Back roads near Granton are now decked out with more creations along the Granton Barn Quilt Trail.

The Granton Barn Quilt Trail, which was started in 2012, has recently received several new additions.

Barn quilts, squares of plywood painted to look like quilt blocks and attached to barns and other buildings, are used to add color and design to an area, as well as to draw attention to the often-historic buildings on which they are displayed.

“Togetherness” is a new quilt by Howard and Verena Jennings
along the Granton Barn Quilt Trail on Meridian Avenue. 
 (Submitted photos)

Traveling north of Granton, quilt seekers will find a geometric pattern painted in cool greens and yellows on the pole shed of Howard and Verena Jennings, N8298 Meridian Avenue.

Verena found a design she liked that consisted of interlocking elements, then modified it to make the pattern of her own.  The colors were chosen to match those of their house and because the couple are ardent Packers fans.

“Howard drew out the pattern and we both took turns with the painting.  We named the pattern ‘Togetherness’ to represent both the interlocking design and our shared creation of the quilt,” said Verena.

At Dan and Teresa Frick’s property is a quilt block entitled “Star in Star.”

East of Granton at W1094 Hill Road is a property owned by Dan and Teresa Frick with a shed sporting a bright, star-patterned quilt block.  Teresa and her mother, Joan Elmhorst, constructed and painted the barn quilt together, modifying a pattern they found in a book of Grandmothers’ quilt patterns.

The colors were chosen so as to match the pole shed on which it is hung.  Joan named the modified pattern “Star in Star.”

“Soaring High” is one of four new quilts along the Granton Barn Quilt Trail. 
The quilt is at Don and Donn Boyung’s property on Highway W. 

While driving on Highway W between Highways 10 and 73, people will find the addition of yet another unique quilt design.  A pole shed at the home of Don and Donna Boyung, N2895 Count Road W, displays a quilt consisting of geometric quilt squares along two sides with the remainder depicting a pheasant flying over a fence.

Don noticed other barn quilts in the area and decided that when their shed was completed, he wanted it to display a quilt.  The Boyung’s daughter, Cadie Strey of Neillsville, made him one as a surprise Christmas present.  She researched the quilt-making process and sought out design ideas from the wide array of internet barn quilt sites.

Since her father is an avid hunter, she selected to create her own design depicting a pheasant.

“It was an ambitious choice since it took a lot of patience to get the colors right so the pheasant would look real from a distance,” Cadie said.

Cadie named her quilt pattern “Soaring High.”

“Cardinal” owned by Beverly Lavey is one of the new quilts along the Granton Barn Quilt Trail.

Another colorful bird can be found on the most recent quilt to appear on the trail at 307 West Third Street in downtown Granton.

The quilt’s owner, Beverly Lavey, has had a love of cardinals since she began feeding 14 pair who frequented her backyard years ago.

Friends began giving her cardinal-themed gifts and a collection grew from there.  Beverly’s admiration for her favorite bird extends to her quilt as well.  Unlike the pheasant design, the cardinal and surrounding greenery gracing Lavey’s quilt is stylized, composed of triangles and squares as might be found on a real, pieced quilt.

“I’ve had so many nice comments since it went up,” noted Lavey.  “And I like that friends can see it before they reach my home.”

These new additions bring the number of quilts on the Granton Quilt Trail to 32.  All the quilts in the Granton trail can be viewed (in color) at www.gwprojects.wix.com/granton-quilt-trail.  The trail is part of a national barn quilt trail site at www.barnquiltinfo.com.

 

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