Buena Vista County, IA

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.

Lewis, Iowa

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/

staying up...

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

Painters welcome...

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.

What a great place... Miss Effie's

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/

Windmill

I have a moment to sit and check my mail, and to see what has happened in the world of Barn Quilts over the past 10 days. I am alone for an hour, but will be on the road tomorrow, for a weekend with the Scottish Clans on Grandfather Mountain.

I did notice a wonderful story in the Le Mars Daily Sentinel, about the Ahlers family of Le Mars, Iowa. They are living on the family farm that turns 100 years old this year. In honor of reaching this century mark, the Ahlers family (with four childern 12 - 16), have made an artistic (Barn Quilt), depiction of their windmill that still hangs in the Iowa sky. With symbolic colors, and lots of love, this is the type of Barn Quilt that beams pride, and inspires others.

Farnhamville, Iowa

Near the center of Iowa is the small community of Farnhamville. With less than 500 people (130 +/- families), living in an area of 0.7 square miles of Calhoun County, they boast of having more than twenty quilt squares painted and hung on various buildings (including homes) around town. I found a story about the Farnhamville Barn Quilts published on the Net by Farm News. The Farm News also has several more Barn Quilts stories (and other stories about barns), posted under something called Barn Tab. It just sounded like fun, so I thought I would share.

The Calhoun County website describes Farnhamville as: friendly and clean, with good streets, reasonable electricity and water, and several good businesses – including the largest grain elevator in Iowa.