A class on barn quilts is being offered by OLLI this fall. OLLI @ OSU is a program of educational courses for people who want to enrich their lives through new learning experiences. For information go to olli@okstate.edu email education.okstate.edu/olli.
10-Noon • Wednesdays • Oct 3 - Nov 7
Painted Barn Quilts Painted Barn Quilts Folklore tells us that Barn Quilts were used to communicate information about the Underground Railroad. Historians claim that there were codes built into the ten squares of the quilt through knots, block shapes, colors, and symbols to guide escaping slaves. In the early 2000s, barn quilts started appearing on the American landscape again, only this time the fabric quilts were replaced by geometrically shaped boards, colorfully painted and assembled to resemble a quilt square which are then attached to barns. Today’s barn quilts create art trails across America. The concept originated on an Ohio tobacco farm and has spread to 43 states. The Quilt Trail promotes tourism and community camaraderie. Create your own painted barn quilt with Donna Robbins, OSU Extension Service director for Osage County. You’ll work on two barn quilts, using both sides of 2’ x 2’ plywood to create beautiful artwork to be enjoyed for generations.
