“Q”uilts in the country

Photo © Diane Weidenbenner

My dad and his family were from Allentown, Pa., and they were of Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. The few times my dad’s Aunt Nora and Uncle Malcolm came to visit, Nora would make us a Shoo-Fly pie and other treats that my dad remembered as a kid. She’d also bring him Tastykakes. I first noticed barn quilts, another Pennsylvania Dutch tradition which began in the 1830s, when my ex-business partner and I traveled around Lancaster County during a business trip.

Since moving to rural Indiana, large, colorfully patterned quilt blocks painted on the sides of barns, houses, sheds and businesses are a welcome surprise. It’s not uncommon to see them in varying patterns in rural areas – no two seem exactly the same, although they are based on the folk art of quilting. People from all walks of life display them to encourage people to visit the country and as a way of contributing to their community in a visible, positive way.

Seeing barn quilts in these colorful, geometric, Pennsylvania Dutch patterns reminds me of my dad’s German heritage. In some communities, you might even find detailed, published maps, giving you directions to barn quilts in the area.

Photo © Diane Weidenbenner

Such maps can be found for LaGrange County Barn Quilt Trail in Shipshewana, or Marshall County Barn Quilt Trail, both in northern Indiana. If you are in southern part of the state, you may enjoy Madison or Jefferson County Barn Quilt Trails, or others in Switzerland, Jackson, Jennings, Decatur and Clark counties. Identifying them can become a great car trip activity for children and parents alike.

Don’t have the free time to put together your own fabric quilt? Consider painting one on your barn or shed or just enjoy the creativity of others by driving around the country and viewing others’ folk art.