It’s really an event for the whole family,” said Diane Murphy, coordinator of the tour and co-creator of the barn quilt series. “There will be something for everyone."

"I’ve been amazed by the enthusiasm for the barn quilts. Not just locally, but beyond Clinton County as well,” Murphy said.

“Not only are they visiting the barns, but they’re coming back and saying how much they enjoyed it,” she said.

Leading up to the barn tour, “Lady Barn Consultant” Pam Gray will present “The Americanization of the Family Barn” on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Clinton County Historical Society. Admission is free (to see Pam Gray), and open to the public.

For more information about the barn quilt-tour, call Diane Murphy at 382-0136 or Carol Earhart at 366-6302.

Accuquilt

2010-05-20T06:25:00.003-04:00

Go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=170180&id=84892741164 to vote for your favorite (of 10), Quilt Blocks submitted to the Accuquilt contest. The winner gets $1,000 worth of stuff plus a trip to Fremont, Nebraska and their design will become a 20' x 20' Quilt Block... How cool is that!

Lake County, CA

2010-05-10T07:45:00.004-04:00

Just south of Clear lake, California is the community of Kelseyville. Proud home to the Kelseyville Pear Festival, and the recently organized Lake County Quilt Trail - the very first in the state of California!

Buena Vista County, IA

2010-05-10T07:27:00.007-04:00

Buena Vista... What a great name!

With images of a few dozen Barn Quilts in and around Storm Lake, Albert City and Buena Vista County, Iowa... I have added the Barn Quilts of Buena Vista County website to the side bar here. Thanks to the Buena Vista County Historical Society.

Kudos

2010-04-29T03:42:00.004-04:00

On April, 21, Donna Sue Groves was honored by the Ohio Arts Council with a Governor’s Award for the Arts in Ohio. Winners were selected from nominations submitted by individuals and organizations throughout Ohio. A selection committee made up of members of the Ohio Arts Council board chooses the winners. Ms Groves' O.A.C. Bio is below:

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & PARTICIPATION,
Donna Sue Groves, Manchester

Donna Sue Groves has been the connector and spark that brings people, resources, and dreams together, building civic and community capacity at the grass roots level for over 40 years. Throughout Ohio, and especially in Appalachia, she has worked hand-in-hand with communities, building fruitful partnerships, and bringing resources to economically disadvantaged communities—giving them the skills, tools and networks needed to build successful arts business that stimulate local economies.

As coordinator of the Appalachian Arts Initiative from 1991-1999, Groves developed the first Directory of Appalachian Arts and Artists in Ohio. In her role as OAC Southern Ohio field representative from 2001-2008, she continued to grow the Directory and served a vital role in ongoing work with the artists and arts organizations in Appalachia. As a tireless leader and advocate for the arts and culture in Appalachia, her own strong Appalachian identity and passion for bringing recognition to underserved communities and individual artists is unmatched. Groves fights tirelessly to keep Appalachian Ohio in the public eye and in the minds of arts funders statewide—allowing startup groups and artists with limited resources to grow their audience, market their products and create economic opportunities based on their creative work. She has made it her personal mission to communicate both the cultural and economic value of the region to both its artists and the communities who help create a market for their work. This is a critical element in laying the groundwork for revenue-building, creative industries in isolated, economically depressed, Appalachian border communities.

Grove’s own vision took root in the Quilt Barn Project. Honoring her mother, she thought quilt square murals installed on barns would be a unique way for communities to emphasize and utilize local assets for economic development. What began in rural Adams County in 2001, now draws visitors from all over the country who drive and bike through the Ohio countryside enjoying quilt trails comprised of more than 500 murals in 21 counties. The Quilt Barn Project has become a cultural tourism phenomenon that now stretches across 26 states with 98 dedicated driving trails.

In 2004 Groves received the Jenco Foundation Inspirational Service Arts Award and was named an Outstanding Philanthropist by the Foundation for Appalachia Ohio. In 2006 Sinclair Community College awarded her the Wayne White, Unsung Hero Award.

Groves irrepressible spirit demonstrates each day that one person can make a difference sharing by her knowledge, vision, and love for the arts. She has built deep trust and collaboration in communities across the state and nation by living her motto of "giving people a hand up, not a hand out." Her ongoing collaborative work to celebrate and raise awareness of the unique gifts, talents and cultural traditions of Appalachian Ohio embody the very spirit of participation and community development.

I say, Well done Donna Sue... Well done!

Rock County, Wisconsin

2010-04-28T03:38:00.006-04:00

It appears to be very early on for the Barn Quilts of Rock County Wisconsin. They have a web page hosted by the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension service.

The Rock County Barn Quilt Project has an informational brochure that states the following objectives:

* Promote rural heritage of Rock County
* Highlight the architecture and history of barns in the county through relevant quilt blocks
* Encourage economic development by promoting ag-tourism and local business
* Educate the public about the art and history of quilting
* Forming youth-adult partnerships to help teach all ages about the project and our heritage

A group of Rock County citizens have been working together to make The Barn Quilt Project reality. As you can see on the brochure the first barn quilt has been installed at the Rich & Shirley Templeton Farm in Evansville. Their family will be hosting the 2010 Rock County Dairy Breakfast on June 5th. Information about this project and how you can get involved will be available at this event and at the Rock County Porkfest on June 16 at the Rock County 4-H Fairgrounds.

If you have questions or would like to complete an application for a 8' x 8' Barn Quilt for your barn, complete the application below and contact one of the people listed below...
Ronna Morton-Ballmer, Janesville - 608-758-5112
Phil Woodworth, Evansville - 608-295-5112
Jeanette Beard, Milton - 608-868-4240

200 Years and counting

2010-04-27T14:12:00.005-04:00

... currently under construction, but soon you will be able to explore the rich history and traditions of agriculture and quilting in Clinton County. Check back soon for an interactive on-line tour of the Clinton County Barn Quilt Trail, then download and print out Trail Map to tour Clinton County and enjoy the quilts surrounded by the beautiful Clinton County landscape.
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Oh Canada !

2010-04-27T13:34:00.008-04:00

There is this wonderful You Tube video of a quilt being painted... I have to share this. It is not a Barn Quilt (or a Quilt Barn), but a beautiful quilt done in a time lapse. Remember the name: Meghan Hildebrand, and visit: http://www.meghanhildebrand.com/

Video is here!

Imaginations = $1,000.00

2010-04-25T13:11:00.009-04:00

Located in Fremont, Nebraska, is a company that many quilters know as Accuquilt, and they are a part of the larger AccuCut family of stores. Accuquilt has come up with a great promotion... a contest to select a quilt pattern for a 20' x 20' quilt block to be mounted on the company headquarters. That is 20 feet x 20 feet which would make this one of the largest, if not the largest barn quilt. The winner of this contest will receive $1,000.00 worth of Accuquilt merchandise, and a trip for two to Fremont. Complete contest rules can be found on their website: http://www.accuquilt.com/.

They are looking for images (.pdf, .jpg, .gif or .eps format), and there is a 2nd place, and 3rd place winner, so get out the crayons or Electric Quilt and sharpen your imagination. Entries must be received before midnight, May 14th.

the Golden State

2010-04-25T12:35:00.004-04:00

The following are excerpts from the Lake County News (lakeconews.com), in Lakeport, California, and the picture (above) is the new quilt trail block at the Hill Creek ranch near Kelseyville, California. Photo by Richard Smith.

Kelseyville Pear Festival Committee launches new 'quilt trail'
Written by Vicky Parish Smith
Sunday, 25 April 2010

KELSEYVILLE – The Kelseyville Pear Festival Committee is adding a new dimension to this year's celebration – the Lake County Quilt Trail. On a drive along Highway 29 from Kelseyville to Lakeport, watch for a new and unique burst of color that now hangs on the Hill Creek Ranch barn amidst four and a half acres planted with winegrapes and 48 olive trees.

On Saturday, March 27, the committee marked the launch of the Lake County Quilt Trail by hanging a vibrant “quilt block” on the barn owned by Lou Ann Bauer, a San Francisco kitchen and bath designer who also owns and operates LuLu’s Ice Cream and Dessert Shop in downtown Kelseyville, and Nancy Yost, a San Francisco architect. The barn features the pattern “Square on Square” in bright red, white and blue. The pre-built 8-foot wooden square block was hand painted by Konocti Art Society member-artist Annette Higday. Framing and installation was provided by local craftsman/contractor Ben Mitten.

The Lake County Quilt Trail is the very first for the state of California. This Lake County project is part of the rapidly spreading National Quilt Trail throughout more than 24 states. Hill Creek Ranch is easily recognized along Highway 29. As you drive along be sure to look to the west and see the “quilt” block hanging on the barn. The metal animals in a rural, farm setting create a sense of history, creativity and folklore.

Marilyn Holdenried, the founder/chairman of the Kelseyville Pear Festival, discovered a grassroots movement that has quickly spread to over 24 states in the East, Midwest and South.

M'chwihilusing

2010-04-15T08:10:00.005-04:00

The town of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania is situated near the mouth of the Wyalusing Creek on the Susquehanna River. The original town, called "M'chwihilusing," dates back several centuries. There is a Wyalusing Borough, that is part of the Wyalusing Township (also home to the Camptown Races), which is a part of Bradford County in the North East corner of the state.

The greater Wyalusing Chamber of Comerce is hosting a page for the Quilted Corners of Wyalusing Barn Quilt Tour, scheduled for May 1, 2010. There should be a map available, but I have not seen it. There is a real nice Video on the website.

go to:
http://www.wyalusing.net/barnquilt

go to:
Quilted Corners of Wyalusing,PA
.

Owen County, Ky

2010-04-15T07:42:00.003-04:00

There is a new web site that has been set up (still under construction), for the Owen County (Kentucky) Quilt Trail. With over 70 Quilt Blocks listed (8' x 8' and 4' x 4'), I would say that they have been at this for a while. They have a Quilt Trail Book that can be purchased, and some nice (behind the scenes) pictures on their web site.

go to:

http://owencountyquilttrail.com/

O'Brien County

2010-02-26T22:31:00.006-05:00

I am adding the O'Brien County (Iowa), Barn Quilts to the side-bar. With their web page hosted by the Economic Development Corporation, O'Brien County has over 30 Barn Quilts and a Recipe Collection.

On Wisconsin...

2010-02-18T06:25:00.003-05:00

Marquette County Home & Community Education Association (HCE) is working with you and Marquette County groups to create, hang, and promote the Barn Quilts of Marquette County! Partners include UW Extension, Marquette County Historical Society, Montello Historical Preservation Society, Maggie Mae’s Café, and more

A Request for Barn Quilt Location is available on line at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/marquette/

or contact:

Marquette County Barn Quilt Project
Attn: Louise Back
N149 County Road T
Endeavor, WI 53930

or

Attn: Betty Rohde
N8098 Duck Creek Avenue
Neshkoro, WI 54960

more from the OHQT...

2010-02-17T09:14:00.002-05:00

The Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail You Tube Video

(linked here)

from the Palmetto State...

2010-02-16T04:56:00.008-05:00

The public is invited to the dedication of the Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail (OHQT) on Tuesday, February 16, 2010. The dedication will begin at 4 p.m. at Keowee Elementary School located on Keowee School Road. It will then move to the Oconee Conservatory of Fine Arts (, located across from the Walhalla Civic Auditorium, 101 East North Broad Street, Walhalla; and will end at the Oconee Heritage Museum, located at 123 Brown Square Drive, Walhalla, at approximately 5:15 pm.

The OHQT is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Arts Council in concert with a group of volunteers dedicated to putting South Carolina on the National Quilt Trail. The first three quilts have been completed and several others are in production. The quilts have been painted on specially prepared boards to be mounted on buildings in the area.

The patterns and their locations include a Mariner’s Compass pattern painted by students of Keowee Elementary School to be hung at the front entrance; a Goose in the Pond pattern to be hung on the Oconee Conservatory of Fine Arts; and a Rocky Mountain Road pattern to be hung on the Oconee Heritage Center. This last quilt is on display in the Heritage Center and was originally made by Lena Mae Land Talley of Mountain Rest, SC.

Please visit the Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail web site for history of the National Quilt Trail at (http://www.oconeeheritagequilttrail.com/).

Blue Ridge Arts Center, 111 E. South Second St., Seneca, SC 29678-3403; Phone/Fax: (864) 882-2722E-mail: (office@blueridgeartscenter.com) Web: (http://www.blueridgeartscenter.com/)

.................

The above press release was captured from Tom Starland's blog " Carolina Arts Unleashed ".

Lewis, Iowa

2010-02-06T06:10:00.003-05:00

The town of Lewis, Iowa is a quiet community located on a hill top overlooking the Nishnabotna River Valley and the Lewis Cold Springs Lake. A population of 444 people enjoy a rural location with a rich historical background, surrounded by abundant agricultural endeavors and a vibrant community organization. Active church groups, a great school district and goals to improve the looks, pride and housing in the area make for continuing motivation for a thriving environment.

They currently have over 30 Barn Quilts in Lewis... with only 444 people living in 0.5 Square Miles! I have not found a Cass County Barn Quilt Trail, but if you get to Lewis I don't think you will have trouble spotting one. Check their website at: http://www.cityoflewis.com/

NJ & NC & Ky

2010-02-05T12:01:00.006-05:00

The Garden State (New Jersey), has been listed on the side-bar as having one web-site. There does exist enough information to list several of the individual counties. The Barn Quilt Association of New Jersey is a program of the New Jersey Museum of Agriculture. They are off to a fine start and have created their own 2010 calender. The New Jeresy counties now listed are Middlesex, Sussex, and Warren. Efforts are being made in a few more counties, and I will try to keep my eyes out for them as they come on-line.

From the Asheville Citizen-Times: Barbara Webster, executive director of Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina, accepted a first-place award in the category “promotions” for the Burnsville Quilt Trail at the recent Small Town Main Street 2010 Awards. They are also hosting a "Secret party for the ladies..." on Thursday February 11th. Visit their website for more information (www.quilttrailswnc.org)

Breathitt County (Kentucky) Museum Director Janie Griffith writes on the breathittonline.com/blog that : A very exciting workshop, designed to promote our quilting heritage, is being planned for Wednesday, February 17th. The event will be held at the newly renovated county extension office on Main Street in Jackson. Mrs. Martha Yount County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences is in charge of the workshop which will take place at 12 noon. Members of the homemaker club and others interested in creating barn squares are invited. The workshop is being presented by Perry County Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent, Ms. Glenna Wooten.

Ms. Wooten’s Kentucky Quilt Trail lesson will begin with a brief history of how quilt trails first began, and how the movement has spread across Kentucky. Included is a PowerPoint slide presentation showing quilt blocks from various counties. During the class, participants will receive handouts consisting of existing trails guidelines and will learn how to set up guidelines for a trail in Breathitt County. Funding for this project will also be discussed.

Recently, quilt trails have been organized in Perry and several other area counties. In 2006, Ms. Wooten received a grant for the quilt blocks in Perry County. Since that time, volunteers have painted and mounted around 30 quilt blocks throughout the county. Ms. Wooten’s lesson was made possible through a joint effort of the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. During the month of February, Ms. Wooten will travel through eight neighboring counties, teaching the lesson to other homemaker clubs and interested individuals.

The February 17th meeting in Jackson will consist of a light luncheon, followed by the quilt trails presentation. After the program, participants will visit the Breathitt County Museum to view first hand examples of barn squares during various stages of creation painted by museum director and local artist Janie Griffith.If you are interested in joining in and becoming part of this exciting project, be sure and attend this special workshop. Mark your calendars for 12 noon, Wednesday, February 17th and be at the extension office prepared to roll up your sleeves and get started on a bright and colorful Kentucky barn square!

Barn Quilts are Art

2010-02-04T10:10:00.006-05:00

I interject the following to provoke thought ...

http://www.artlex.com/

elitism and elitist - The belief that certain persons deserve favored treatment by virtue of their superior artistic or intellectual accomplishments, or because of some other real or perceived status. People and things reach various levels of achievement, of success, and for better or worse, people judge the qualities of other people and things. But elitism is a tendency to codify levels of artistic sophistication into a hierarchical system that some would call pretentiously exclusionary, and others realistic. Elitism is the sense of entitlement that follows from this attitude, and the control or dominance by a group of elitists — the people who take this view of their position. Elitism always elicits aesthetic questions about defining art, who is an authority about it, and what that means for people who aren't.

Elitism in the art world is the insistence that art is somehow out of the realm of common experience, that its pleasures are not available to everyone. It has become increasingly necessary to read texts (artists' statements, wall labels or plaques, articles of art criticism, etc.) in order to understand certain works of art, but this is what great contemporary art does: It advances through ideas, by engaging our minds. Art galleries, because their offerings are commodities, are invariably commercial enterprises, but they are among the only places where the public can see art free of charge. Museums serve comparable roles as a community's storehouse of art, exhibiting works to their visitors, educating visitors to the works' significance, garnering support in ways unlike the galleries'. Wherever encounters with art occur, they always demand the viewer's attention and receptivity. Failure to embrace those opportunities are at least, simply that: losses of opportunities, significant as those can be.

Easton, Md

2010-01-23T05:02:00.003-05:00

January 28 at 1:30 p.m. at TCVAC (storm date Feb 4)

!!!! Art Talk !!!!

'The Barn Quilts of Western Maryland'

It's not what you think!

Dolores Andrew will talk about how gloriously innovative Western Maryland artists are and what they are doing to save the local culture in the most creative of ways. Barn Quilt Art is now found in 23 states and in Maryland in Garret County, which even has a Barn Quilt Art Trail.

"Barn Quilts are public art that celebrates the place people call home. They make people feel good about themselves and where they live."- Donna Sue Groves, visionary of some of the first Barn Quilt Art in Maryland.

Random happenings...

2010-01-19T19:26:00.009-05:00

I want to share with you all, several items of note. I will be out of town for a few days which often means out of web-sight.

When you have time, visit Jen Buettner's blog: http://www.cre8tivequilter.blogspot.com/. Jen has this wonderful Barn Quilt Block of the Week going. She is a talented quilter (& EQ artist), photographer and blogger.

Watch the Barn Quilt Trail video from The Old Mission Peninsula at: http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/27868944. Enjoy the stories that go with the barns...

I was fascinated when I stumbled across the following: CSA (community supported agriculture) farm - Crown Point Ecology Center - in Bath, Ohio (between Akron and Medina). They are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their barn with a quilt block contest. The winning block will be painted on their barn. You can read about it at http://www.crownpt.org/. You can even enter, if you wish The center donated over 30,000 pounds of organic food to the local food bank last year. Amazing!

Kentucky Quilt Trails

2010-01-17T13:36:00.006-05:00

Here are some new (new for me) Quilt Trails from Kentucky. I am sure there are more, and I will be glad to add them to the side-bar as I find them (or you send me the link :-). In no particular order...

Madison County
http://ces3.ca.uky.edu/madisonquilttrail/trail.html

Henry County
http://www.henrycountyky.com/extension/barnquilts.htm

Georgetown County
http://www.georgetownky.com/barnquilt_web_pg/indexquilt2.html

Hart County
http://ces.ca.uky.edu/hart/node/69

Breckinridge County
http://www.visitbreckinridgecountyky.com/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=7&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=63

Washington County
http://ces.ca.uky.edu/washington-files/WASHINGTONCOUNTY_BARN_QUILT_TRAIL.pdf

Harrison County
http://www.harrisoncountybarnquilts.com/

Grayson County
http://www.graysoncountytourism.com/quilts.htm
.

Illinois

2010-01-07T19:16:00.014-05:00

If anyone has ever asked you what a "Barn Quilt" is... ask them if they have about 5 minutes to look at the following You Tube video from Kankakee County, Illinois. Supported by the University of Illinois Extension and the Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau, this short piece of cinematography says a lot.

(click here)

And...

In Illinois there is one other county that has Barn Quilts (or Quilted Barns), and that is McHenry. Also, the pictures at http://www.mchsonline.org/ will remind you that there are warmer days to come. Meanwhile, McHenry County Historical Society’s Executive Director Nancy Fike will hold a brainstorming session at 10 a.m. Jan. 14 at the historical society’s museum, 6422 Main St., Union. This is about the creation of a would-be quilt trail in McHenry County. For more information, call 815-923-2267 or e-mail info@mchsonline.org.

BTW

2010-01-07T17:02:00.008-05:00

.
There is news from the South. The Southern Quilt Trail which had its start in Powder Springs, Georgia, has now partnered with the Rolling Hills RC & D (Resource Conversation and Development) Council. I am told that there are now 22 Quilt Blocks in Cobb County and 5 surrounding counties (Carol, Haralson, Paulding, West Cobb, Heard) with 4 other counties (Coweta, Douglas, Floyd & Polk), ready to get started.

BTW

I questioned the size of the Amish Postage Stamp Quilt Blocks on John's Butcher Shop in Nappanee, Indiana. There has been a note added explaining that each of these are actually 8' x 8' and painted by the local artist Jeff Stillson. Thanks Sonya. Please visit: http://www.quiltgardenstour.com/

The answer is Nappanee

2010-01-05T14:46:00.009-05:00

Nappanee, Indiana

The good folk of Nappanee (Elkhart County), don't have a Barn Quilt Trail (yet), but what they do have is a Quilt Garden Tour... that includes more than few large painted quilt blocks. I think that to enjoy the Quilt Gardens of Elkart county, you need to time your visit to the season and the community volunteers. These painted Quilt Blocks can be enjoyed year-round. See more at http://www.amishcountry.org/QuiltGardensTour2010

The picture above was taken from http://www.amishcountry.org/ . The blocks are on the side of John's Butcher Shop in downtown Nappanee and I do not know the actual size of them. One of the interesting things about the Elkhart / Nappanee Quilt Blocks are that they have been painted onto lumber rather than plywood. Look closely at the photos on their website.

Where have you seen these ?

2010-01-05T14:40:00.004-05:00

Where can you find 4' x 4' (quilt block) copies of these four USPS Postage Stamps that were released in 2001? Clue: It's not Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

Congratulations Donna Sue Groves

2010-01-05T06:37:00.004-05:00

I picked up the following story from Adams County, Ohio newspaper: the People's Defender. Reported December 30, 2009, "Donna Sue Groves' idea of a quilt barn trail took root and has since blossomed across the state of Ohio and into at least 26 states. In April, Groves will be awarded the Governor's Award for the Arts, not just for her quilt barn idea, but for community development and participation, especially in the Appalachian region."

The biography for Ms Groves on the Ohio Arts Council web site (http://www.oac.state.oh.us/) states in part: "Groves irrepressible spirit demonstrates each day that one person can make a difference sharing by her knowledge, vision, and love for the arts. She has built deep trust and collaboration in communities across the state and nation by living her motto of "giving people a hand up, not a hand out." Her ongoing collaborative work to celebrate and raise awareness of the unique gifts, talents and cultural traditions of Appalachian Ohio embody the very spirit of participation and community development. "

Morgan County, Co

2010-01-04T16:44:00.012-05:00

Currently the Morgan County Barn Quilt Project lists the addresses of over 40 Quilt Blocks.

The story and picture below was printed by the Brush News-Tribune and Fort Morgan Times, and reminds us of warmer times in Morgan County, Colorado. It also makes me think about how nice it would be to have this quilt on my bed. Look closely at the picture and you will see 16 quilt blocks on the quilt... and the same 16 on the barn.

Project would create cozy barn quilt replicas
By JESSE CHANEY,
Posted: 10/13/2009 01:05:49 PM MDT

A fabric quilt displayed by Nancy Lauck, coordinator of the Morgan County Barn Quilt Project, illustrates the designs on all 16 barn quilts mounted on the barn behind her. (Special to The Times)

Though their bright colors and geometric shapes are characteristic of traditional fabric quilts, the painted-plywood barn quilts found throughout Morgan County aren’t exactly soft and snuggly. But Morgan County Barn Quilt Project Coordinator Nancy Lauck hopes to soon complement many area barn quilts with comfy, cozy replicas. “It’s just a branch off our barn quilts,” she said.

Lauck recently created a fabric quilt that illustrates the designs on all 16 barn quilts displayed on her property north of Highway 34 between Fort Morgan and Brush. Lauck hopes hers will be the first in a collection of fabric quilts that replicate the designs on all barn quilts mounted on Morgan County barns. She would like to eventually display the whole set of fabric quilts at special events throughout Morgan County.

The displays would not only attract more people to local events, she said, but they would generate more interest in the artworks mounted on Morgan County barns. Some people display the barn quilts on business buildings and other structures, but Lauck said she is only interested in creating fabric replicas of those that hang on barns. “We can draw more people to the barns,” she said. “We need to bring more attention to the barns that we have left in Morgan County.”

Lauck said she is not yet sure how the fabric quilt project would play out. “I really am open to suggestions because I’ve got the idea of doing it, I just need more bodies to help,” she said. Lauck said any effort to replicate Morgan County’s barn quilts in fabric would not be a moneymaking venture. Like the barn quilt project, she said, the fabric quilt project would probably be successful only through utilizing donated time and supplies.

She has considered asking members of local quilting groups if they would help make the fabric quilts. Additionally, some barn owners may want to quilt their own replicas to add to the collection, she said. “I could even teach them,” she said. Anyone who has ideas or is willing to help may contact Lauck at 867-2047.

From Pocahontas, Arkansas

2010-01-04T07:44:00.010-05:00

Only a couple of months ago, I added Randolph County, Arkansas to the sidebar of Barn Quilt websites. I hope that you have found time to visit their site sponsored by Five Rivers Historic Preservation, Inc. (http://www.5rhp.org/) There is a nice tri-fold brochure with a map that you can download. I am even more impressed by the 20 page PDF file showing the 37 different quilts that are being recognized, along with the history and a story for each of them. These are real quilts, owned and sewn by real folks... with lots of love.

World Contest...

2010-01-02T10:40:00.013-05:00

On the Social Networking Site: barnquilting.ning.com , I have created a challenge for all Barn Quilt Trail Organizations, Art Associations, and individual Artists that have created a Barn Quilt (Quilt Barn). This is being called the 2010 Best of the Best, and submissions must be posted to the 2010 Best of the Best photo album on the barnquilting.ning.com web site.

Right now I do not see a reason to the restrict the choices to just those Quilt Blocks that have been created or hung this year (or last), but in order to have a manageable number of entries, I would like to ask that each organization, association or individual limit their entries to just one. The contest will evolve, and rules and restrictions may be suggested. I will not personally be eligible to participate in the contest.

I would like to promote the contest, and I will be soliciting ideas for prizes and recognition from all members of the Barn Quilting network on Ning.

I would love to hear all of your ideas and input (i.e.: different categories ?).

2010

2010-01-01T07:06:00.008-05:00

I want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year, filled with the warm love of family and friends. There is wisdom in the old Irish blessing... May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you're going, and the insight to know when you're going too far.

Many of us await the release of Suzi Parron's book Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail that will be released in 2010. She has created a new Barn Quilt calendar that is available at: cafepress.com/quilttrails. You can find out more about Ms Parron's book and her travels at: americanquilttrail.blogspot.com

I would very much like to thank all those that have become members of (or visited), the social networking site: barnquilting.ning.com. I hope that this year we can attract and encourage barn quilters (and fans), from every corner of the country... and beyond.

American Discovery Trail

2009-12-19T08:48:00.008-05:00

There is a nice article in the latest edition of Discover America the Newsletter of the American Trail Society. If you have never heard of these folks, go to http://www.discoverytrail.org/

You can learn more about ADT by visiting their website, or read the article about Barn Quilts on page 3 of their latest on-line newsletter ( click here )

2009-12-04T09:54:00.010-05:00

I have been studying my statistics, and it is taking almost all of my "free" time. I am left with a bit of time for my son, and my wife... but little else. Here is some of what I have been wanting to post:

From the official guild to Howard County, Md: "Tucked between Baltimore and Washington, Howard County boasts a distinct and thriving collection of communities, old and new, stable and growing."

From explorehoward.com: Linda Brown (above), owner of Triadelphia View Farm, sitting, and her friend, Gayle Crouch, enjoyed their weekends this past summer painting this barn quilt that is more than 8-feet square and is a semi-original design. It is the first barn quilt in the county.

From sussexnaturally.blogspot.com:

The beautiful pattern (above), selected for the Sussex County Farmer's Market was skillfully hand painted by Lauren Brodhecker of Brodhecker Farm. In addition to the Barn Quilt pattern which adorns the SC Farmer's Market, Lauren has hand painted a second quilt pattern which will soon be displayed at the family's farm in Hampton Township. The following counties are now listed separately on the New Jersey Barn Quilt Web Site (http://www.njbarnquilts.com/): Middlesex, Sussex, and Warren.

North Carolina has another county affiliated with the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina.

Share your news...

2009-11-02T06:09:00.003-05:00

I have been spending much of my time dealing with family issues, but continue to search for Barn Quilt (Quilt Barn, Quilt Trail), news...

This coming Saturday (November 7), the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina will sponser it's first Quilt Trail Road Rally. The object is to connect 15 Barn Quilts with the least mileage. Proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

Truman, Minnesota (Martin County), repotedly has a Quilt Trail, but I am not sure how many there are, or if a map is available.

The Wardsville (Ontario, Canada) Community Association has plans for a Quilt Trail, but there does not seem to be one yet.

Grand Traverse County, Mi

2009-10-27T15:40:00.013-04:00

Several months ago, I mentioned what was going on around Traverse City, Michigan. Read about their Quilt Trail (below). I am adding Grand Traverse County to the sidebar. Part of the county is also known as the Old Mission Peninsula. For much more information on all of these barns, refer to the book BARNS OF OLD MISSION PENINSULA AND THEIR STORIES, written by Evelyn Johnson.

You can get more information by visiting: http://www.barnsofoldmission.com/ or http://mibarn.net/Events/QuiltBarnsofOldMissionPeninsula.html

Mike Norton has written the following for the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau:

Surrounded almost entirely by the deep blue water of Grand Traverse Bay, the long narrow Old Mission Peninsula is best known for its stunning views, picturesque orchards and award-winning wines. But the Peninsula is also saturated with history. Home to the region’s first permanent settlement, its 18-mile length is dotted with picturesque farms, schoolhouses, homes and churches. And with the possible exception of its cozy two-story lighthouse, the most iconic structures on the Peninsula are its many barns, enduring reminders of rural culture in this rapidly gentrifying landscape of wineries, vacation homes and beaches. “All these people who came out to Old Mission came from somewhere else and made something out of nothing,” says

Traverse City resident Evelyn Johnson, a retired kindergarten teacher who became interested in barns when her children purchased an old barn on Old Mission in 2002. In 2006 she authored a book about the Peninsula’s 104 surviving barns that won a Michigan Historical Award.

Johnson’s book has become a popular guide for the kind of barn enthusiasts who revel in architectural details and historical trivia. But even casual visitors to the Old Mission area can now visit some of the Peninsula’s most prominent barns — thanks to the addition of yet another popular rural symbol: the traditional quilt.

With help from barn owners and dozens of community volunteers, Johnson has created the “Quilt Barn Trail of Old Mission Peninsula” – a leisurely itinerary that leads visitors to 10 barns, each decorated with a painted quilt block chosen or designed by its owner. The designs are painted on 8×8-foot wooden frames with long-lasting outdoor paint and mounted in prominent spots on the barns.

It’s a diverse collection that includes everything from an 1870 pioneer barn on Old Mission Road decorated with a traditional “Bear Paw” pattern to a classic 1912 barn on Smokey Hollow Road whose customized quilt square proclaims the owners’ Finnish heritage, Lutheran faith and love for International Harvester tractors.

I do have roots in South Carolina, and now...

2009-10-24T07:59:00.007-04:00

Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail

South Carolina

Text below is from: http://www.oconeeheritagequilttrail.com/

The Blue Ridge Arts Council is taking the lead in bringing the National Quilt Trail to South Carolina. The Quilt Trail began in 2001 in Ohio when Donna Sue Groves installed a painted quilt design on her barn to honor her mother, a fifth generation Appalachian quilter. From that simple act, the project has spread to more than 2,000 colorfully painted quilt designs on barns and other structures in twenty-four states.

The popularity of the quilt square design trails has grown as communities see them as an artistic celebration of history and culture. Individual structure owners chose to honor their quilting ancestors and rural life. Ms. Groves wishes future quilt square design trails to honor females as she did her mother.

Here in Oconee County, a group of dedicated citizens is working to put South Carolina on the map by establishing the Oconee Heritage Quilt Trail. The first quilt in South Carolina, which has been sponsored by the Wynward Pointe Ladies Group, will be mounted on the Oconee Heritage Center in Walhalla, SC, in the Rocky Mountain Road pattern made in 1930 by Lena Mae Land Talley, of Mountain Rest. It will be recreated on an 8' x 8' weather resistant wooden panel mounted on the outside wall of the Oconee Heritage Center. Others are sponsoring quilts to be painted on other buildings in the county.

Quilt trails bring an economic benefit to communities by attracting tourists to the countryside and include historical sites along the route. Businesses that are part of the trail have experienced increased traffic and interest.

Ar, Randolph County

2009-10-21T15:54:00.000-04:00

I have added Randolph County, Arkansas to the sidebar...

McDowell County, NC

2009-10-14T13:47:00.002-04:00

Another North Carolina county (McDowell), has created (work in process), a Quilt Trail. Anyone interested in creating their own Quilt Trail might enjoy checking out their blog at: http://mcdowellquilttrail.org/ . They have a good start. I certainly hope that they have a warm place to paint this winter. I have added a link to their web-site on the Barn Quilt Memories side bar...

Also read: The McDowell News Published: August 31, 2009

Patty Rose Designs

2009-10-13T10:51:00.010-04:00

I love this

Patty Rose Designs

Mosaic

From these beginnings...

This is a little different from the other Barn Quilts that I have seen. Made from broken pottery shards, the 3' x 3' design was layed out on a plywood and concrete board foundation, and then grouted. It now hangs over Patty's cutting garden. Visit Patty at:

http://www.pattyrosedesign.typepad.com/

Calhoun County, Illinois

2009-10-13T10:19:00.005-04:00

Here is a picture that I had to share... A Log Cabin Quilt Block in Hardin, Illinois. The house and barn date back to the 1870s. There are apparently several Quilt Blocks on Barns in Calhoun County, but I have not been able to find a web presence except the following:

From the Catholic Times, the on-line newspaper of the Diocese of Springfield, reports:

The Third Annual Calhoun County Quilt and Church Tour will be Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the communities of Kampsville, Hardin and Brussels. Calhoun Partners Economic Development sponsors the tour, with proceeds going to Calhoun’s Barn Quilt Project.

Tour tickets are $8 if purchased by Oct. 19, $12 thereafter. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Bank of Kampsville in Brussels and Kampsville, at the Calhoun / Jersey Extension Office in Hardin, or at any of the church halls on the days of the tour. Included with a ticket purchase is a self-guided map to the 25-plus barn quilts located on historic barns and local businesses in Calhoun County.

Quilts will be on display at St. Anselm’s Hall in Kampsville, the First Presbyterian Church and Hall in Hardin and St. Matthew Lutheran Church and Hall in Brussels. The tour includes quilting demonstrations, quilting supplies and fabrics sale and a Calhoun photo gallery and note cards sale. A quilt appraiser will be there to do appraisals of quilts people bring in. Some quilts will be for sale at St. Anselm’s Hall in Kampsville, where the Calhoun Historical Society and the McCully Heritage project will have information booths.

Meservey, Iowa

2009-10-11T16:21:00.003-04:00

According to Wikipedia: Meservey is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. It is part of the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area. Meservey was founded in 1886, shortly after a railroad line was built connecting Mason City and Fort Dodge. It takes its name from the Meservey Brothers who were railroad employees at this time. The western portion of town was originally known as Kausville, and eventually merged into Meservey, and is still legally known as the "Kausville Addition". As of the census of 2000, there were 252 people living in Meservey.

According to the Belmond News: A barn quilt class will be held at the Reformed Church here (in Meservey), on October 20 and 26. Missy Huling of Garner will be the instructor. The 4x4 board, paint and instructions will be provided at a cost of $55. To register call Mary Schlichting at 358-6259.

Quilt Trail Sampler Quilt

2009-10-11T12:30:00.006-04:00

From the Web Site of the Appalachian RC&D Council's Quilt Trail™ in Northeast Tennessee! Win a one of a kind Quilt Trail Sampler Quilt with replicas of each of the quilt squares on the Quilt Trail! This opportunity is offered in cooperation with the First Frontier Quilters. The drawing will take place on October 30th, 2009, on WJHL News Channel 11 Morning Edition with Josh Smith.

Go to: http://quilttrail.org/

Quilt Trail Raffle Tickets

6 Tickets for for $10.00
9 Tickets for for $15.00
12 Tickets for for $20.00
15 Tickets for for $25.00

Quilt Trail Poster

$8.00 tax included plus $5.00 shipping and handling for the first product, $1.00 for each item thereafter. 16” x 24” on 100# stock with a matte finish suitable for framing. Comes with a Key that names every pattern and tells farm name, address and GPS coordinates.
Shipping: $5

Quilt Trail Mouse Pad

$8.00 tax included plus $5.00 shipping and handling (for the first item, save and buy more - additional items ship at $1.00 each.

2009-10-09T12:00:00.012-04:00

WOW... I have a lot to catch up on, and it will not happen in one day. My plate (life), seems to have very full lately, and it continues to offer me lots of challenges and opportunities. I am thankful for every moment that I have, often wishing that there was more of me to go around, yet being constantly reminded to live in the day. We should each appreciate what we have, and be thankful. We need to make the most of our opportunities, and share what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves. That's enough preaching about life & circumstances for now.

I dove into a personal Barn Quilt Project a little more than a month ago. I was not able to spend all of my time devoted to it, but I have done the following: painted eight 4' x 4' Quilt Blocks (shown below), immersed myself into, and completed a certification class on entrepreneurship, constructed the outline of my business plan, and put myself into a local outdoor art show. These are just steps in the journey, and I will certainly have more to share.

There are plenty of new Barn Quilt, Quilt Barn and Quilt Trail notices that I have received over the past month (and I will be sharing), but there is one in particular that I would like to make notice of. That is the inauguration of the American Quilt Barns web-site at http://www.americanquiltbarns.com/ . This is designed to be an interactive social networking site, hopefully tying together the multitude of quilt trails and fans across the country. Anyone can join, and there is no charge. Started by Donna Sue Groves and a group of friends, this site will bring a new focus and direction to what I like to call a real grass roots art movement. This is one that will continue to blossom.

... and thanks to all who support the site:

barnquilting.ning.com

Where have I been ?

2009-08-27T16:13:00.009-04:00

( Barn Quilts are Art )

In the past month, I have had to face the hard reality of not being employed anymore. (Not having anything to do, sure does take up a lot of time.) The good folk down at the Employment Security Commission like to refer my condition as being a displaced worker. Displaced is right! I call myself a statistic. I can see the bottom of the financial well, and I am very close to having my well run dry. I will be getting a pittance of Unemployment Insurance soon, but it has not come through yet. I am really thankful for any and all help that I can get. Our government does have some outstanding programs for the displaced worker, and those that may be under-employed. Over the next few months I hope be taking a few certificate classes at the Community College, and even more immediately, there is a program that I have signed up for that is funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (it's vision is to foster “a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities.”). The program is called FastTrack NewVenture. In a few short weeks, they can walk me through the process of starting a new business... so, let's guess what this country boy is about to do.

I am getting ready to start a new business! To be named (of course), Barn Quilt Memories. I have not gotten to class yet, and have not sold any product, but I will. This afternoon I went down to the local Art Museum and signed up to be a vendor at the First Folk Art Festival at the Lake. This is billed as: Outsider art, Outside the expected, Outside the city limits! Taking place on October 3rd (one day only), does not leave me with much time to come up with some Barn Quilts. All I can say right now is... stay tuned!

these pictures speak for themselves...

2009-08-02T09:31:00.016-04:00

The Barn Quilt Homeschool Artists

on You Tube

( from Kankakee County, Illinois )

[ click the pic. ]

So, I don't have all the answers...

2009-07-29T19:59:00.017-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting educator, turned author and historian, Suzi Parron. Many of you have read her blog (americanquilttrail). Her name may become as ubiquitous as Donna Sue Groves when speaking of Quilt Barns, Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail. It is comforting to know that Suzi and Donna Sue have teamed up to create a book that will both describe the impetus of this arts movement, and focus on the stories that are the lives behind the quilt squares flowering across our hinterlands.

Today, Suzi took the time to introduce us to a wonderful pair of You Tube journalist. See what she says, and then go to: thehardestyear.com and A Patchwork of Hope (the story of Donna Sue Groves).

Suzi Parron is interested in capturing the stories... and the sense of community, family, respect and love that these images portray. She is also a pretty astute study of human nature. She asked me two questions that I have not fully been able to answer. What was my compelling interest ? and what may happen in the future months that could bring this diverse collection of farmers and quilters, artist and art lovers, chambers, committees and associations under some sort of unifying umbrella ?

The Shores of Lake Michigan

2009-07-28T09:01:00.007-04:00

About 30 miles due East of Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Michigan is Kewaunee. The Kewaunee Area Chamber of Commerce (http://www.kewaunee.org/), is hosting the web page for the Kewaunee Area Barn Quilts. Beautiful pictures, of beautiful Barns and Barn Quilts, I could not help but notice that there is snow in more than half of the pictures.

On the far side of Lake Michigan, you can find Traverse City, Michigan, on what is known as the Mission Peninsula. It is there that you will find a new Barn Quilt Trail. A few years ago, retired school teacher Evelyn Johnson wrote a book about the Barns Of Old Mission Peninsula And Their Stories, and she is now spearheading a Quilt Trail project on the Peninsula. There was a story in yesterday's Traverse City's Record-Eagle. (click here for story), and they have pictures too (click here for pictures)...

... also see: http://iamsamiam.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/quilt-barns/

Alleghany County, NC

2009-07-27T08:08:00.009-04:00

Another North Carolina county has joined the Quilt Trail community. Alleghany County is celebrating it's 150 anniversary. It lies in the North-North-West of the Carolinas and shares a border with Virginia. Ashe County to the West, and Wilkes County to the South, have their own Barn Quilt projects. Due to the efforts of the Alleghany County Quilters Guild and its president, Delta Peterson, there are now over 35 Quilt Blocks hung around the county, and they were all painted this year. I spoke with Ms Peterson last week at the annual quilt show and she is very enthusiastic about what the Quilters Guild has accomplished. These are all 2' x 2' or 4' x 4' Quilt Blocks. I have not seen the entire county, but what I have seen is beautiful and calls me back to explore some more. There is a new brochure that shows the first 35 patterns. You can also write or call Bob Bamberg at the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce (http://www.sparta-nc.com/).

Alexander County, NC

2009-07-26T20:18:00.010-04:00

Alexander County's Hiddenite Center announced several months ago that they were starting a Barn Quilt project. Last week I had an opportunity to stop by the old Lucas Mansion in Hiddenite, North Carolina, and I met with Allison Houchins. She is the part time Director of Education for the center, and a full time Barn Quilt supporter. Allison is directing much of the efforts to get the quilt blocks done. I was asking how much progress they had made, and found out that they had just hung the first seven quilt blocks, and that the webmaster was informed to add pictures and descriptions to the center's website (http://www.hiddenitecenter.com/)... and so it has been done.

The emphasis here is the actual historical quilts. These have been photographed, and images of the quilt, or a portion of the quilt is printed on two 4' x 8' panels that are hung on local barns. If you look closely at these images, the stitches and textures are evident, and the stories are being shared with the community. It's possible that this will lead to hand painted quilt blocks. For now these are real shared celebrations of the quilts that have been made and cherished by the families in Alexander County...

Quilted by Elsie Clark Linney around 1915

Quilted by Louisa Dacons Cass 1890 - 1900

Cass County, Nebraska

2009-07-16T19:14:00.004-04:00

The First in Nebraska

Barn Quilt Project

Elmwood-Murdock Future Business Leaders of America wanted to “IMPACT” the community by Involving Members, Promoting Activities, and Creating Tourism. Adding painted quilt blocks to prominent barns seemed like a good idea because together they created a unique tourist attraction with long-term potential. In 2006, local quilt enthusiast, Mickie Clements, proposed the idea and served as the project adviser. Twelve 8’ x 8’ barn quilts were created by Elmwood-Murdock art students, while FBLA members developed publicity, solicited barns, and generated funds for the project. All members of the chapter are convinced this project will impact the community for years to come.

Putnam County, Tennessee

2009-07-16T19:03:00.006-04:00

Welcome to the Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail

The Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail is part of the continuing commitment of the Upper Cumberland Quilt Festival to the preservation of this historical craft of traditional quilting.

We Have Many to Thank for Making this Possible…we say Thanks to:

The farm and barn owners for giving us permission to hang the painting on their properties. We are especially grateful to our Quilters and their families for allowing us to use their treasured quilts and patterns.

Our artists, Julie Styer and Sandra Darrow, of the Upper Cumberland Arts Alliance, who spent many hours designing and painting.

Ron Sweeney, for painting the Star of Bethlehem and hanging all of the paintings.

Bill Herren for painting our first barn on Dry Valley Road

The Algood School children and their teacher Wren Van Hooser, and Sandra Darrow & 8th grade students at Cornerstone Middle School in Baxter & Janis Nunnally.

Walworth County, Wi

2009-07-15T11:20:00.007-04:00

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, with lots of local support, is the Barn Quilts of Walworth County. I reported in late 2008 that there were plans underway to start a Barn Quilt Trail in Walworth County. Now there is a web presence and it appears that 11 Quilt Blocks have already been hoisted on barns. I will add the UWES site on the sidebar, and there is also a brochure for those interested at:

http://walworth.uwex.edu/ag/documents/BarnQuiltBrochure.pdf

--- lost & found ---

I have discoverd the Kankakee Barn Quilts You Tube video does still exist at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6n_0SGT5LM

In touch...

2009-07-14T09:08:00.008-04:00

It's hard to keep up with all of the activities in the world of Barn Quilts. The idiom is becoming only slightly more common place. While "BARN QUILT" is not instantly recognizable by everyone, I still predict reaching a tipping point where this art movement will become more accepted by the main stream art community. There is not a problem here. The arts movement that consists of painting quilt blocks on barns (and other structures) is truly grass roots. From the ground up. It was started in the country and not the fashion capitals that so often lead the masses. I find it comforting that the good folk that participate are doing so because of a joy and passion for the art, and a love of their community and their past.

--- NEWS ---

A Benefit for Athens AM Rotary & Cancer Research

The Athens AM Rotary Club’s annual Quilt Barn Ride and Poker Run will raise funds for the Club’s charity work and for Pelotonia, a grassroots bike tour based in Columbus, Ohio with one goal: to end cancer. The Quilt Barn Ride begins at 8 a.m., July 18th, 2009 and starts at the Athens County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, 667 East State St., Athens, Ohio. Poker Run prizes will be announced at 1:00 p.m.

A special route has been designed to provide cyclists with a scenic ride through Athens, County, with stops at five local Quilt Barns. The route will consist of a 30- mile loop, with an additional 20 miles of optional road available for the more experienced riders who want more of a challenge. The Athens County Quilt Barns include paintings of traditional quilt patterns on local barns. The Quilt Barns were created from an Appalachian Ohio art project, with funding from the Ohio Arts Council. This project planted the seeds for what has become a national art movement.

--- NEWS ---

Wall farm nominated for Small Farmer of Year
JIMMY SETTLE • The Leaf-Chronicle • July 11, 2009

Visit J&J Century Farm today and you'll be transported to an old-fashioned, diverse agricultural experience, whether you stick around for an hour or all day. You can see farm animals, buy farm-fresh produce, pumpkins and gourds, souvenirs, the work of local artisans, locally produced honey, select antiques, and for the holiday season, wreaths, ornaments and other items from Granny Wall's Country Store. This month, you can visit the blackberry patch to pick your own wild blackberries in season. Be sure to call the farm ahead for availability and times, and bring along a bucket.

J&J Century Farm is a member of Pick TN Products, the Appalachian Quilt Trail, Montgomery County Quilt Trail, Tennessee Agritourism Association, and Tennessee Christmas Tree Growers Association.

--- Must See ---

I have mentioned the You Tube video of the Barn Quilts of Kankakee County (it appears as if it is no longer available)... Now, thanks to Ken Kashian and the Illinois Farm Bureau, there is slide show of images that are great. Click on the linked message below:

Starting in the fall of 2008, barn quilts began to cover area barns and corncribs. By the end of this year, a total of 20 quilts will proudly hang. While there have been barn quilt projects in neighboring states, This is the first of its kind in Illinois. Photos courtesy of Clayton & Carol Splear Pratt. Additional Golden Anniversary Ring photos courtesy of Pat Alcorn

Full speed ahead...

2009-07-07T16:13:00.005-04:00

The Warren County Farmers' Fair, running daily July 26 to Aug. 1 in Harmony Township, will showcase the very first Barn Quilt in Warren County, New Jersey.

(click here to read story above)

Expanding the Upper Cumberland Quilt Trail, which currently exists as an 11-mile tour around Algood, would benefit the region as a whole, said Kathy Daugherty, coordinator with the nonprofit Hull-York Lakeland Resource Conservation and Development Council in Cookeville (Tennessee). Hull-York will act as the agency seeking grants for the project, which Daugherty is dubbing an agritourism endeavor.

(click here to read story above)

Here is a picture of Heath Hoffer and Collen Konieczny in Bullskin Pa. There is a nice story in the July 4th Daily Courier. They have come up with an entirely new way to fashion and construct the Barn Quilt. You can go to pabarnquilts.com and see what's up. I think they have a pretty slick and attactive product.

(click here to read story above)

Updatin'

2009-07-03T09:42:00.005-04:00

I am sure that I need several new posts here as I catch up with my own blog. To start with, there have been several Barn Quilt alerts sent to me that I would like to share.

I have not made it to the book store yet, but look for "Quilters World Magazine". There is a story titled: TAKE A TRIP On the Beautiful Barn-Quilt Trail.

And wonderful youtube video of the Barn Quilts of Kankakee County (Illinois) at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V20-FFvyNVA [no longer available]

As a part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, is the Orleans County Country Barn Quilt Trail: A first-of-its-kind travel experience for New York State – a 22-mile loop tour off the Great Lakes Seaway Trail byway to see more than 40 quilt blocks painted on barns in the Town of Kendall. Travelers can follow a free audio tour accessible by cell phone or collect a map available at Seaway Trail Inc. member Partyka Farms Market at 1420 County Line Road, 3 miles south of the Seaway Trail.

Champaign County (Ohio) Barn Quilt Tour has a month-to month print-your-own calender of Barn Quilts. It's nice, especially if you want to start in July.

Heidi Kaisand of Hen and Chicks Quilt Studio has completed a Barn Quit with a friend, and she has pictures on her blog.

staying up...

2009-06-28T05:34:00.005-04:00

I hope that everyone is following the travels of Suzi Parron on her blog: http://americanquilttrail.blogspot.com/. Her most recent trip to Iowa (and Wisconsin) has some great personal tales, and wonderful pictures of Barn Quilts.

The most recent Barn Quilt in Iowa is pictured below. Painted by a talented long arm quilter, I say job well done. She is looking for the name of the quilt block. See more pictures on her blog: http://myquilter.blogspot.com/2009/06/barn-quilt.html

Correction

2009-06-19T06:16:00.005-04:00

Correction:

The "first" barn quilt that was done in Adams County, Ohio was actually the Ohio Star on the Lewis Mountain Herbs and Everlastings gift shop, designed by Mark Lewis and Bill Brown (see previous post). In 2001, Donna Sue Groves along with friends Pete Whan and Elaine Collins, had the idea to organize a grass roots committee and paint more Quilt Blocks.

From the Adams County Travel and Visitors Bureau:

Adams County's "Clothesline of Quilts"
Donna Sue Groves had a dream to someday honor her mother with a large painting on their barn of her mother's passion, quilting. That one beautiful dream has now lead to more than the planned 21 quilt squares, throughout Adams County and beyond! Donna teamed up with the P.A.C.T. (Planning Adams County's Tomorrow) Organization & after applying& receiving a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, began the counties colorful display of historical quilt squares. The idea soon spread. The Adams County Chamber of Commerce made a contribution, along with several local businesses, and residence. Some of which, financed and designed their own square.

Correction:

If you are looking for Suzi Parron's blog, it is: http://americanquilttrail.blogspot.com/

Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail

Lewis Mountain and a big / little piece of history...

2009-06-18T20:43:00.012-04:00

The first Barn Quilt that was painted (besides the one on Nina Maxine and Donna Sue Groves' tobacco barn), was on the gift shop at Lewis Mountain Herbs and Everlastings, Manchester, Ohio. This is a herb farm and nursery, and for over 20 years home to the Olde Thyme Herb Fair. On October 31, 2001 the Ohio Star Quilt Block was unveiled. Now the farm is for sale (see below).

Farm and Business for Sale
Lewis Mountain Herbs and Everlastings

For more information call Judy Lewis at 937-549-2484 or e-mail mtherbs@bright.net

Located in rural Southern Ohio two (2) miles from the Ohio River. Established business has been in operation for over thirty-three (33) years. Home of the Olde Thyme Herb Fair which will be celebrating its 21st year the second full weekend of October 2008. The Fair, which consists of displays and the sales of merchandise offered by over 240 artisans, continuous live entertainment, classes, workshops, luncheons and dinners. As one of the largest private fairs/festivals in the State, it attracts 20,000 to 30,000 visitors during the two (2) days.

Fresh cut flower production for commercial suppliers in Southwest Ohio. Production and sales of up to 600 herb varieties, scented geraniums and everlastings mostly to commercial customers in Ohio, Kentucky and WestVirginia and retail sales locally, throughout the United States and through the Company website (mtherbs.com)

Bed & Breakfast: Three (3) furnished sleeping rooms with individual bathrooms.Furnished Cottage with full bath and equipped kitchen (Currently rented for $600 / month). The “Mountainview Room” which is used for hosting meetings, parties, lunches, dinners and workshops with meals prepared on-site in the commercial kitchen.

Pet Boarding Kennels with capacity for 4 cats and 14 dogs, with wash station.

Full service Floral Shop. Retail Gift Shop

This 17 acre site also offers endless possibilities for further expansion. For example, it is ideally suited for a nursery/garden center. The retail shop can be expanded or modified as a Feed Store to service the local farming community.

Address: 2345 St Rt 247
Manchester, OH
Subdivision: Adams Co.
Price: $459,000

MLS ID #: 1169826
5 beds, 6 baths, 14.39 Acres

LEWIS MOUNTAIN HERBS FARM 5 BR BED & BREAKFAST 4 GREEN HOUSES FLORIST SHOP W/WALK-IN COOLER, COTTAGE 23X19 FOR RENTAL LG BARN W/STALL APPROX 50X70 HAS WORKSHOP. ADDL. 2 ACRES W/ 24X48 BARN AND DOG BOARDING KENNELS AVAILABLE FOR 119,000.00 FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL KOOGLER/EYRE REALTORS AT 513-753-9660.

2009-06-18T07:10:00.003-04:00

Here is a wonderful Barn Quilt (4 x 8 hanging on a fence), with a great story. I am not sure if you can see this from the road (Hwy 90 & Grey Gap Rd), but the Yellow Ribbon Trading Post would be worth a look-see if you are passin' thru Marrowbone, Ky.

My Quilt is named Trail of Tears...My family on my mothers side (Vera Franks-Ambroselli) is from Choctaw descent. Most of her trible had to leave Kentucky during the removals of the 1800's and were moved to Indian Reservations in Oklahoma. My Great Grandfather lived on the Indian Reservation in Oklahoma until age 3 then his family became workers for a share cropper and the children were Americanized by attending special schools for the Indians they had to wear uniforms and the boys had to cut there hair. The meaning of the colors in my quilt are: Blue-For the rivers, lakes and sky (Stands for sincerity and Happiness) Green-Represents the earth, the hills, trees and mountains (That provide food and substance. Red-Stands for War-(Long before the white man we lived upon the land for countless moons, in harmony with the Great Spirit, honoring all life around us) Black-stands for Power, White symbolizes the skies and spacious heavens. Our quilt is located at the Yellow Ribbon Trading Post.

Avery County Quilt Trail

2009-06-11T20:38:00.012-04:00

A few days ago, I had a chance to sit down with LouAnn Morehouse at the Avery County Arts Council. LouAnn is the Executive Directer of the Arts Council, and they have a small gallery and office in Banner Elk, NC. This town is located in a county that can only be described as a mountain wonderland, and I have located most of the 40+ Barn Quilts that have popped up across the county over the past few years. Please take a moment to check out their Web Site at http://www.averycountyartscouncil.org/ .

There were several interesting subjects that came up during our conversation. Two in particular I want to discuss here and on http://barnquilting.ning.com/ , but I only want to hint at them now. One is the subject of maps, directions, brochures, and information on telling someone where to find barn quilts. The other subject is the cost for organizations or individuals to start and maintain a Quilt Trail.

Please give these subjects some thought in the next few days. I would love it if someone would open a discussion at http://barnquilting.ning.com/ . This is: A network for those involved in the creation, construction, support, inspiration for or enjoyment of the Barn Quilt Arts Movement. Everyone is welcome.

Until I return next week (I have a couple more graduations to attend), I want to leave you with pictures from The Avery County Arts Trail. Click the Pic. to make it bigger...

Circle of Courage

The Child Before Us

Painters welcome...

2009-06-10T06:47:00.003-04:00

According to the Waverly Democrat (Waverly, Iowa): Ty Ruby of Greene is taking advantage of the Butler County Barn Quilt painting days to get a start on his 4-H exhibit for the upcoming fair. Ruby is making an 8-by-8 block for his grandparent Bob and LaDonna Wamsley’s barn. He is learning about using the right primer to paint his frame and plywood.

On Saturday, June 13, more quilt block painting will take place at the exhibit building on the fairgrounds in Allison. There are several frames already made and primed if you would like to adopt one for your farm. Painters are welcome to help out on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Call Monica Lursen at 885-6557 if you have any questions or would like a block.

National Civil War Quilt Trail decorates Dover

2009-06-07T23:26:00.005-04:00

Thanks to our friend Suzi Parron, I was able to locate a picture from the Stewart County Civil War Quilt Trail. You can read a short article at the Stewart County Public Library and another on the Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation newsletter from July 2008

The centerpiece of the National Civil War Quilt Trail is “Letitia’s Quilt,” inspired by local Civil War heroine Letitia Smith Walter. It was designed by her great-granddaughter and local artist, Carolyn Walter Darke, third from left above. Also pictured are Betsy Tumelson, third from right, who assisted in the painting of the quilt, and employees from CEMC (Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation), who helped raise and attach the 16-foot-by-16-foot quilt to the side of the Good Samaritan Center, 303 Donelson Parkway, in downtown Dover (Tn). On the left are Stephen Fitzhugh and Clint Marshall, and on the right are Donnie Burkhart and Steve Fielder.

Another Quilt Trail

2009-06-07T16:34:00.005-04:00

I don't know how long this has been an active quilt trail, and I will need to contact the Five Rivers Resource Conservation and Development organization to find out more, but I have added Houston County to the side bar. If I am missing any that you are aware of, please e-mail me at" barnquilter@gmail.com and I will update the list of Barn Quilt groups.

Celtic Quilt Trail
By: Debbie Schmidt & Sharon Knight

Houston County has now joined several counties in Tennessee with its own quilt trial. This one is like no other, however, in that it depicts Houston County's unique Celtic heritage. Each quilt square has a distinctive pattern with its own individual story.

Artist Debbie Schmidt, who organized the quilt project, and scores of volunteers worked feverishly during the past few weeks to get enough 8-foot by 8-foot wooden squares sold, painted and erected in time for the 2009 Irish Days celebration. She had set a goal of 12 and although only nine have been erected, two additional ones are waiting in the wings and another three have been ordered.

The quilt trail may be the brainchild of Schmidt but she is quick to divert credit away for herself. “It’s not just me (who has done this),” she said. “It’s a world of volunteers.” Meriwether Lewis workers, Danny Schmidt and Randy Baggett have supplied Schmidt with manpower and equipment to erect the squares in such a way that they are secure.

Schmidt also had volunteers who help draw the designs and volunteers – some of them the same – who helped paint the square. Each square includes the names of the people who worked on it in an inconspicuous place on the front and listed on the back. That way, each person who worked on it can feel a little ownership of the quilt squares.

“There are just too many volunteers to mention them individually,” she said, “and I don’t want to leave anyone out.”The project is promoted through the Five Rivers Resource Conservation and Development organization (http://fiveriversrcd.com).

It is design to bring tourism interest to the county as visitors follow the trail of quilt patterns through the county. Mapping of the Trail and guided tours are planned. We also have hopes of drawing some of these visitors to look at our area as a special place to live or retire.

The Quilt Trail project is multi county and has extended across Tennessee. Montgomery Co.(crazy quilts), Stewart County (civil war quilts) Humphrey’s County, Robertson as well as Houston County (Celtic Quilts) are all working on this project.

read more at: http://www.houstoncochamber.com

Bicentennial planned for 2010

2009-06-06T14:15:00.006-04:00

From: the Wilmington News Journal
in Wilmington Ohio

First bicentennial barn quilt to go up this weekend

Dan Liggett - Editor

The first quilt of Clinton County’s barn quilt project is scheduled to go up on the horse barn at the Clinton County Fairgrounds this weekend, and the project committee is working to have more quilts completed and installed in the coming weeks. The barn quilt project is being done in conjunction with the Clinton County Bicentennial celebration, which will be observed in 2010.

So far the committee has received commitments to place a quilt on approximately 20 barns in various locations of Clinton County, Diane Murphy, committee co-chair, said. The quilt to be placed on the horse barn at the fairgrounds will be visible from West Main Street. The official unveiling of this barn quilt is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, the first day of the Clinton County Fair.

Murphy said the goal of the committee is to install at least one barn quilt in each township of Clinton County. Commitments have been received from barn owners in the majority of townships, but the committee is hopeful to reach agreement to display a quilt on at least one barn in each of Vernon, Adams, Washington, Marion and Jefferson townships.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the positive response received so far,” Murphy said. The barn quilt project was initiated as a way to show all who travel around the county, including visitors and tourists, the pride that Clinton County has in its agricultural history, families and land. Other counties in Ohio and other states have organized successful barn quilt projects, stirring interest among tourists to travel to those counties to view the barn art on display.

The committee seeks a business or organization sponsor for each barn quilt to help defray the cost, and commitment from barn owners to display the barn quilt through 2011. The cost of participation in the barn quilt project is $200 from the sponsor and $200 from the barn owner.

The committee will paint the barn quilts on a regular schedule for three weeks starting Wednesday, June 10, at the Clinton County Youth Council, 302 W. Sugartree St. in Wilmington. The schedule is Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon and from 6 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. Volunteers are needed to assist in painting the barn quilts. No artistic skills or experience is necessary to assist in this effort, as the work will involve applying paint inside lines of the already determined quilt design. Each volunteer may commit for one or more sessions. Or, a group of friends could commit to paint together for one or more sessions.

“We invite local residents to join in the fun of painting these quilt block designs that will be seen throughout the county and enjoyed by many for years to come,” Murphy said.

All designs will be painted on 4-foot-by-8-foot sheets of plywood.

2009-06-05T12:43:00.003-04:00

I want to leave a quick note here... I am off to Greensboro to attend my neice's high school graduation, and will have more time when I return. For now:

Cresco Times-Plain Dealer

Cresci, Ia

By Sara Daehn
Tue Jun 02, 2009

The colorful quilt hanging on Denis D. Reicks’ barn in rural Cresco may not hold much meaning to a passerby, but to the Reicks family, it is more than just a pretty decoration. The quilt’s colors and design hold personal meaning for the longtime Howard County family, which includes Denis D. and the late Katy Reicks and their nine children. Pat Ahern, one of the Reicks’ nine children, made the quilt in May as a gift to her mother, Katy, who was battling cancer and had been told she did not have long to live.

“I worked on this morning, noon and night,” Ahern said. “I did it for mom. She had always wanted one.” The quilt includes nine medallions, one for each of the Reicks’ nine children in their birthstone color. The background is blue, the birthstone color of Ahern’s dad, who was born in Howard County and has lived on the farm for 51 years. The outline surrounding the barn quilt represents the ruby red of Ahern’s mom’s birthstone. “The background is my dad’s because he backed us all up and the outside is my mom’s because she held us together,” Ahern said.

The family hung the quilt on Mother’s Day, just two week’s before Katy passed away at her home on May 24. The idea for the quilt came to Ahern after she saw several barn quilts throughout the county. “I wanted ours to be one that meant something,” she said.

and then there is:

Adair County Barn Quilt Block Project Nears Completion

from The Adair Progress

By Paul B. Hayes on June 04,2009

A project that began last fall to enhance the beauty of the countryside and encourage visitors to travel different roads throughout the county by placing large "quilt block" patterns on barns is nearing completion.

Last year, the Columbia-Adair County Tourism Commission received a grant from the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association for the quilt block project. The grant was supposed to pay for six blocks, but Denise Stewart, who coordinated the project for the tourism commission, was able to make an additional three quilt blocks, bringing the total to nine.

Three of the quilt blocks - which are actually eight foot by eight foot plywood squares painted with brightly colored replicas of popular quilt patterns - were put up last November. Then, on Tuesday, a crew from Taylor County RECC volunteered their time to put up five more on barns scattered around the county.

"We've got eight of the nine done now thanks to Taylor County RECC," Stewart noted. "The ninth block is painted, and we're just waiting for the decision to be made on where it will be placed."

The five "quilt blocks" placed Tuesday are:

•A Maple Leaf pattern on the black barn of Barbara and the late Minnick Grider on Highway East 80.

•A Windmill Star pattern on a red barn of James and Hilda Hatcher just off Highway East 80 on Otha Bryant Road.

•A Double Star pattern on a red barn at Jimmy Reliford Drilling Company on Highway 61 South.

•A Pinwheel Daisy pattern on a white barn of Gerald and Cynthia Coomer on Highway 55 South.

•A Crossroads pattern on a red barn of John and Jeana Pike on Highway 55 North just past Cane Valley.

The three barns on which quilt block patterns were placed last fall are: A Indian Arrowhead pattern on a barn owned by Joe Lynn Barbee on Campbellsville Road in the city limits; a Memory Block pattern on a barn owned by Kenneth Scott on Highway 80 West across from the Col. William Casey House; and a Columbia Star pattern on a barn owned by Gertrude Browning off Highway 61 South near the new parkway interchange which is visible from both the parkway and northbound travelers on KY 61.

According to Sue Stivers, Executive Director of the tourism commission, the three quilt block patterns put up last fall have attracted a lot of attention, and she expects to new ones to garner even more notice. "We've had a tremendous amount of people talk about the barns, both local people and visitors," she said. "With these new ones now up, we expect a lot more interest."

Stivers said the long-range goal of the project is to put the quilt blocks on barns on well-traveled roads throughout the region so that a "quilt trail" can be established."Visitors would then be able to drive a route through several counties to check out the quilts, and also see the other tourist attractions we have to offer," she noted. "The quilt trail has proved to be a popular attraction in other states, and its also being done in other parts of the state."

Photo: BARN ART.

Taylor County RECC employee Scot Cochran worked to properly place the two sides of the 8'x8' "quilt block" on Barbara Grider's barn on Highway 80 East Tuesday morning. Cochran and co-worker Tim Coffey put up five of the "quilt block" designs on barns around the county for the Columbia-Adair County Tourism Commission. (Photos by Paul B. Hayes)

2009-06-03T20:33:00.003-04:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Charles Dickens

Yesterday, I became a statistic. I joined the millions that have lost their job in the past year. The good news is I will finally be able to devote more of my time to tracking the elusive Barn Quilt and Barn Quilters. I say elusive because of my recent experience hunting for Barn Quilts in a foreign land (Tennessee & Kentucky). All kidding aside, I was more than a little shocked when I was let go from a firm where I had worked for more than 25 years. It will take me a few days to adjust to the changes in my life. I hope to be more prolific in my posts, and I will be both reaching out and projecting more of the joys discovered on this journey. I want to be able to share your stories here. For all of the effort that is put forth, I will not forget that the stories are for you, and about you.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Barn Quilt News...

2009-05-31T20:05:00.011-04:00

Over the past 10 days (or so), there have been a number of news stories or Internet posts that mention Barn Quilts.

There is the Wall Street Journal story "Stops Along the Summer Quilt Trail" dated May 23, by Meg Cox, but this story is only partly devoted to Barn Quilts.

Maybe even more note worthy is the Headlight-Herald story by Denise Porter from Tillamook County, Oregon: From farm to fabric: quilt trail celebrates heritage. This is the story of the first Quilt Block in phase one of the Tillamook County Quilt Trail Coalition, and it will hang on the Chamber of Commerce building.

The Lake Area Quilters' Guild from Clear Lake, Iowa, will hold their June meeting on Thursday, June 4th, at 7:00 PM in the community room of the Clear Lake City Hall. Pam Hanson will present the June program on barn quilts. She will actually walk the group through making a barn quilt. I would guess that you should contact the Guild if you would like to attend as a guest. Their blog is: http://laqgnews.blogspot.com/ .

Suzi Parron is writing a book on Barn Quilts due to be out early next year (I think). She now has her own blog at: http://americanquilttrail.blogspot.com/

The story "Mason County Quilt Trail has something for everyone", in the Charleston Gazette is interesting, but I have not been able to find a web presence. This is West Virgina's first Quilt Trail, and the contact is listed as Mason County Tourism Center at 304-675-678

A great trip...

2009-05-28T18:18:00.004-04:00

I have returned! It was just 10 days ago that my son received his learner's permit. One of the reasons for taking a road trip was to let him get some experience behind the wheel. There was a lot of driving to be done, and it was mainly confined to blue highways and back roads. There will be plenty of time to practice driving in the city later. We were actually only gone for five days, but it seemed much longer.

This trip that was not singularly dedicated to finding Barn Quilts, but it did make for some interesting decisions along the way. We skipped by many Barn Quilts, found (almost) all that we were looking for, discovered a few we didn't know about, and got pictures of most of the ones we saw. We met some interesting folks along the way, and I came back with a somewhat different perspective of what I call the Barn Quilt Art Movement.

I am uploading many of the pictures that I took this past week in my sister site, the social networking site http://barnquilting.ning.com Please feel free to comment (good or bad), or if you have questions... I will be identifying the names and locations of these Quilt Blocks as I go along, but there is not enough time right now. There were many images that I choose not to post because they were different shots of the same subject. I will likely slip a few into my blog in the next few weeks, along with pertinent comments.

I have subjects to discuss such as the availability of maps, retirement or refreshing existing Quilt Blocks and the many different reasons for the Barn Quilts in your community. Join in the discussions and ask your friends join in too. I have a few stories to share but the story is really about you, your neighbors and the friendly folks who enjoy sharing these gifts. Celibrate life!

ROAD TRIP

2009-05-21T10:34:00.004-04:00

The stars have aligned themselves for me... calling for a road trip. Today, my son is taking his last high school exam of his freshman year, and we have decided to take a few days to just go... looking for Barn Quilts.

We are off to Tennessee, then Kentucky... maybe to Ohio. I don't think anyone noticed that there are a few dead links on my sidebar that are located in Tennessee. I may discover why. I will return early next week. If I am able to post anything from the road, I will.

Love your mother...

2009-05-20T19:21:00.004-04:00

Here is a sweet story from Morgan County, Co...

Deb Horan was completely surprised when she received her barn quilt for Mother's Day. Her daughters had tricked her into picking her favorite patterns so they could supposedly make a quilt pillow for their grandmother for Christmas. Grandma was in on the deal too and had the arts council paint this quilt for her daughter. Deb said that now they need to paint their shed before they can put up their barn quilt. One thing always leads to another!The pattern is "Stars with Flair" and is a 2' quilt.

If you want to see the Quilt Block, go to: http://mcartscouncil.blogspot.com/2009/05/barn-quilt-for-mothers-day.html

makin' plans

2009-05-20T16:53:00.010-04:00

I noticed that Dayton Ohio has a special 4th of July planned. They throw a big party in town every year and...

go to http://blog.cityfolk.org/
or http://www.cityfolk.org/

The material culture quilt exhibition, Threads of Evidence, is pleased to have Appalachian quilter Maxine Groves as a participating artist. Maxine is from Manchester in Adams County, the part of Appalachian Ohio that borders Kentucky in southeast Ohio. Maxine’s daughter, Donna Sue Groves, will accompany her mother and participate as a presenter, sharing her story of the Ohio Quilt Barn Trail, now the National Quilt Barn Trail, a project she long ago envisioned to honor her mother.

They also have some wonderful free music.

Barn Quilt News...

2009-05-01T16:40:00.011-04:00

I often get notices of happenings from around the country, and it is always fun to see what is going on in the world of Barn Quilts. Here is a sample...

April 2009: Arts Council plans social to celebrate Avery Quilt Trail participants; Quilt Trail Social May 2 1- 3 pm

Avery Arts Council Board of Directors and the Quilt Trail Committee are shining the spotlight on Quilt Trail owners throughout Avery County. They are inviting all owners and their families to a party celebrating the ongoing success of the Avery Quilt Trail.

With the help of residents just like you it’s possible to take a journey of mountain heritage by driving through Western North Carolina’s Quilt Trail. Along the Avery County Quilt Trail you will spot the beautiful, intricate designs of quilt patterns displayed on 32 barns and buildings with more in production. Neighboring Mitchell and Yancey counties also boast active Quilt Trails. The history of these exceptional art pieces stems from Adams County, Ohio with a promise from daughter Donna Sue Groves to her mother Maxine that she would one day paint a quilt square on their old tobacco barn. The Quilt Trail project has since taken flight across the United States, acting as a catalyst in some regions for increased tourism and fostering community pride. Avery Arts Council members want to show their appreciation to families around the area who have helped to make this project successful.

The Avery Quilt Trail continues to grow. People are still coming forward to put the spectacular, personalized designs on their property. Maps are available for tours of the squares. The social will take place on May 2, 2009 between 1:00-3:00 pm at the Cheese House Art Gallery, 630 Shawneehaw Avenue, Banner Elk. Light refreshments will be served. So come on down! We’d love to hear stories about your personal Quilt Square, the people you’ve met and the stories they’ve shared.

and then there is...

Green Edge Gardens of Amesville, Ohio

Athens Hills CSA
Nestled in the hills of Athens County, lies a 120 acre farm - the home of Green Edge Organic Gardens & the Athens Hills CSA. CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a way for you to have a direct relationship with the farmer who grows your food. It is a great way to support your local economy, the sustainability of our area, and for you to receive delicious, nutritious, organic vegetables at the height of their growing season.

(and they do have their own Barn Quilt)

from the Point Pleasant Register, by Hope Roush

New quilt square design unveiled

POINT PLEASANT, WV — Now that the weather is warmer, the area will begin to take on an even more colorful appearance with the addition of new squares along the Mason County Quilt Trail.

The newest quilt square, which features a belt buckle design, is the first square to go up this year and was built and painted by students at the Mason County Career Center.

According to Denny Bellamy, chairman of the Mason County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the students are making all the county’s quilt squares. He described this as a way for students to become involved in the community.

The Mason County Quilt Trail program unveiled its first official square last summer and now includes numerous pieces located throughout the county. Quilt squares can be seen at public facilities such as the tourism center and the West Virginia State Farm Museum. Quilt squares also are located on several private properties in the area.

The quilt trail eventually will be divided into four driving trails and one walking trail through downtown Point Pleasant. Each area will have a designated theme in order to weave a common bond through the trail. The project will showcase the cultural and historical significance of the county and highlight the beauty and scenery in the area.

Featured quilt square designs include the Douglas Star on Douglass’ Farm in Leon, which was set aside for all the ladies of West Virginia and Appalachia that helped the family farms exist and grow through time. Tim-Rock Dairy, located north of Point Pleasant on W.Va. 62, features a quilt square with the Milky Way design.

Additional designs include the tourism center’s pineapple quilt square, which means “welcome.” Quilt squares also are located at Chuck Lanier’s house and the Yaugers’ Farm, which can be seen along U.S. 35 in Southside.

And found in the "it never hurts to ask" department (from Agrinews.com):

Barn Quilts of Sioux County gets grants

ORANGE CITY, Iowa -- The Barn Quilts of Sioux County has received two grants to help with their work.

The Fund for Siouxland has provided a grant for the purchase of signboard for three barn quilts. Diamond Vogel Paint and Keep Iowa Beautiful awarded 30 gallons of Diamond Vogel primer and paint as part of the "Paint Iowa Beautiful'' program. The program provides free paint to a variety of public-service projects in the state.

The Sioux County Extension office has played a vital role with Barn Quilts by supporting the organization. Early donations by the Farm Bureau Federation and the Hawarden Area Arts Council helped purchase computer quilting software and materials for the first barn quilt.

One more for Miss Effie

2009-04-17T20:52:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, I was introduced to Cathy Lafrenz, and I shared that here. Cathy and her husband Cliff have a pick-your-own flower farm in Scott County, Iowa. She has put together a fun blog called Miss Effie's Diary, and did I mention that she loves Barn Quilts. She has just posted pictures of her forth, called Dogtooth Violet, and she says that she may not be done yet. Stay tuned, or better yet... stop in at Miss Effie's Country Flowers and Garden Stuff

2009-04-13T19:04:00.004-04:00

These past few days of Easter were wonderful for me. There was lots of special family time, but alas there were no Barn Quilts across the low country of South Carolina, yet! Returning home, I am still in the process of setting up my new computer. In the process of doing this, and looking for pictures of Barn Quilts on my old hard drive, I decided there is one more place to share some of the images that I have. When you have a chance, take a look at the Flickr.com Group called Quilted Barns. Currently there are 50 members and 312 Pictures. One of your favorites may be displayed already. If not, maybe you could share on Flickr, or e-mail me and I will be glad to post it here.

Be careful...

2009-04-03T16:12:00.006-04:00

Fort Morgan, Colorado, is sunny and 65 degrees this afternoon. Tomorrow they expect near blizzard conditions. If you can get out, stop by the Fort Morgan High School for the 7th Annual Spring Expo, formerly known as Morgan County Home & Garden Show. At 3:00 Saturday, Ann Iungerich is scheduled to make a presentation on how to make a barn quilt, using paint and plywood rather than fabric. The info I got says: Learn step-by-step how these delightful displays hanging throughout Morgan County are made. As best that I can tell, Fort Moragn is currently the Barn Quilt capital of the West.

They also recently posted this reminder on the Fort Morgan Area Arts Council blog

Click the Pic.

Four more...

2009-04-02T21:23:00.004-04:00

A few days ago, Suzi Parron (who is writting Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail with Donna Sue Groves), was kind enough to send me four web-sites that I had overlooked. I am adding these to the side-bar. Please visit these, if for no other reason than they have some pictures of real pretty Barn Quilts (and Barns).

The Town of Neversink, NY

Racine County, Wisconsin

Kankakee County, Illinois

Jefferson County, Tennessee

Please help me if you can, to make this list as complete as possible. The trail continues to grow. You can also chime in with your stories, opinions and questions on the social networking site: barnquilting.ning.com

Thanks Suzi

Impact Study...

2009-04-02T19:49:00.010-04:00

There is always more to share... Being pressed for time myself, it is my hope to create enough interest here, so that you can easily follow up to some interesting site or sight. In this entry is a link to one of the more more official studies of the Ohio Quilt Barn Trail. Finished in 2008, this study is filled with insight, stories and a little history. This is a socio-economic geo-cultural study of the birth and growth of Quilt Barns as Art in Ohio. Funded by the Ohio Arts Council, this study was assembled by the folks at Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. This is a publication that should be on the desk of every Barn Quilt organization. Of course you can also read it on-line, and even save it, and e-mail it to your friends and family.

Ohio Arts Council Quilt Barn Impact Study:
Understanding the Value of the Ohio Quilt Barn Trail

-----

I will include a few words from the study by Julie S. Henahan, Executive Director of the Ohio Arts Council in her Executive Director’s Message:

Quilt barn projects are homegrown and created through a grass roots process that is shared by the entire community. Perhaps what is most appealing about quilt barns is how the project uniquely blends the rural agricultural landscape and art form of quilting with a universal medium - paint.

This report provides an overview of the Ohio Quilt Barn Trail and looks beyond the purely artistic importance of quilt barns, highlighting their great value for the Appalachian region and their true potential in terms of the economic, social, and cultural strengthening of the region.

In my words, this is much larger than any regional descriptions, and it should be read. It's also got some great maps for those traveling in and around Ohio.

2009-03-26T21:06:00.003-04:00

From coast-to-coast there seems to be something in the wind. I am adding these two new sites to my Barn Quilt Memories side bar of active Barn Quilt sites. The URLs may need to be changed as these efforts are brought to fruition...

Dateline Tillamook, Oregon

from the pages of the Tillamook Headlight-Herald (3/17/2009)

Denise Porter
Headlight-Herald Staff

Imagine a treasure hunt across Tillamook County's pastoral countryside. A treasure hunt that brings in tourist dollars for local merchants while highlighting this area's arts and agriculture.

Taking a cue from similar projects in the Midwest, members of the Tillamook County Quilt Trail (TCQT) coalition envision 15 old Tillamook County barns, plus other "buildings of character," sporting vibrantly painted 8-foot by 8-foot quilt blocks. They see tourists armed with a driving map following a "quilt trail," stopping at each site to take a photo of the mounted quilt block.

The guide map would point out each building's historical significance, as well as nearby attractions and amenities.

"From the first idea until now, there's been nothing but positive reaction," said Betty Rolston, a board member of Latimer Quilt and Textile Center and a TCQT committee co-chair.

"The amount of enthusiasm has been overwhelming," added Suzanne Weber, a member of the Tillamook City Council and Rolston's co-chair.

Committee member Carol Marie Leuthold said the quilt-trail coalition is a group of citizens representing several area organizations "working as a collective entity. Rural communities flourish by choice," she added. "This is great for Tillamook."

and all the way from the Garden State of New Jersey

The Barn Quilt Project

The Barn Quilt Project in New Jersey is a new project coordinated by volunteers of the New Jersey Museum of Agriculture. This project is designed to celebrate New Jersey’s agricultural heritage, highlighting farms across the state with beautiful quilt blocks. These barn quilts will draw attention to the unique architecture and history of New Jersey Barns and other agriculture related buildings, promote the education of the general public about New Jersey’s strong Agriculture legacy.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Barn Quilt Association of New Jersey is to provide a sustainable heritage tourism attraction/activity while preserving and celebrating the unique agriculture, history, and arts culture of our area through visual combinations of barns and quilt designs, to educate the public and showcase our Garden State.

If you just don't have the time...

2009-03-26T20:23:00.010-04:00

Below are two enterprising operations

From The Hen House

2117 Old Main Street

Washington, Kentucky

Barn quilts are a unique form of public art. They highlight the rural heritage and the important folk art of quilting practiced by our ancestors. Found in almost every state with many states having driving trails. Weatherproof these can be hung inside, outside on the front porch, garage or barn. Custom orders in 2 x 2, 4 x 4 or 8 x 8 feet with your favorite pattern and choice of colors. Call or e-mail for quote.

From Prairie Sky Barn Quilts

33146 263rd Trail

Milton, IA 52570

Prairie Sky Barn Quilts specializes in handcrafted wooden barn quilts, made to your specifications. We handcraft our wooden barn quilts from the highest quality wood, paint with several coats of high quality exterior paint and seal with an excellent exterior sealant. We can handcraft any design you like or you may be interested in one of the designs we already have in stock. Feel free to contact us to design your personalized quilt.

We have over 1500 quilt patterns in our library and look forward to working with you for that perfect design. Barn quilts are not just for barns anymore! These quilts look great on your gardening shed, next to your front door, or on your garage. We can handcraft a barn quilt of any size, from 1 x 1 to 8 x 8. Let's start personalizing your space today!

Spring in New York

2009-03-22T12:22:00.008-04:00

Found along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, in the North West of New York State is Orleans County. In 2006, Lora Partyka (Partyka Farms, Inc.) helped to organize the local community of Kendell, NY, and started what is now known as the Country Barn Quilt Trail of Western New York! If you are looking for something to do this beautiful spring day, read the press release sent out this past week (that I have copied below). Remember that these Barn Quilts can be found every day, and maps to the full Country Barn Quilt Trail are available at Partyka Farms located at 1420 County Line Road (Route 272) in Kendall, New York.

Country Barn Trail Part of Seaway Trail Quilt Show March 21-22

Quilts made of fabric are not the only types of quilts being featured at the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show on March 21-22 at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor. A special exhibit of the Orleans County Country Barn Quilt Trail will invite show visitors to explore the Seaway Trail byway and a 22-mile loop tour that features quilt blocks made of wood.

More than 40 painted quilt blocks now adorn the sides of barns in the Town of Kendall, found along the western Lake Ontario stretch of the Seaway Trail between Rochester and Niagara Falls.

Travelers can follow a map or access a cell phone audio tour to find the blocks with names such as The Farmer’s Daughter, Carpenter’s Wheel, Circle the Field and Joseph’s Coat. The phone number to call and a map are available at Partyka Farms Market at 1420 County Line Road in Kendall – about three miles south of the Seaway Trail (Lake Ontario State Parkway Morton/Rt. 272 Exit).

Orleans County Tourism and Partyka Farms Market will have a display for the Orleans County Country Barn Quilt Trail at the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show. Orleans County Tourism Director Wayne Hale says farm market owner Lora Partyka is among the local farmers and families that have sponsored the blocks on their barns.

“We share Seaway Trail’s innovative use of storytelling as a method of interpreting our cultural, natural and tourism resources. The Orleans County Country Barn Quilt Trail and its cell phone audio narration, the Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show, and the series of Seaway Trail outdoor storyteller interpretive panels placed the length of the 518-mile byway are developing modern-day storytelling traditions that add unique dimensions to the Great Lakes Seaway Trail travel experience,” Hale says.

The March 21-22 show also features more than 90 “Hugs for Heroes” quilts honoring America, her soldiers, and Presidents; quilted works by four international quilting author-artists; and a Viewer’s Choice competition of quilts and wallhangings of “My Favorite Seaway Trail Place(s) for $500 in prizes. There will also be demonstrations and vendors.

The Great Lakes Seaway Trail Quilt Show runs 10am to 5pm on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor, NY. The show is sponsored by the Seaway Trail Foundation and Orleans County Tourism. Learn more online at http://www.seawaytrail.com/ or call 315-646-1000. The show is a Yellow Ribbon Event for military families. #

What a great place... Miss Effie's

2009-03-15T20:49:00.006-04:00

Scott County, Iowa is nestled along the shore of the Mississippi River, and I have found no reference on the Internet of any Barn Quilt organization, but I did discover a charming site that is defiantly worth a few minutes of your time. Now in my neck of the woods, it is not uncommon to find a pick your own strawberry or melon patch. We can even find pick your own Christmas trees, but in Scott County they have a pick your own (U-pick) flower farm. I want to share with you the words from the Miss Effie's Country Flowers and Garden Stuff web-site:

Our story...........
and we are sticking to it!

Cathy and Cliff Lafrenz started Miss Effie's Country Flowers and Garden Stuff in the spring of 2002. We started with a 20 foot by 20 foot patch of cut flowers. We have since expanded to almost an acre of flowers. Every spring we plant over 6000 annuals for your cutting pleasure.

When you come to Miss Effie's, you are given a bucket and a pair of clippers and are invited to cut anything throughout our gardens. The flowers change by the season so every day ..... something new blooms. A one gallon bucket of flowers is a bargain at $10.

We love hosting your parties and events on the farm. Our 1948 Behlen corncrib is perfect for a daytime picnic or an evening meeting. The corn-zebo will comfortably seat 20 people. Use of a gas grill is also available.

We are proud members of Quad-Cities chapter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local and we encourage you to look for local options when buying groceries. We are also proud to be the ONLY Animal Welfare Approved farm in Scott County Iowa.

Our chickens gift us with beautiful eggs ....... eggs are available but please call ahead. We also sell jellies, jams, herbs and fresh veggies.

Please come visit and sit a spell.

Now what Miss Cathy didn't share with us on her biz site is her new found love of Barn Quilts. Here is a link to what I surmise to be her first few Barn Quilts, from her personal blog: http://misseffiesdiary.blogspot.com/

Hurry spring

2009-03-01T10:35:00.004-05:00

As the snow returns to the high country, I want to share a few more images from Avery County, NC. (click the images to make them larger) The map-link on their web page has not worked for me for a few days, so you may wish to try this link. (click here)

Everyone has one...

2009-02-28T22:38:00.008-05:00

Everyone has an opinion, and I would love to get some feedback. That is the way that I learn what works (from a photgraphic or artistic perspective), and what does not. Below, I have posted five pictures that were taken of two Barn Quilts last weekend. Each shot is a little different, and everyone will have a favorite, or less favorite angle. Click on the picture to make it bigger.

These barns are near Newland, in Avery County, NC. The owner is Dr. Carter Wiseman, and the artist is Heidi Fisher. The Quilt Blocks are named C. Wiseman's Windwheel and Spizorinktum. If you want to see Spizorinktum being painted, go to fisherfolkart.com

Right under my nose...

2009-02-27T22:08:00.004-05:00

I am thrilled to find out that my neighboring Alexander County has a Barn Quilt Project that is well under way. I had heard rumor of this, but it was not until tonight that this was actually confirmed to me. I am sure that this is common knowledge to anyone reading the local news, and now I can add them to my sidebar of Barn Quilt Websites. In the next few days I hope to contact the good folks at the Hiddenite Center and find out the size and scope of this project. I will be sharing that information with you as I find out more. I do notice on their website that they intend to digitally reproduce existing quilts that are in their collection.

Go to: http://www.hiddenitecenter.com/alexupdate.htm