NACOGDOCHES, Texas – It's a concept that started in the 1980s in the U.S., nearly 1,000 miles away from East Texas in the Midwest.
Some of the designs you'll see are made from wood; others are carefully crafted pieces of metal.
In another #TasharaTravels segment, we explore the Pineywoods Barn Quilt Trail.
If you’re unfamiliar with barn quilts, according to the Visit Nacogdoches website, much like traditional quilt patches, the squares were created from simple patterns.
After the trend began to catch momentum, a trail was formed connecting the various display locations and included quilts placed also on homes, businesses, fences and mailboxes.
"I don't really remember when I first heard of barn quilts,” said Charlene Humley, who has made more than a dozen barn quilts. “It seems like maybe in a magazine, I saw a picture of a barn."
As Charlene shows off the delicate designs, she discusses what makes each quilt unique.
"It's a link to the past, they're just pretty,” she added.
The timeless pieces serve as a way for residents in and around Nacogdoches to showcase their artistic skills in a different way.
The artwork is one of the newest trends in Nacogdoches as the city looks to highlight new attractions in the area.
The path weaves in and out of the city and it includes barn quilts created from either wooden or metal pieces.
There's even an interactive map online, featuring addresses to more than 100 designs, where you can also learn a little bit of history about each quilt.
"It's just something that makes you happy when you make something pretty,” Humley said.
IF YOU DECIDE TO GO:
Link to Visit Nacogdoches Website: https://www.visitnacogdoches.org/barnquilt/
Link to Quilt Trail Details: https://www.visitnacogdoches.org/barnquilt/
Want to design your own quilt? See excerpt below from the Visit Nacogdoches website
If you live in the Pineywoods region and would like to create your own barn quilt to be displayed on the trail list, they are inviting you to read the requirements below and register as soon as possible.
- Get creative! After you decide on a design, paint it on either wood or metal (size can range anywhere from 1 to 8-foot squares depending on site) and attach it to a barn, home, business, fence or freestanding frame. (If you're a local business owner, consider displaying the quilt in your shop to draw in more business.) Not the best painter? No worries. A photo of a quilt pattern can be printed on vinyl with an adhesive back and attached to metal.
- Register your quilt with the Pineywoods Barn Quilt Trail by contacting Stephanie Fontenot at Stephanie@VisitNacogdoches.org or (936) 564-7351. Be sure to include the name of your quilt block pattern, the address where it can be seen, a high-resolution photo showing the quilt after it's been hung as well as a two-sentence description of how your piece came to be.
If you have a destination you'd like us to feature on #TasharaTravels, email news@cbs19.tv.