I love to travel. One thing I watch for when traveling is random quilts in unexpected places. Quilts like to pop up in places that don’t scream, “hey, a quilt is on display here”.
And as we all know, I am always excited to see quilts, talk quilts, and make quilts.
I have traveled to Maine annually for many years – the scenery is beautiful and I get together with a group of friends for a quilt retreat. We have way too much fun sewing, visiting, and eating too much but it’s such a great time. It’s a time away from jobs and normal day to day stress to just enjoy quilting and good friends.
But I also spend several days in the Rockland area just enjoying the lighthouses, the used book stores, the wonderful scenery, the great food, and the slower pace.
Below are some quilts I have found while in Maine in places I would never have expected to find quilts:
World War II photo quilt that hangs in the museum store.
USPS lobby
How about the US Post Office in Round Pond, ME? Yes this lovely sampler quilt featuring blocks that have to do with coastal Maine is hanging in the lobby:
Museum & Gift shop
The museum and gift shop at Marshall Point Light in Pt. Clyde, ME has these two beauties hanging up. I love the pebble fabric that is around all the counted cross stitched blocks. https://www.marshallpoint.org/
Counted cross stitched lighthouses sashed with pebble fabric and machine quilted.
Postcard of quilt (This is much better than my photo)
Watch for Random quilts in unexpected places
The next time you are out and about or on a trip, look around for those random quilts in unexpected places. You might be surprised where quilts hang out.
PERSONAL QUILT SHOW & ROAD TRIP – The corona virus is getting to all of us it seems. I love being home and able to do things here. But after a week of “quarantine” even I needed a change of scenery this past Tuesday.
My husband had the day off and so we decided to do a road trip to see if we could see any barn quilts. I also thought it would be nice to take along some quilts and stop at a state park to photograph them.
Most of our trip was in Vigo County, IN. The first thing of interest was a round barn.
We also found two barn quilts. They actually seem to be getting more common and I watch for barn quilts now when I am driving around.
Our road trip goal was Fowler Park, which has several things to do normally. We walked around the Pioneer Village and used it as a backdrop for taking photos of the quilts. The day was cloudy but warm and dry. The park had only a few other people walking around, so we could safely do the current status of “social distancing” while enjoying the outside.
This quilt started out as a Birds in the Air quilt, but I was not happy with how the blocks looked laid out that way. So after moving blocks around and combining them with more of the same blocks, I came up with this design.
This quilt was really fun to do. All the teapots are different. The tea cups around the border just give it a nice “finished” look. It was hand quilted. After looking at it again, I am thinking about making another one. For more info: https://indianaquilter40.blogspot.com/2010/06/teapots.html
And so I come to the end of my PERSONAL QUILT SHOW & ROAD TRIP for this time. It was a nice way to spend a few hours outside and exploring an old pioneer village.
My Challenge to You
I know that right now we all need to be careful to stay healthy and avoid situations that may spread corona virus. However, part of staying healthy is exercise and sunshine.
Quilts look different outside in natural light. Usually the colors are brighter and the quilting design is more visible. Even if you don’t want to take a road trip, try taking a quilt (or quilts) outside and getting some photos of it (or them). Wash lines, tree branches, fences, and porches are also great places to display quilts outside.
Sometimes a change of scenery can be inspiring and encouraging. A new perspective can lead to new ideas.
Have fun and stay well.
Please note that all the quilts in this post are mine. I also took all the photos. You are welcome to use the photos, but please give proper credit. Thank you.
