We left Storm Lake after the Saturday workshop ended…and drove the 3 hours back to Des Moines! I napped a bit, until I heard the ladies in the front talking about the beautiful old homes in Sac City…..I opened my eyes and saw GORGEOUS Victorian creations complete with the gingerbread and porches. I love old houses!
The picture you see to the left? that blurry one? That is the “out the window” shot I took while we were driving! I was texting with Lori, and wanted to give her a shot of what I was looking at.
Iowa is also very famous for Quilt Barns! As a die hard traditional quilter, it makes my heart sing to see these blocks showing up on barns and buildings everywhere.
Doesn’t this just make you SMILE?!
I’m thinking I need a big huge quilt block on the side of my house…but no one would ever see it! Now my mind is thinking if there is a place on the FRONT that I could do it? Hmmmmm!
I just love this! That purple really looks great against the white barn and the blue sky!
This one is more complex! I think a PAINTED block would be a great way to create something that we are too AFRAID to piece for real.. ;c)
Don’t you just love the names of the old blocks too? Goose & Goslings, Hen & chicks!
How many quilt blocks were named due to things found every day “down on the farm”?
We drove all the way to Des Moines, talking and laughing, and found ourselves a place for dinner at a local BBQ joint. I wish I could remember the name of it, it was sure good! But no trip to the midwest is ever complete without a stop off at Culvers for dessert! And we did. How we managed to eat BBQ AND frozen custard back to back, I don’t know….but…..well….it was only ONE SCOOP, right? ;c)
I had one of those days yesterday…..I needed to dig into my bag of leader/ender 4 patches. I could not find them ANYWHERE. Mind you, we were talking about a HUGE zip lock bag full of 4 patches pinned together in sets of 10. Honestly, I had no idea where I had moved it to or why…..but it was just GONE! I searched and searched and searched and gave up.
This morning? I found it on a chair, buried under fabric I had tried for backings and discarded.
Guess who is doing a whole clean up routine in the studio AGAIN this morning? I don’t know how this place gets so messy when I’m away! It must be those gremlins~~
I feel your pain! I've been cleaning, organizing, and chopping into savable sizes since I got back from IA! Well, I did take yesterday off go to Valleyfair. What a beautiful day for an amusement park! Anyway, the sooner the cleaning is done, the sooner you can go back to sewing :-) Way to go on being so far ahead on the blocks, I bet once you get in a groove, it is best to just keep on going!
ReplyDeleteIsn't Sac City lovely? The whole town is so neat and orderly, not just the Victorians on Main Street. My husband's parents both grew up there, and he has a lot of family in town, so we've been there many times. Someday I hope you get to visit the western edge of Iowa, in the Loess Hills. Thanks for the pics of barn quilts!
ReplyDeleteLeah Shannon
The Yadkin Quilt Trail has officially started out here! I can't wait to get ours up...but it won't be until the barn in FINISHED, and we will be the only ones that will see it but thats ok.
ReplyDeleteOh I do love those blocks on barns and always wanted to paint my garage doors that way...since I'll never have a barn.
ReplyDeleteGreat trip! Welcome home.
Happy sewing
I love those quilt block barns! What a cheerful sight!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in southern Minnesota and my father has lived within 1.5 miles on the same road his entire 83 years. He started making barn quilts this year! 4 buildings so far have been decorated by his handy work. Last week he entered one in the county fair and now he has been asked to show them at the local quilt guild's annual show in a couple of weeks. My favorite of his is a simple star pattern,then he free hand cut out a hammer and hand saw, painted them black and mounted them in the middle like it was appliqued. AWESOME! This one hangs on his garage turned woodshop!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great photos of the barn quilts.
Those blocks look great on the barns...if we ever get the garden shed up it will be sure to get a block on it!
ReplyDeleteGlad you found it! I am not having much success with my tidying. A pile of fabric fell off a horizontal surface on to the floor again so I think the pile was too high LOL...
ReplyDeleteThose barns are gorgeous. I'd love a quilt block on our house, wonder if DH would let me :-)
I lose stuff too....you are right , it is gremlins!
ReplyDeleteHow about painting your mailbox?
XOXOXO Subee
Love the barn blocks, thanks for sharing your trip with us!
ReplyDeleteAnd we wouldn't mind the gremlins so much, if every now and then they'd sew on a binding or something! lol
ReplyDeleteThose little imps hide stuff at my house too!
ReplyDelete