The Barn Quilt Trail . . . It's Sweeping the Nation

As many of my friends and followers know, I first became aware of "barn quilts" here in Wisconsin for the first time about five or six years ago . . . ironically from a good friend from Fairbanks who was visiting her family in Madison.  I had no idea about these things called barn quilts or that there were full trails of them in counties throughout Wisconsin as well as other US states.

As with most things I get interested in and distracted by, I did some research via Google and learned a lot about the Green County (Monroe area) trail.  One of the larger, nicer trails in the country, they publish a map and descriptions of the 100+ quilt blocks found primarily on barns and other AG buildings through their community.  This was my very first photo of a barn quilt . . . located on Hwy 11 in Rock County, Wisconsin.  While not a traditional quilt pattern, I was happy to have it as my first.

Since the summer of 2012, I have seen a lot of barn quilts, sometimes "on purpose" as I traveled looking for them to photograph . . . but often quite by accident.  They can be seen along country roads as well as interstate highways.  You just never know where you might see them.

Recently I had a friend respond to my barn quilt photo posted on Facebook "I always think of you when I see a barn quilt now."  How nice . . . and thank you!

Since my first few photo trips specifically for barn quilts, I have been fortunate to meet Suzi Parron Smith.  Her first book Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement tells the story of how the 8' x 8' painted quilt patterns became popular in rural America.  Her book features lots of beautiful photos of barn quilts from around the USA.  The stories of proud people, willing to share their family's story and the history behind their farm or perhaps the quilt pattern depicted on the block.  I must admit, I have found people to be just amazingly willing to share with me when they come outside to see what I'm doing on the shoulder of the road or perhaps at the foot of their driveway.

Suzi has been on an educational book tour now for a few years. Back in 2014 I caught up with her in Lodi, Wisconsin which is about two hours from Milwaukee.  Funny thing . . . while there to meet Suzi, I met another photog from the Janesville area who has also captured lots of beautiful images throughout Wisconsin.  Such a joy to meet others through this thing called social media!  Today Mike and I are friends through Facebook and have caught up with one another when my work has brought me into his neck of the woods!  But back to Suzi . . .

Shortly after the Lodi Quilters' event, Suzi & I along with our hubby's got together in Ft. Atkinson to paddle the Rock River.  Now I hadn't been in a canoe in probably 35 years, but David was a real sport and agreed to the outing.  We had a wonderful time, paddling the river, stopping for a picnic lunch and chatting away as we eased on down the river.  In her next book Following the Barn Quilt Trail her chapter on Wisconsin begins with telling the story of that shared day's journey down the Rock River.

Since that time, Suzi has featured two of my photos in her annual barn quilt calendar.  The first was "Apple a Day" in Green County, WI . . . the November 2014 calendar page.  The second was "Four Flags" in Door County, WI  . . . July 2015's.

I am obviously hooked, having taken photos of barn quilts in something like six or eight states now.  In fact, if it is possible for me to safely stop, turn around or somehow get into a good position to take a photo, I will do what I can to do so.  It can be a bit annoying I'm sure, for those traveling with me and disinterested in such shiny object distractions . . . but I must admit . . . David's become quite the trooper in supporting my interests.  In fact, he even joined me for one of Suzi's presentations here in the Milwaukee area about a year ago.  Afterwards the four of us went out to dinner.  It was awesome!

Just recently on our working vacation in Nashville, we spent an afternoon sightseeing and looking for barn quilts in an area not really known for them.  But Murfreesboro didn't disappoint, nor did Kentucky on our drive home from Nashville.

That brings me to my time in Lusk, Wyoming.  I simply couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the 4' x 4' squares on the front of a couple of buildings as I came into town.  The first was on a house and the other was on the front of the local CPA's office/house.  In talking with the locals I got more information on their efforts to bring solidarity to a community that had been ravaged by floods in June 2015.

I spent some time on Friday evening, as well as Saturday morning before leaving town to take photos of as many of the quilt pattern squares as I could find.  I think in total, I found around 20 including one posted on a rancher's land facing Hwy 20 leaving town.  While many of them were traditional quilt patterns, others depicted the business or building they were on.  Case in point, the stagecoach on the Stagecoach Museum . . . or the books on the block on the library.

All in all, it was a wonderful exhibit of community art.  I felt fortunate to have stumbled upon them!