It turns out I’ve made quite a few quilts featuring farms and rural scenes. I guess that’s not surprising since I grew up on a dairy farm. And, because my parents still live on that farm, I get to visit it frequently. I always love seeing the rolling fields, the way the sun hits the barn roofs, and the dappled shade of deciduous trees.
Click any title to see more about that quilt.
Click any image for a much larger view.
Here’s a stylized view of the farm.
Oak Green Farm
The same barns can be seen in the background of this piece, which shows my two brothers target shooting on a Thanksgiving afternoon.
Since many family gatherings have been held on this farm it’s no surprise that some great family moments have also been captured in fabric. This one shows my son and two of his cousins skipping down the farm road shown in the first piece. Don’t they look happy?
What’s funny is when I showed this quilt to my farming dad and brother they didn’t comment on the people, but instead began to discuss which crops were planted in which fields.
This little silk quilt shows the farm view once again, but this time with the buildings and nearby trees removed. Can you pick out the tasseling corn?
A companion quilt shows corn stalk stubs sticking up through snow. I’m always a little mesmerized by the way these parallel rows converge as you drive by.
Narrow little country roads have no center lines and no shoulders. Which means the trees grow right up next to the road. All of which inspired a haiku quilt.
When my uncle commissioned me to make a quilt for my mom, his sister, of course it had to be of a rural scene. She always commented on a favorite barn in the area, so it became the subject for her quilt.
Who knew I had all these farm quilts floating around in my head?
Have you had any “accidental” series like this?
Ellen Lindner
P.S. Here’s another one: a simple maple branch, but the tree was on my parents’ farm.
P.P.S. Related links about the creation of the first quilt, above. (From my old blog.)
Designing a Farm Quilt
Starting the Farm Quilt
Farm: Creating Fields
Adding Barns and Making MORE Changes
Farm Quilt: Home Stretch