The Granton Barn Quilt Trail, begun in 2012, has recently seen several new additions.

Barn quilts, squares of plywood painted to look like quilt blocks and attached to barns and other buildings, are used to add color and design to an area, as well as to draw attention to the often historic buildings on which they are displayed.

Travelers throughout the United States enjoy watching for them and have reported more sightings, as both the numbers of quilts and quilt trails have increased.

Jeanette Steiner, whose “Dresden Plate” quilt is displayed on her Maple Street garage a block south of the main business district, chose the design from a quilt pieced by her mother.  Its’ warm, autumnal colors are right in step with the current harvest season.

“I love it,” said Steiner, who gave the quilt to herself as a Christmas present. “I get to enjoy it every day when I come home.”

This “Dresden Plate” barn quilt adorns Jeanette Steiner’s garage a block south of the main business district in Granton.  Steiner chose the design from a quilt pieced by her mother.  (Contributed photo)

“Home” is a word well known to Fritz and Kathy Garbisch who this past July hosted a celebration marking 150 years in ownership of the family farm.  Over 400 guests attended the sesquicentennial event, which featured recently repainted and reroofed buildings and the addition of a pastel-colored barn quilt.

The “Tulip Garden” quilt depicts a single, stylized tulip in pink and green against a yellow background.

“We’re very pleased with it,” stated Fritz Garbisch.  “Many compliments were given and many pictures were taken.”

Nearby, Dave and Carol Hillert display a quilt incorporating the colors and logo of the Allis Chalmers Company.

 

“When I was a kid,” reminisced Dave Hillert, “we were still using horses, but in 1951 we began using Allis Chalmers equipment.  We still do, so it was a natural choice to honor that tradition by creating a quilt using the old Allis Chalmers logo.” (Contributed photo)

The York Center Methodist Church, northwest of Granton on CTH K, is the most recent recipient of not one but two quilt blocks.

“A visiting bishop this year noted that the building did not display the United Methodist’s cross and flame symbol,” said church member Fern Rowe.  “To remedy this, the church board decided to incorporate the symbol into two barn quilts, named ‘Whispering Hope’ and “Country Cross & Flame.”

Arlene Miller and her nephew Jason Mechelke designed the patterns.  Mechelke explained, “We wanted to honor my grandparents, Warren (Duke) and Violet Mechelke, both of whom were active members of the church.”

The blocks, painted by Jason and his wife Katie of Marathon, resemble stained glass windows.  They are hung on the east and west ends of the church, easy for passersby from either direction to see.

“We are really excited,” stated Rowe.  “They turned out even better than we’d envisioned.”

All of the Granton area barn quilts can be seen on the new Granton Barn Quilt Trail website.

This “Whispering Hope” barn quilt decorates the York Center Methodist Church on CTH K northwest of Granton.  Another barn quilt “Country Cross & Flame” depicting the United Methodist symbol appears on another side of the building.  (Contributed photo)

 

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