Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement

Preface

vii preface These past couple of years, I have often been asked, “What is your book going to be about?” At Wrst I would reply, “Oh, it’s something you wouldn’t be interested in.” Rather an odd characterization, since taking on a topic unlikely to engage readers is hardly a writer’s purpose. All right, I decided, I’ll just answer, “It’s about barn quilts.” That didn’t work out too well, as the questions that ensued led to protracted explanations, much longer than the inquirer anticipated or desired. Finally, I developed a stock answer, which by now I deliver by rote: “You know that quilts are made up of squares? Well, a barn quilt is a replica of one of those squares, painted on plywood, usually eight-by-eight feet, and hung on a building for passersby to see. Most of them are mounted on barns, so they are called barn quilts. There are thousands of them all over the country—currently in thirty states—and in Canada.” That usually does the trick. When I set out on this journey, that answer was my guidepost. My plan was to document where and how the quilt trail had begun, how it grew, and just where the various sections are located. I would spend six months investigating the barn quilt phenomenon and then about that long setting it all down. It took only about a month to abandon my plan. Each time I looked for one trail, I found two—or three. Often they appeared when I wasn’t looking at all. That’s the problem with documentation; one never knows what will be uncovered. My journalistic instincts led me to embark on a treasure hunt of sorts, with a continually changing map as my guide. Sometimes there is more to the story of a barn quilt than just the pattern name, who painted it, and when. More often, a cast of characters, sometimes going back generations, has to be introduced to complete the tale. Often, when I collected one story, I was led to another. The tales spun away from the quilts themselves into the communities, the histories, and the ways of life that are as varied as the quilt patterns. Six months’ research turned into a year. As word spread that this project was under way, I received invitations from quilt trail organizers across the country and spent far more time traveling than I had imagined—a bit more than two years in all. It was the adventure of a lifetime, and if it weren’t for deadlines , I’d still be hard at work. viii preface I am so grateful to all who were part of this project. Dozens of individuals organized community meetings, escorted me on tours of their quilt trails, and kept me well fed along the way. More than three hundred people set aside time to speak with me, and quite a few welcomed me into their homes when I turned up unannounced. Not all of those generous folks made their way into these pages, but each contributed to this work and to the journey that has enriched my life beyond measure. I would like to thank Donna Sue Groves, who trusted me with her story, and her mother, Maxine, without whom there would be no story to tell. Many thanks to Gillian Berchowitz of Ohio University Press for her support and to her colleagues, Nancy Basmajian and Beth Pratt, for their patience in answering my many questions . I am so grateful for the skill and care with which JeV Cox prepared dozens of images. This book would not have happened if not for my dear friend Charlie Haddad, who told me years ago that I should write and kept after me until I promised to do so. And Wnally, I am indebted to Belenda Holland, whose kindness to a trespassing stranger started me on this journey. B a r n Q u i lt s a n d t h e A m e r i c a n q u i lt T r a i l M o v e m e n t ...