Farm Quilt Revival
Farm Quilt Revival
Barn or farm quilts are filled with history and tradition and are believed to date back nearly 300 years with the arrival of immigrants from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. It has been said that barn or farm quilts may have originated in Pennsylvania spreading to New England and the Midwestern states as these immigrants… Read More »
Barn or farm quilts are filled with history and tradition and are believed to date back nearly 300 years with the arrival of immigrants from Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. It has been said that barn or farm quilts may have originated in Pennsylvania spreading to New England and the Midwestern states as these immigrants traveled to these areas to seek permanent homes.
To understand Barn or Farm Quilts well, one must first know the origins of hand-sewn quilts. Hand-sewn quilts were made by hand, typically by the oldest member of a family, to commemorate important family events such as weddings or births. Quilts were a cherished piece of history passed down through the generations. Their assemblage of different colors, patterns, and shapes is thought to be inspired by reusing scraps of fabric from clothing, dish towels, or feed sacks so that nothing went to waste. The art of painting quilts on barns is said to have evolved from this antique quilting tradition.
Barn or Farm quilts feature geometric shapes and designs painted on the outside of barns and became more prevalent when commercially ready paint became available and affordable in the 19th century. These paintings on barns served as way-marker signs, pinpointing locations of certain roads while aiding in identifying individual families with the use of these prominent paintings. Some believe that these barn or farm quilts were used during the Revolutionary War to show American soldiers that the area was safe and contained supplies that would be needed to aid their cause. Others tie the barn quilts into a secret code for the travelers of the Underground Railroad seeking freedom from slavery. Although there are many different views on their origins we can all agree that they are quite special.
Our Barn or Farm quilts are indeed special as they pay tribute to our beloved Barbara A. Alstede, who passed away too
young after an extraordinarily courageous, strong, and faith-filled fight against pancreatic cancer. You can read more about Barbara here on our tribute page. Our farm chose to install Barn or Farm quilts onto four locations on our farm as the quilt language represents Faith, which resonates greatly with our farm and family after this great loss. Our designs were chosen for specific reasons as follows;
Tulips were chosen to represent Barbara’s favorite flower, and bees were included for their representation of the importance of farm and food production. You will see peaches depicted on our Barn or Farm quilts as it is one of the favorite crops to grow on our farm, while the Distelfink bird (aka the European Goldfinch) represents true friendship. Our Farm or Barn quilt would not be complete without reference to the colors of red, white, and blue which pay tribute to our great nation, USA.
We hope you enjoy these beautiful adornments in person on your next visit to our farm and that you had fun learning about their loving dedication and meaning.
