Take a trip through the Country Barn quilt trail

Take a trip through the Country Barn quilt trail

Lora Partyka, the force behind the "barn quilt" project in Kendall, is part of a trio of local women business owners who have combined forces to offer The Country Barn Quilt Trail - an event they hope will become an annual one.

"When I started the barn quilt project, my hope was to eventually combine a quilt show here at the farm with a driving tour that individuals can take themselves to look at the barn quilts that are up in the town," Partyka said. "We should have 20 barn quilts completed by May 1, so they will be included on the map we hand out to visitors."

Barn quilts are large, colorful wooden blocks that are designed, painted then mounted on the side of barns. Partyka said the blocks are painted on special wood after the barns' owner has decided on a design. "Many of the designs chosen have special significance to the owner and some have interesting stories behind them," she said. "If we don't get all of that information on the map and flyer this year, it will be included in next year's material."

Partyka first came up with the idea for the barn quilts when she saw in a quilting magazine that a town in Iowa was painting the quilt blocks on the side of barns. "I thought it would be a neat project for Kendall so I gathered a group of ladies and started the project here," she said.

The Country Barn Quilt Trail will feature handmade quilts that will be on display at Partyka Farms, 1420 County Line Road, Kendall. The quilts are being stored at Pickett Fence, a quilting store in Kendall.

Individuals wanting to have their quilts on display at the show should call Linda Luther at the Pickett Fence at 659-2259; Becky Charland at Just a Design Above at 659-8289 or Partyka at 659-9131.

Partyka said Charland is helping design the maps that will be handed out to visitors before they begin driving down the trail.

Luther said the Pickett Fence is part of a Quilt Shop Hop in which visitors to various quilt shops get a "passport" stamped in order to be entered into a drawing. "The quilt show at Partyka's is a great way to introduce people to the barn quilts and the timing with the Quilt Shop Hop should draw a lot of visitors to the area," Luther said.

The Country Barn Quilt Trail will be May 9 through 13 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.