When I read the Florence Rotary newsletter announcing our February 11th meeting featuring a talk on Barn Quilting I pictured large quilts hung in barns. I could not help but wonder why anyone would want to put their quilts out in the barn, but assumed there must be some hidden purpose. I am familiar with the avid quilting community centered in Paducah, but was not aware that “quilting fever” had spread to Boone County. I anticipated a nice discussion of quilt patterns and materials, more of interest to the women of Rotary than to me as we gathered for our weekly Rotary luncheon on February 11.
The minute that Joyce Foley took the podium I realized just how completely wrong my notion of barn quilts had been. She showed us that a Barn Quilt Board is a framed and trimmed piece of either 4 by 4 or 8 by 8 board painted with a pattern of real quilt blocks. The only thing the Barn Quilts have in common with their cotton brethren is the block patterns and the associated names. Each Barn Quilt stands as a unique tribute to our rural American heritage.
Joyce opened with a bit of history of Barn Quilt Trails and how they have proliferated across the country. She noted that the idea of Barn Quilt Boards began in 2001 in Adams County Ohio, just east of Cincinnati, as a tribute. Donna Sue Groves had a barn quilt painted on her barn as a tribute to her mother, an avid quilter. Since then Barn Quilt Boards have spread across 33 states and 2 Canadian Provinces.
Joyce launched the Barn Quilt Trail of Boone County in 2006 after completing her term as President of the Florence Women’s Club. She listed five goals for the project: celebrate our quilting history, delight travelers, provide public art for local citizens, involve our youngsters and help our farmers with agri-tourism. She convinced the Women’s Club to sponsor the project, and proceeded from there to apply for additional grants. She managed to get grants from Toyota, Bank of Kentucky and Fischer Homes. Owen Electric pitched in with help to hang the finished quilt boards on barns.
Joyce then took us on a whirlwind tour of the Barn Quilt Trail of Boone County. She began with Gary Wilmhoff’s barn on Hathaway Road, the first quilt board in Boone County. Gary calls his board “Kentucky Twinkling Star” though the popular name is The Star of Bethlehem. As she continued along the trail, Joyce noted that the barn at the County Fairgrounds has a board painted by the local girl’s 4-H group. That board is an Iowa Star block modified to include the four “H”s in the center. Joyce had interesting stories about each of the barn boards; she considers each quilt board “one of her babies” and her enthusiasm for the project was evident throughout her presentation.
To learn more about the Barn Quilt Trail of Boone County or to download a map visit www.boonebarnquilts.com.
For information about weekly meetings, guest speakers and community service opportunities of the Florence Rotary Club, contact Brad Shipe, President, at bradshipe@hotmail.com or (859) 282-7040. Visit the group’s web site at www.florencerotary.org . Florence Rotary meets weekly on Mondays at noon at the Airport Hilton Hotel in Florence.
