BARN QUILT

Many moons ago, around Christmas, I mentioned a painting project, gift, that I was trying to keep under the radar. I'm proud to inform that yesterday, the project was completed.

I was beginning to wonder if it may stay in my garage forever?

It was a project that took patients, thought, time, equipment, and men not afraid of heights.

This puppy wasn't constructed on plywood as many believe. The board is a special poster board crafted to withstand the Iowa climate and weighs as much as an elephant.

Okay, maybe not an elephant but HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY- I kid you not!

Do you see the rope hoisting it up in the left part of the photo?

It's hooked on to a Dodge Ram, moving slowly in reverse.

Did I say heavy already?

Below is a little history:

This barn quilt was constructed in 2010 and given as a Christmas gift.
The quilt pattern, known as “White Cross” was submitted in a state contest during the spring of 2009 by MaryBelle Davis, and was the winning selection for the entire Davis County Area. The honor of winning this contest was to have your quilt block design replicated as a mosaic tile. This replica was then incorporated into the exterior design of the newly constructed Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. All 99 Iowa Counties are represented on this new facility with their winning county design. The mural of quilt blocks proudly displays Iowa’s heritage and tradition of barn quilts.
Originally known as a bank barn, this style of barn was popular in the 19th century. These barn structures were sometimes referred to as "basement barns" because of their exposed basement story. The basement space was used for livestock while the second story, at ground level, was used for feed and grain storage. The advantage of having the second story at ground level was that it enabled farmers to drive their wagons directly into the barn for loading and unloading.
This barn, as we know it, is located on what was once the Sullivan Place. After a couple different land stewards, father and son, Jack and Dan Davis purchased the farm in 1997 and hired a local Amish crew to replace the dilapidated roof, hoping to preserve a historical symbol of Iowa’s farming heritage.