Back to Iowa

Today I am back in Iowa. Not physically, but I am going over that chapter and remembering my single longest--twelve day--barn quilting adventure in June of 2009.

I spent an entire day photographing barns quilts in Fayette County and had interviews set for the next day. Unfortunately, storms and hail came through and chased me east--right into Wisconsin! Fayette has some great barns and quilts, though.

The one at the above left caught my eye because of the silo; I couldn't figure out what the heck it was made of. That information would come later in the week. Above right, though it's a bit hard to make out, is a windmill square--an apt choice for this farm. The last one--I don't know--the little barn, the grass, the sky all seemed just "picture perfect' to me.

Kentucky Memories

I did mean to head out into barn quilt world this summer, but a ruptured Achilles tendon has had me laid up for the past six weeks and left me with nothing but my memories. Good thing I have a lot of great memories!

Scott County, Kentucky has a fabulous quilt trail--a full day's worth of beautiful quilted black barns.

This particular barn has a quilt on each end, both based on the same cloth quilt, which hangs from a railing inside. It seems that the woman who owns the quilt always thought that the pattern was five blocks, so she wanted the barn quilt painted that way. Her husband said no, he saw four squares!

What to do but to have one painted on each end of the barn, in the two different configurations? (Though, to match the quilt, the 4 squares would have to be hung on point)

The barn is visible just outside the window, so you can see both the cloth quilt and the painted quilt at the same time. Guess which quilt square is on the end of the barn facing the house? Well, it's her quilt, after all.

Now Hear This

That's my dear friend and coauthor Donna Sue Groves. Donna Sue was interviewed today during a podcast with well known quilter and author Alex Anderson. I know you will all want to listen in.

It will be a while before you get a chance to read Donna Sue's story, but you can hear it now straight from the source. Just click on the link.

www.alexandersonquilts.com/podcast/shows/AAQCon_ep101.m3u

Another Kankakee Beauty

Who knew barn quilting could be so much work? That quilt is HEAVY! The newest addition to the Kankakee, Illinois, quilt trail was installed at a structure known locally as The Stone Barn. The historic barn has recently become part of the county museum, and a sampler block that reflects some of the history of the area was the perfect choice.




The Lemuel Milk Carriage House, known locally as the Stone Barn, is one of the oldest historical structures in Kankakee County. It was built in 1860 by pioneer farmer Lemuel Milk, who was responsible for draining the “wet prairies” and turning acreage into pasture for herds of cattle and horses. The land was then made tillable and used for grain crops. The barn is on the National Register of Historic Places.

What a beautiful setting for this block. Suppose I could hire their gardener?

I am thinking now of some of the incredible historic buildings across the country that are home to barn quilts. There are so many stories to tell!

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!

Kankakee Kickoff

My visit to Kankakee, IL last fall was in part inspired by a promise of pie at Blue's Cafe--a good old fashioned diner that purportedly serves pies that are well worth the journey. I wasn't disappointed; my slice of butterscotch pie was one of many highlights of the trip!


I was by no means surprised when Clayton and Carolyn Pratt, the members of the the barn quilt committee in Kankakee who lured me with pastry, sent me this photo of the quilt that kicked off their 2010 season--Rhubarb Pie!



This square was mounted on an early 1900s limestone building at the Kankakee County Museum during the annual Rhubarb Festival. Prior to the official ribbon cutting, a family who were looking for the perfect spot for a portrait asked photographer Janet McDowell to use the rhubarb quilt square as the backdrop for their photo--what a great shot!


For more on the Rhubarb Pie quilt: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VU3qXExs9Y


The folks in Kankakee have been busy; three more quilt blocks went up last week:































I have been told that 6 to 10 quilts are planned for this year, but since it's not quite June, I have a feeling that Holly Froning and the other dedicated members of the Kankakee committee will exceed that goal.

To see the rest of the Kankakee project, check out http://web.extension.illinois.edu/kankakee/barn/index.html