Christmas-y Beauty!

I shared this one last year, but I can't help it. This is just an incredible barn quilt--which happens to be at a Christmas tree farm. Add to that the fact that the owner is a gentleman with a lovely white beard, and you've got yourself quite a stop along the quilt trail.

If you're ever in the vincinity, this is just one of the wonderful quilts along the trail in Vinton County, Ohio. Well worth a visit!

Has anyone else seen a Christmas-y quilt? If so, I'd love to see--and share--it. Email to americanquilttrail@yahoo.com

I hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit; I am ready for my first day of vacation! Happy times to all!

Contest Winners!

Congratulations to Quiltaholic and Kess, who are the winners of my calendar giveaway! It was so wonderful hearing from those of you all over the country--and the world. Some had heard of barn quilts but had no idea where the closest one might be; others had never heard of barn quilts at all!

The quilt trails most mentioned were Tillamook, Oregon (which I wouldn't have expected) and Lake County, California. California is closest to the overseas folks--maybe worth a side trip when you come to the U.S.


Thanks again to all who stopped by; Happy holidays!

Holiday Quilting Fun!

How about some holiday quilting fun--barn quilt style? I am participating in a "blog hop," which probably rings a holiday bell for you quilters. If you click on the logo below, you will find a site with dozens of quilting blogs, each of which is featuring a quilt-related giveaway!

As for me--I am giving away FOUR of my incredibly beautiful barn quilt calendars, to four of you who respond. Here are a couple of pages. You can see the fabulous cover and the rest of the images in the box on the right side of the page:





How do you win? Add a comment below telling us which quilt trail is nearest to your home. If you have seen a quilt trail--that's easy enough! Note that you must respond with a URL or email address to win!

If you haven't, visit barnquiltinfo.com and check out the map. Once you have found a quilt trail close to you, post a comment telling us where you live and where the quilt trail is. Don't worry, I'm not going to check Google Maps to see whether you are correct!

The giveaway will last until Saturday, the 17th, when I will randomly select a winner from those who responded.

Have fun, check out the barn quilts, and then click on the link to visit all of the other bloggers who are participating in the holiday fun.

Happy Holidays!

Suzi

The Holiday Stars are Twinkling!

Well, the first round of holiday stars was a lot of fun! Let's see how you all do with this batch. As with last time, all of these wonderful stars are located within the same state--can you guess where?

Those who guess correctly by Thursday noon will be placed into a drawing, with a fabulous (if I may say so) barn quilt calendar going to the winner:

Send me your answer via email to americanquilttrail@yahoo.com or respond in the comments below.

I think maybe this batch will be more difficult, but let's see. Good luck!







Don't forget barn quilt holiday goodies. I have gift cards that you can present, redeemable for an autographed first edition of the book. And of course, a barn quilt calendar is perfect for the quilter who has everything!

Holiday Stars--and a contest!

Here we are with the holidays upon us, and I have run out of themes for barn quilts. Red and green--did that one. Trees--yep. Snow--those were beauties! But what about this year? After a bit of pondering and looking through photos of barn quilts, it struck me that--hmm--so many quilt patterns are stars of some kind. That has a bit of a holiday connection, doesn't it? SO here we are--HOLIDAY STARS!

Since it is the season for giving, one reader who correctly identifies the state in which all of these barn quilts reside will receive a 2012 calendar. Email your answer to americanquilttrail@yahoo.com or comment below. At noon on Sunday, I will draw a name from the correct answers and send a calendar to the winner. Here you go!








If you think you know where these shining stars can be seen--let me know--only one answer per person--and a beautiful calendar might be yours.

In addition to calendars, remember that I have gift certificates for autographed books available for Christmas giving--perfect for any quilter! Click on the book cover for more information.

Fall Leaves

I spent yesterday and part of today in Auburn, Alabama, where my sweet love's parents reside. A trip out into the countryside to buy some fresh sausage--yeah, I'm still a country gal--led us past quite a number of barns--but SIGH no quilts.

There are still a few leaves clinging to the trees, and I was reminded of one of my
favorite barn quilt patterns. Maple Leaf appears quite often on barns and is as welcome as the coming of the holidays.

Mason County, West Virginia--I visted Mollie Yauger's farm in 2008, when I first began digging into barn quilts. This photo is more recent--and it appears in the book.

My jaunt across Kentucky led to some out of the way spots, including Rockcastle County. I do love the black barn as a frame!

I am pretty sure that I posted a photo of this barn during my visit to Kankakee, but the Maple Leaf at the Curry farm is just an outstanding example. I am so excited that I will be returning to Kankakee soon for a visit!



The mountains of North Carolina can be difficult to navigate; this little treasure was part of a long day of quilt hunting.

Each time I dig through my photos looking for a particular color or theme, I am reminded of all of the wonderful people who visited with me, took me on tours, provided food and lodging. If you are ever in doubt about the inherent goodness of the human spirit--head out into the country.

This week, we intend to do just that. I hope that your Thanksgiving is as filled with joy as our mountain cabin getaway is sure to be.

Just Down the Road

Recently, I was asked to speak at the Quilters Quild of the Southern Crescent, just south of Atlanta in Peachtree City. Yes, we really do name everything "Peachtree" around here!

I so enjoyed the enthusiasm of the quilters; we had a wonderful time together! I am looking forward to some upcoming visits with other groups--nothing better than talking barn quilts!

Laura Bosna, who arranged for my visit with her guild, mentioned that there were a couple of barn quilts nearby. What! New barn quilts in Georgia? Be still my heart!

So after my talk, we set off into Fayette County. We rounded a corner, and YES! There was a Georgia barn quilt!


There were also a couple of other small quilts on the side of the building.



It was a terrific day--sharing the story of the quilt trail with some wonderful quilters and discovering a couple of new quilt squares!

54-40 or Fight

It's catchup time! I have received so many wonderful photos and updates over the past couple of months and simply haven't had much time to share.

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.

More excitement!

Yep--that's me with the first review copies of my book! Can't help it--I had to hug them. After more than three years of living together, we finally meet. I think it's love . . .

Orange you Excited??

Oops--there goes the English teacher with her silly puns!

Jan Struble of Loomis, California sent along this photo of the barn quilt called Citrus Beauty. Jan says, "We chose this pattern because it represents our mandarin orange orchard and the natural beauty of it from the bloom, the mandarin orange forming, the different colors found in the leaves, up until the harvest of the fruit."

Jan plans to add another quilt to the other side of the barn. It is almost harvest time, so those who come to the farm will be greeted with a beautiful painted quilt. According to Jan, her husband, the farmer, will have a hand in choosing the next pattern--always a good sign!

I hope that Jan is successful in generating interest in this wonderful project that has helped bring together so many communities.

Stay tuned--Jan's infectious enthusiasm is sure to catch on, and soon, California's second barn quilt trail will blossom!

If you haven't checked barnquiltinfo.com, please do stop by. It's a great resource for barn quilt info. Also, gift certificates for autographed books are on sale. It just makes my day when I see that someone wants to "pre-give" a copy of the book!