American Quilter's Society - May 2023

"Ohio Barn in Early Morning Light quilt is especially sentimental to me because it reminds me of traveling with my husband for work. This magnificent barn was across the road from where I dropped him off for a job outside Coshocton, Ohio.

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I returned early the next morning to get photos of the barn in the early light. There is a shaft of yellow-green in the quilt to show sunlight peeking through. That piece of sunlit grass was the beginning inspiration for this quilt, along with the sunlit wall of the barn. I picked up the sunlight effect again on the little white cow just over the horizon. In landscapes, a critter or more always gives vitality to the composition.

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The fence is also important to this composition as it frames the scene. For me, inspiration comes from a fabric, a particular color, or a scene like the one that inspired this quilt. I don't bother making anything that doesn't start out looking impossible. What would be the point if I already know how to conquer the challenge?

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Having grown up on a farm myself, I am fascinated by the structural reminders for the lifestyle of farmers and their families. As the railroads crossed the United States, thousands of small family farms sprang up and, along with them, little towns were formed every few miles. Most of those towns have gone by the wayside, as have the farms. With fondness, I like to document and remember the lives of the people who lived there. The barns were the lifeblood of any farmer, as well as the jewel, housing animals and equipment, which were bought or traded for at great cost. My grandfather, a Danish immigrant, built a huge barn, once the biggest in the country. Of course, it's now long gone. 

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I learned this barn had been badly damaged in a storm. I am so glad that I got to appreciate it and memorialize it before that happened. The barn lives on!"