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| Gelato break at the Street Fair! |
The Army sent us to Des Moines, Iowa this past weekend for training to help integrate our soldier back into society when he returns from Afghanistan. Got trained, hung out with other Army wives and parents... went dancing at a street fair, fun times! (♥ you gals!)
But what else can you do in Iowa? Look for Barn Quilts, of course!
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| A Soldier's Star - Barn Quilt Design |
Whatsa "barn quilt"?? A large quilt block painted on the side of a barn, shed, or corn crib. (See my barn quilt adventures
HERE.) I may have won a prize in a barn quilt design contest, but I have never actually seen a Barn Quilt in person! According to one source, there are over 580 Barn Quilts in Iowa. Barn Quilt Mecca...
And where are these barn quilts? Further away than the measly couple of hours that we had to go looking for them. Not only that, but it was a Sunday morning, in church-going Iowa (no quilt shops open so I could ask directions...). So my honey and I rented a car, and headed out on our quest to see a Barn Quilt. Here's what we found!
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| Corn Fields |
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| Corn in Fields |
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| Fields of Corn |
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| More fields with corn in them... |
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| Barns |
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| Barns in corn fields |
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| Farms with corn fields |
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More Barns...
...Are we ever going to find a Barn Quilt??? |
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| This barn needed one... |
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This one, too!
And then..... |
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| Getting closer ...painted doors and shutters... |
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| Finally!! A real, live Barn Quilt!! Aaaaaaahhhh! |
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| Lone Star Barn Quilt, En Pointe |
Finally found A Barn Quilt near Pella, Iowa; a beautiful little Dutch Town surrounded by, you guessed it, corn fields!
(Bought some fresh-picked corn from a roadside stand, smuggled it home in my suitcase, then fixed it for supper! Oh, my tastebuds! That was some of the best, sweetest, freshest, corn ever to cross my lips!!)
So... one down, 579 more barn quilts to see...
I have GOT to find my way back to beautiful Iowa!
You're so fun! I hope I get to see you when I'm in Utah in the end of September!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you were able to find at least one barn quilt! It's too hard to figure out how to get your quilt to look like it is on the barn. Evan is a good sport! Wish I had a barn to paint it on. Do you think anyone would mind if we started a new trend and painted one on our garages? Debbie
ReplyDeleteLoved your plan to get a barn quilt picture! What interested me too, was the training weekend you were sent on. My son, in the British Army, was in Iraq and also in Afghanistan, and though I know they themselves had debriefing after their tour, I don't know of a plan for the families. As I don't live in the UK, of course I wouldn't have been involved. Will have to ask him about that. I think it is a fine idea. Margaret
ReplyDeleteI am from Pa. and I don't have a barn but I do have a big yard shed. And yes, I painted a double pinwheel on the side of it a few years ago. LOVE it!! Quilts look great everywhere!
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