Maple Leaf and Moose

We must be in Canada!

How cool is this one? Henk Rietveld of Muskoka, Ontario, sent me this great photo of a quilt his wife, Ena, designed for their little barn.

The town of Huntsville hosted the G-8 Summit this week, so Ena wanted to include a Canadian theme - hence the Maple Leaf. And Henk says that there are lots of cottages around the beautiful lakes in the area, so the log cabin motif seemed to fit. You can tell that Ena is a quilter; I would never have thought that those two patterns could be put together!

No world leaders made an appearance, but you never know--maybe the Air Force surveillance folks that Henk says have been overhead for the last couple of weeks enjoyed his project.

The Rietvelds normally have a lot of deer in their yard, but in seven years of living there, this is the first moose sighting. What a great photo op!

I am liking Canada more and more--such a friendly bunch of folks!

California Quiltin'

The first quilt trail in Callifornia was begun by the Kelseyville Pear Festival Committee in Lake County. The first quilt was installed on the barn at Hill Creek Ranch, where wine grapes and olives are grown. I love this photo with the rustic horse statue!

Lady of the Lake sparkling pear wine is produced at Mt. Konocti Growers, so it was only natural that the quilt pattern of the same name was chosen for the shed at the co-op.

The grapevine pattern, Martha's Vineyard, is hung on the side of a Main Street building that houses a tasting room for Wildhurst Vineyards.

Big Oak Ranch Blazing Star is a combination of many quilts passed down to the present owners, one of which still adorns a bed in the Sears and Roebuck House. Yes, houses, barns, and other buidings could once be ordered from everyone's favorite catalog; I have come across several of these in my travels.

To find out more about this growing trail: http://www.pearfestival.com/quilts.asp

I am so lucky--I have an old friend who lives about 100 miles from Kelseyville. Might just be an excuse for a trip!

Quilts on the Grange

I will have to admit that I didn't know what a Grange was until I was contacted by Barbara Gross.

I do know that six of them in Pennsylvania have quilt squares, and a dozen more are on the way. Barbara is helping to coordinate this statewide trail on Grange halls and other community buildings throughout Pennsylvania

From the Pennsylvania Grange site: "The Grange is a family fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of rural America through community service, education, legislation, and fellowship."

A bit of research told me that Granges are common in many states--but not in Georgia or Florida, the only two in which this gal has resided.

The Fairdale Grange in Susquehanna County chose this Friendship Star, saying, "What better place than the grange to find new friends?

Check www.pagrange.org for more info on the other quilt squares in their burgeoning trail.

Let's "Face" It!

There I go getting corny with my titles again.

If you are on Facebook, I created a page for quilt trail folks to share photos and stories and such. Just look for the page called "Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail" and become a fan.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barn-Quilts-and-the-American-Quilt-Trail/133036866706550

I thought it might be fun to see what others are up to, and for those of you who are involved with quilt trails to show off your work.

I will continue to post here--and occasionally there as well, but I'd like to see the Facebook page create interaction within the quilt trail community.

I just love this photo from Ashe County, North Carolina. And let me tell you, it was no small feat getting those animals to pose!!

Crazy in Kentucky

Nancy Miles of Marion County, Kentucky, is a very fine barn artist. I have been struggling for months trying to decide which of her three incredible designs that I saw--all of which have amazing stories--I can include in the book. Or should I say which two I can stand not to include?

Nancy's latest creation is a crazy quilt--those who quilt know that the fabric variety are made of irregular pieces with lots of embellishments and embroidery that make the quilt both more beautiful and meaningful.

The wooden quilt is very detailed and has a lot of personal significance for Nancy, as do her other barn quilts. This one, though, is a "barnless quilt," as no barn surface large enough for all four pieces was available. Nancy's husband put up the fence just so that she could display her handiwork!