I have been giving my friend Lynn Lokken of Green County, Wisconsin, a hard time for a couple of years. Between working fulltime and heading up an organization that has created over 110 barn quilts, she seldom has time to take a photo and send it along. But recently, she sent me this photo of a fall-colored 54-40 or Fight barn quilt.
I was reminded that I had seen this pattern elsewhere--but I had to dig through my memory and photo files to find a few. The barn quilts of Miami County, Ohio, are lovely--painted directly on the barn by artist Rafael Santoyo. Here is his rendition.
The weather wasn't cooperating, but my trip to Fayette County, Iowa, was memorable because the barn quilt trail was so well put together. Here is their version of this favorite pattern.
Back to one of my earliest barn quilting trips, in the spring of 2009. Phyllis Nash of Grayson County, Kentucky, is part of the barn quilt committee there and the proud owner of this beautiful blue quilt block.
54-40 or Fight is quite popular along the quilt trail. Now that fall is here, I am ready to go out and look for a few more. I am also--after a three-year hiatus--going to finally have time to quilt!
Life is good.
Love all the color variations of this block. Amazing, you knew where all the pictures are! Great job.
ReplyDeleteI thought id stop by and post a comment since im checking out some new blogs. So greetings from the Amish settlement of Lebanon ,Pa. Richard from Amish Stories.
ReplyDeleteSue--thanks! I agree completely!
ReplyDeleteMary, if you only knew!! I can picture each of these barns, exactly where I was standing when I took the photo. Now if I knew where I laid my car keys . . .
Richard, welcome! I am often asked whether there is a connection between the Amish and barn quilts, and of course there isn't. But Amish quilt patterns do make lovely barn quilts--I have seen quite a few.
We also have a 54-40 or Fight block in Osceola County, Michigan!
ReplyDeleteMy early love for barns started at 7 or 8 years old. I hadn't realized then, but while reflecting now, it was actually a developing appreciation for architecture. The beauty of historic architecture has been rudely influenced by the economic mentality for assembly-line prefabrication.
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