Barn quilt trails are becoming increasingly popular in Virginia.
If you have ever driven past a barn with a quilt block pattern on your travels through rural Virginia, chances are you were treading one of the state’s many barn quilt trails. Barn quilts began as a kind of folk art to honor a loved one. The first quilt trail was created in Adams County, Ohio, in 2001—a quilt trail being a collection of quilt blocks on a series of barns that are within walking or driving distance of each other.
Highland County’s Barn Quilt Trail was the first in Virginia, beginning in 2011 with just 13 barn quilts—a number that has increased to more than 50, with names like “Colaw Apple,” “Tree of Paradise,” and “Spirit Soars” (the name often corresponds to the design). Statewide, the number of barn quilt trails is growing, from Loudoun County to Shenandoah and the Blue Ridge. BarnQuiltInfo.com
This article originally appeared in the August 2021 issue.
