the barn quilt

quilts on barns on quilts

The talented ladies of Quilt and Sew at Golden Threads in Trenton, Kentucky have taken the barn quilt square to a whole new level. Carol Thurston traveled the local area taking pictures of nearby barn quilts. Then she created patterns for each one to be made out of fabric, offered a class at the store to make the quilt, each month featuring a different block, 12 blocks total, in the Barn Block of the Month class.

Barn Block of the Month

The original quilt pattern featured the 12 blocks she designed around the edge and one big quilt block in the middle, which was to be determined by a design contest of the local quilters. Instead of one winner, they ended up with three, with the three winning blocks being displayed in the center of the quilt and also on the building outside.

Americans have been creating designs and making them into warm quilts for hundreds of years. Then in 2001 Donna Sue Groves painted the first barn quilt square in Ohio. The idea took hold and now there are over 6000 barn quilts across the country. This phenomenon is documented in the book by Suzi Parron and Donna Sue Groves, BarnQuilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement.

Just get out and ride around, you might see one! Or you can follow organized quilt trails, search and see if there is one near you.

The Barn Block quilt will be offered soon as a kit, yes I signed up to get one!