Saturday was another hot and steamy day and we decided it was too hot to work outside, so we got in the car and turned the a/c on full blast and drove through the countryside. We eventually ended up in Columbia, our ultimate destination. Let me show you what we saw on our drive!
Isn't this barn a well-kept beauty and the quilt colors are perfect!
This barn sits back from the highway a bit further,
This brick barn is called the "Lucky Barn",
I'm told that people
Isn't this barn a well-kept beauty and the quilt colors are perfect!
This barn sits back from the highway a bit further,
but I've always loved red barns.
This brick barn is called the "Lucky Barn",
I'm told that people
honk when they drive by for good luck!
These three barns are part of a project begun by the Boonslick Tourism Council. They are patching together a "clothesline" of barn quilts that will loop through three counties, Saline, Cooper and Howard in an effort to promote agri-tourism in the area.
The council began searching for old-style, big barns in the three-county region that were at least 50 years old and in good condition that would remain that way for at least another 10 years. They don't put quilt blocks on new barns.
The quilts are actually block patterns painted as patches on an 8 foot by 8 foot panel and hung on a barn, where they are easily seen from major roadways in the Boonslick region.
Participating farmers select the quilt pattern and colors to be painted and affixed to their barns. It takes about two weeks to draw, paint and place the designs.
This is not a new idea, the concept came from similar projects in Idaho, Iowa, and North Carolina.
The council hopes to have 20 quilts in each county by 2011. And they are also hoping other organizations in counties across the state will jump on the bandwagon.
This last photo has the name of the quilt pattern on a small sign out front of the barn in my first photo above. I didn't notice the name of the pattern until I was back in the car and looking at the photo to see if it turned out okay. Imagine my surprise!
I had no idea I named my blog after a quilt pattern!
I love old barns and the quilt blocks really makes them distinctive. I'll have to see if there is a brochure out that tells where others are, that would make an interesting day trip!
Until next time...
Are you sure you weren't in Pennsylvania! :)
ReplyDeleteI love old quilts too...& old barns. I always regretted not photographing an old tobacco barn that was near us that finally fell down.
Cool, Farmer's Daughter!
How cool is that? We don't "do" barn quilts here, but I rather like the look of them...pretty special.
ReplyDeleteOh my, I am so happy to see Missouri is joining in on the quilt trail.
ReplyDeleteI love that part of our heritage is displayed for tourist to see.
Thank you for this post.
I am in Warsaw, I would love to take a drive this fall and see these barns. Can you tell me highways they are on?
ReplyDeleteThose barn quilts are so cool. I had no idea they existed - and our son lives in Cooper county! I'm definitely going to be checking them out.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, and isn't that a great idea! I've never seen anything like it before!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know anything about these quilts on old barns. I love the idea and am happy you took pictures and we are going to have to get out and check it out. I love old barns and I would like to see Missouri do something to preserve our old barns. Thanks for the fun pictures and the info!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting me and leaving such a sweet note. I am fascinated by these barn quilts! What a wonderful idea. Your pictures are beautiful and remind me of where I grew up in NE Arkansas.
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
When Cliff and I are riding our motorcycle around the backroads of Missouri, I'm going to be watching for the barn quilts.
ReplyDeleteWell this is so neat!! Who would of thought you had to be selected. I just thought if it was your barn, you could put anything you wanted on it.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that! That would shock me, too, having the same name... I wonder how the work went w/ 20 in each county... very interesting & an awesome idea! =)
ReplyDeleteSomething like this would definitely have me driving around looking for them all!
ReplyDeleteI really like these...and funny, I had not thought...Farmer's daughter is one of my favorite quilt patterns. Think I have seen it called something else, but that is not unusual for a block to be called buy two or three names.
ReplyDeleteMy plain white barn need a little cheering up. Perfect Idea.
ReplyDeleteThe quilt barns have fascinated me for many years. I love tracking them down.
ReplyDeleteThey were actually started by a lady whose mother grew up near where I was born here in West Virginia. Ms. Groves first quilt barn was in Ohio.
I actually took photos of two here in West Virginia today for next week's meme.
Each of these you've found are lovely but I quite like the brick one.
Lovely finds!!
What beautiful barns with those quilt squares...We have lots of them in western North Carolina...I have posted several that are in the Banner Elk area.....
ReplyDeleteSuch a neat idea...Really makes the barns so much prettier...
Love those quilt patterns on the barns... I've never seen anything remotely like it!
ReplyDeleteI love barn quilts and you found 3 barns with them!
ReplyDeleteLots of barn quilts this week! Beautiful shots, Cheryl!
ReplyDeletegreat finds! i feel left out of the barn quilt club lol...my husband's aunt lives in columbia :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a unique project. Love the quilts. - Margy
ReplyDeleteLovely shots. Love the quilts.
ReplyDeleteFunny, someone else had a barn with a quilt on it this week, and I mentioned that while down at the coast yesterday (Oregon) there are several buildings around a town we frequent that now sport quilt signs. There is a textile museum in the area so perhaps they're supporters, but as of yet we don't know the story.
Mint Green! - Barn Charm #77