Barn Quilt Trail Expansion
Driving the scenic country backroads of Northern Indiana, you might see something called a Barn Quilt adorning historic barns, family homesteads, Amish farms, and public spaces. Similar in design to traditional quilts, Barn Quilts are constructed using wood, and painted with heirloom or newly designed quilt patterns, chosen by the owner or artist. To learn more about the history of Barn Quilts, click here.
Last year a project was undertaken by the Shipshewana/LaGrange Conference and Visitor’s Center (CVB) to revitalize the LaGrange County Barn Quilt Trail. A long time had passed since the original Barn Quilts were constructed and installed, and many were in need of paint or repair, and some had disappeared altogether. Local artist Karen Weiland was brought in as Project Manager, and she and the CVB asked the LaGrange County home and business owners to submit an application if they were interested in hosting a free Barn Quilt on their property, and the response was tremendous. You can read more about that process here.
Karen spent the fall and winter collaborating with the prospective hosts to design individual and meaningful Barn Quilts, and then constructed and custom painted each one over several months time. When Spring rolled around, it was time to start installing the new Barn Quilts, and not just on barns! Homeowners, business owners, and even the LaGrange County Park Department were all getting wonderful new Barn Quilts.
Check out the installation video below.
When the weather’s nice and you want to wile away a relaxing afternoon, consider hunting down all the old and new Barn Quilts. The Barn Quilt locations can be found on the Off the Beaten Path map, which also now comes with a new, free audio option! Visitors have always enjoyed seeking out these wonders of classic woodcraft, that continue a centuries old public art tradition, and the expansion makes it that much more entertaining.
