Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Sunflower Quilt Barn


I have completely fallen in love with quilt barns!!
Lucky for me, several of them are just a hop skip and a jump from where I live. 
It may take a while, but I hope to visit all of the ones in my area.
Yes, you have to get off the blacktop and onto some gravel roads.
But it's worth it!


This little blue hay barn with the bright yellow sunflower block was especially appealing to me.
(See the sunflower-metal-art along the fence, too.)



This farmer grows mostly corn, soybeans, wheat and hay.  
Up until the late 90's it was a Holstein dairy.





39 comments:

  1. I have never seen any of these in my area. But I certainly think they are soooo adorable. We have LOTS OF BARNS around here, but none with quilts on them.

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    1. All it takes is for a couple of people to start talking to their farmer friends... and next thing you know... you have a quilt barn trail. :-)

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  2. Barns in the UK are very plain compared to this pretty blue barn.

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    1. We have more than our share of plain/ugly barns and sheds too. Which is one reason why it's so cool when people care enough to dress them up and make them pretty.

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  3. Gayle, do you stop at each of the farms where you find these barn quilts and talk with the farmers? That would be SO fun...get some real history that way!

    This one is especially pretty.

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    1. Diana, I would so LOVE to do that, because I am genuinely interested in people and the story behind things. But because we have been asked to respect that these are on private property, I do not. One of the local quilt shops worked with the farmers in the area and the county to create a brochure, so we do have a little bit of info about each barn.

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    2. I forgot to mention that Suzi Parron has written a book about quilt barns, and she did visit with each of the farmers. I need to get a copy of that book.

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  4. Oh, I love quilt barns! They always make me smile :-)

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  5. Very cool! I look forward to seeing more:@)

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  6. Love these Gayle, certainly add a bit of colour and interest to a plain building.
    Do you know the history behind these?

    Claire x

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    1. Claire, I don't really know. But farmers have used folk art on their barns for the last couple hundred years. Hex signs, iron work, quilt blocks etc... There is a gal named Suzi Parron who has written a book about Quilt Barns, and I need to get hold of a copy of that and learn more.

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  7. I hope you get to see more of these. I've watched Eleanor Burns' quilt show where she's made the blocks she has seen on barns.

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    1. OH that is cool. I didn't know Eleanor Burns had a book on these. I'll have to look!

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  8. Hi Gayle! I love barn quilts, too! This sure is a cheery one! Around mid Missouri there are lots of these.

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    1. Twyla, we saw one of the quilt barns over near Boonville and I hope to get back over that way sometime soon to see more. (Boonslick Trail) Right now I am trying to visit the ones right here near me in Kansas.

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  9. Such a pretty touch. I haven't seen many in MI but we saw lots on our trip across the south west.

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    1. KIm, did you get any pictures of the quilt barns you saw? I'd love to see them!!

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  10. Cool . . . a first for me . . .

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    1. Lynne, there are a bunch near you. Someday if you ever have a chance, you'll have to visit and take pics for me. :-)

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  11. Replies
    1. Melinda, this one is about 40 minutes south in Franklin Co. The one I showed a couple of weeks back is over in Mo, near Boonville.

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  12. I don't have any barns close by .. but I haven't seen those either pretty cute.. with love Janice

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    1. Janice, I don't know if California has an organized quilt trail yet or not. You should check out the map I added a link to in the previous barn quilt post I did. (a couple of weeks ago.)

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  13. So beautiful!! I look forward to seeing some one day!! xo Heather

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    1. I hope you do get to see some. I think the quilt blocks add an extra touch of "pretty" to these wonderful American Farms.

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  14. How pretty! We only have a couple of barns in Juneau - none of them have quilt blocks on them. I love the idea!

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    1. Barns, garages, fishing docks... in the end it doesn't really matter what kind of structure it's on. If a person loves quilt block patterns... :-)

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  15. I just love the way your frames enhance the lovely barn photos. I would be so proud to have one of those on my barn.

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    1. Oh Michaele, you should put one on your barn! Talk to your county visitors bureau or the owner of a local quilt shop/fabric store.

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  16. Beautiful photos. We saw a lot of the quilt barns in West Virginia and Wisconsin, not so many out here on the west coast.

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    1. The quilt Barn map shows a few over by Ellensburg. There are probably more in WA that aren't part of an "organized" trail.

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  17. Beautiful quilt barn! As you probably know, I love them too. I live near the Boonslick Trail, so have seen and snapped many of them. I have a few more yet to get. I just love barns, period! :) I love how they've put this quilt block on a more modern barn. In the Boonslick area, they ask that the barns be at least 50 years old. (If I remember right.)

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    1. I love that the Boonslick trail has the quilt patches on older barns! I hope to return and see the rest of the barns on that trail, sometime soon, when I don't have other people in the car who are on a tight schedule.

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  18. Very neat! You don't see blue barns too often.

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  19. That's a neat one. Farrier has a quilt barn.

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  20. Can you believe I've never seen a quilt barn (in real life)? There are plenty of barns around here in northern IL, but not ones with quilts on them. Perhaps they're more common in Amish country?

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    1. Melanie, here is a map that shows the organized Quilt Barn trails in counties near you. :-)
      http://www.barnquiltinfo.com/map-IL.html

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THANK YOU for your thoughtful comments. Replies to your questions will be posted here, so be sure to check back soon. Have a wonderful day! - Gayle, Garden Of Daisies