![]() In addition to being functional items used for warmth, early American settlers also saw an opportunity for artistic expression within these creations. ![]() The experience deepened my love for all things quilted. I have such fond memories of those special times together. My grandma, along with ladies from our church, taught me how to quilt the layers of my intricate patterned quilt. Long before I knew about the history of barn quilts, I had the opportunity to make a fabric quilt for our bed. This tradition has been preserved over centuries through generations passing down knowledge and skills. Families would gather around firesides during long winter nights, transforming scraps into warm blankets through intricate stitching techniques that evolved into traditional quilt patterns we know today. Immigrants brought this art form with them when they settled in Pennsylvania, which soon spread throughout New England and Midwestern states.īarn quilts originate from a time when life was simpler yet filled with hardships. The origins of these vibrant displays trace back to central Europe nearly 300 years ago. ![]() Have you ever wondered about the history of those beautiful, colorful patterns adorning barns across America? These are known as barn quilts, and their story is deeply rooted in our country's quilting tradition. Let’s stitch together the rich tapestry that is the history of barn quilts. However, it is believed no other county in the United States has a many 8’X8’ barn quilts as this beautiful northeast Wisconsin county.The barn quilt I made shown on the side of our Argos, Indiana, building.ĭive in with me folks. Shawano County is proud to claim the title of Barn Quilt Capital of Wisconsin. The Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce website provides a photo and information on every quilt. Television stations WLUK and WFRV in Green Bay featured the project several times, as did Wisconsin Public Television. The barn quilts of Shawano County have also been featured in The Country Today newspaper, Wisconsin Agriculturist, Our Wisconsin and Midwest Living magazines. The Marion and Wittenberg newspapers printed many of the articles as well. The Shawano Leader newspaper printed an article and photo on each quilt. Employees of Raddant Electric Service in Shawano put up every quilt with just minimal reimbursement.įrom the start, the Shawano County Barn Quilt Project received great publicity. The price for a finished quilt mounted on a barn was only $200. “It’s pretty amazing that starting in January 2011, at least one barn quilt was put up in Shawano County every month for 52 months in a row,” Leuenberger said. As project coordinator, Leuenberger said one of the most enjoyable parts of the project was the wonderful people he and Irene met, many of whom they had never known. When someone wanted a quilt for their barn, they met with Leuenberger to pick out a pattern and the colors they wanted it painted in. Most of them were painted by Jim Leuenberger and his wife, Irene, along with 15 by 4-H Clubs and two by FFA Chapters. Throughout the five years the project was being worked on, anywhere from two to five quilts were being painted at one time. The Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce provided space in their basement for the quilts to be painted. After the quilt is finished, it is allowed to dry for at least two weeks before it is put up on the barn. Three coats of each color of paint are applied, with each coat being allowed to dry overnight. After the pattern is drawn out, Frog (painters) tape is applied. Two coats of primer are applied to both sides of the boards plus the edges. To provide an opportunity for groups like 4-H clubs, FFA chapters and others to sponsor and paint a barn quilt as a community service project.Ī barn quilt is made by painting a quilt pattern on two 4’ X 8’ sheets of 3/4” plywood, then mounting them on a barn to form an eight foot square. To promote tourism for Shawano Country.ģ. To encourage the preservation of Shawano County’s historic old barns.Ģ. As the project gained momentum, three objectives were established:ġ. ![]() Since then, several clubs, barn owners, businesses and individuals have supported the project through sponsoring a quilt and/or having a quilt put on their barn. So, in June 2010, he proposed the idea to local 4-H clubs for them to paint the quilts as a possible club service project. The Shawano Country barn quilt project was started by local writer/photographer Jim Leuenberger in 2010 after he had seen barn quilts in Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon and southern Wisconsin. That’s because more than 400 brilliant “quilt blocks,” called barn quilts, are on display on barns throughout the county. A drive through Shawano Country is a lot more colorful today than it was a few years ago. ![]()
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