Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement
The story of the American Quilt Trail, featuring the colorful patterns of quilt squares painted large on barns throughout North America, is the story of one of the fastest-growing grassroots public arts movements in the United States and Canada. In Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail Movement Suzi Parron takes us to twenty-five states as well as Canada to visit the people and places that have put this movement on America’s tourist and folk art map.
Through dozens of interviews with barn quilt artists, committee members, and barn owners, Parron documents a journey that began in 2001 with the founder of the movement, Donna Sue Groves. Groves’s desire to honor her mother with a quilt square painted on their barn became a group effort that eventually grew into a county-wide project. Today, quilt squares form a long imaginary clothesline, appearing on more than three thousand barns scattered along one hundred and twenty driving trails.
With more than eighty full-color photographs, Parron documents here a movement that combines rural economic development with an American folk art phenomenon.
Reviews (90)
Beautiful book!
I know some reviewers don't think this book was all that good, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I didn't read it . . . may someday . . . I bought it for the pictures of the barn quilts. I remember seeing some as I was growing up, and my interest was recently rekindled since some of our local quilters have mounted barn quilts on their homes. I'd like one of my own.
SUPER BOOK!
This is what I would consider a very thought-provoking and well-written book! Also a lovely tribute to the "founder" of Barn Quilts and the American quilt trails all over the country. It really grabbed my attention - so much so that I rushed out and bought a 36" x 36" piece of furniture-quality plywood, paints, sealers, and protective coatings - even before I had finished reading the book! This will be one of my Spring or Summer projects here in Central Texas! I later figured out that most of the barn quilts are much larger than my board; however, one of our barns is close to the farm-to-market road, so it should work out fine for this barn. The other barn is farther back, so it may require a 48" x 48" board - which I also have! I wish there could have been more pictures of the many described barn quilts. And it also would have been nice if the instructions for actually making a barn quilt had been included. I'll muddle my way through my project and some time this year, Texas will have at least one more Barn Quilt on display!
Fascinatingi !
Fascinating book ! As an art quilter, it was so interesting to me to see quilts that are made of wood that decorate barns and other exterior surfaces. Because of this book, my husband designed and made a beautiful "Barn Quilt" of his own design that we have at our home :-D
Not Very helpful if you want to see barns with quilts on them
Not what I was looking for - writing is oK but I would have liked to know where the barns where and info about the areas the barns where in. Writer tries to be all artsy and the plain truth is, that is not necessary in this type of book.
a must have book for a small towns, quilters, and artists.
excellent book, wonderful travels, Author spoke in our area, great to meet the author in person, invite her to speak in your town. We just put up an Art Quilt Mural in Oakhurst, Calif. and have exciting plans to grow our art quilt Trails through the county.
Five Stars
Cannot think of a better trail to follow. The stories are the best.
Five Stars
good read
Five Stars
Great book on the history of the barn quilt in America! Beautiful photographs and well-written!
Photos are nice, writing is fair
This book tells the story of the Barn Quilt trail movement in a bunch of states. Much of it is fairly boring, and it could be a lot shorter and tell the story just as well. The writing is fair. The photos are quite nice, but the author frequently talks about barns/quilts for which there are no photos, which is frustrating. More photos and less text would make it more interesting--just photos in the order they are along the road, with a short story about each one, would be more effective.
The new quilt movement
Barn Quilts opens up a whole new aspect for anyone who is passionate about quilting. The quilts are paintings replicating traditional patterns which pay hommage to the women who also played their part in the pioneering movement of America. Reading about the founder of this creative movement is fascinating and moving and leads you into further study. The text would have benefitted from a few more illustrations but that is its only downside. A great book and definitely one for quilters to enjoy at their leisure.
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