FREDERIC – A barn quilt is a large piece of wood that is painted to mimic the look of a quilt block and often hung on the exterior of buildings like barns, homes and garages. Former teachers Michael and Mary Kolstad said their love for the art and history of barn quilts developed while seeing them in the countryside of Shawno County when visiting family. Shawno County has over 300 8- by 8-foot barn quilts. The Menomonie Chamber of Commerce already had a similar business set up in the area, so Mary Kolstad had the idea to bring it farther west, working with the Dunn County Ag. Extension, and said she “wanted to color the countryside.” The Kolstads now offer classes so the local community can enjoy the beauty of a unique piece of art they can make for themselves. Mary Kolstad is a retired teacher from Chippewa Valley Technical College and Michael Kolstad is a retired technical education teacher from Elk Mound. They both were involved in the arts through Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild and Eau Claire Children’s Theatre for 27 years. Michael designed sets and Mary worked with costumes, acting and playing in the orchestra pit.
Prior to a class, participants email the Kolstads with a pattern they would like to work with, and Michael Kolstad primes a 2- by 2-foot or 4- by 4-foot wood piece and then carefully matches the pattern with a pencil sketch for the attendees to use during the class. The day of the class, the prepped board is provided with all the supplies and instructions needed. The Kolstads are also present to answer questions and help as needed.
One such barn quilt class was hosted through the Frederic Community Ed program on Saturday, March 25. They often work with community education programs and schools, and estimate that they have helped over 1,000 individuals create their own barn quilts. For ideas, participants were encouraged to search online for patterns or go to the couple’s Facebook page at facebook.com/mjbarnquilts. For more information about their business, Barn Quilts by Michael and Mary, or to inquire about scheduling your own class, you can also email them at mkolstad2@charter.net.
A little history on barn quilts, taken from “Ever See a Quilt Pattern on a Barn? Here's Where the Tradition Came From,” by Courtney Fox at wideopencountry.com, “Barn quilts began as a way to honor a loved one with a gorgeous piece of folk art. While barn quilts have been around for many years, there's been a spike in popularity in the last two decades. In Adams County, Ohio, in 2001, Donna Sue Groves set out to honor her mother, Maxine, and her quilt art by painting a quilt block on her tobacco barn. The idea was a hit and soon friends and neighbors wanted painted quilts of their own. Donna realized that her unique quilting could have quite the effect on the area, so she decided to paint barns with quilt squares all over and soon the first barn quilt trail was born. So what is a quilt trail, you ask? Great question! According to Barn Quilt Info, it's a collection of quilt blocks on a series of barns that are on a walking or driving trail. The quilt patterns don't have to be on barns, though. The quilt designs can be on the side of any buildings the quilter sees fit to put them on. The barn quilts are generally chosen from a family's own colorful quilt pattern that has been passed down through the years. Then the family's quilt pattern is turned into public art on their own barn or other building and it becomes part of a quilt trail.”
