Barn Quilt Quest 2013, part 6

Hello Bloggers,

Well, we have come to the last and final post (for now) of Shawano County Barn Quilts.  As you have seen from my previous posts, there is quiet a variety of styles and patterns, not only of the quilt squares, but of the barns themselves. 

I first became interested in barn quilts several years ago, after seeing several on one of our many trips to Door County.  Last year, I purchased and read the book Barn Quilts and the American Barn Quilt Trail by Suzi Parron and Donna Sue Groves.  This book recounts the very beginnings of the barn quilt movement, and how far it has come since it began in 2001.  I highly recommend this book for further reading about barn quilts.  You can read more about the author Suzi Parron on her website, click here.  Suzi also has a blog with more barn quilts and information.  Click here to read it. 

 

 

 

We also found the barns themselves to be lovely and interesting in their own right.  I am currently reading a great book named Barns of Wisconsin by Jerry Apps.  Jerry is a home-grown Wisconsin author who has written a number of other books about growing up in rural Wisconsin.  You can visit Jerry's website by clicking here.

Shawano County is not alone in Wisconsin when it comes to quilt trails.  Other counties with known barn quilts and trails include Marquette, Rock, Kewaunee, Door, Green, Sauk, Columbia, Racine, Walworth, and Lafayette.  You can find maps and other information on these counties quilt trails online.  This is my favorite barn quilt so far:  Patchwork Heart:

I'd like to leave you with a word of advice to you travelers who go whizzing across the countryside at 75 mph on the freeway:  Get off the racetrack, slow down and look around.  You never know what you might find off the beaten path...maybe even a barn quilt or two.  Enjoy the scenery...it's more than just a blur from your car window.

Next post I'll share a sneak peak at a new project...