By David Fleet
Editor
Groveland Twp.-Every quilt tells a story.
And when quilt patterns end up painted on the side of a barn or building—the story will be spread to many.
Such is the idea of the painted barn quilts which are gaining in popularity across the nation. That grassroots rural art project could soon be a part of the local landscape following a recent visit by Springfield Township resident Kristin Sanchez.
“It started in 2001, a lady, Donna Groves painted a quilt on the side of the family barn,” said Sanchez. “So why don’t we make a trail (with the quilt patters) in the rural community so people can follow it.”

There’s hundreds of quilt pattern designs to choose from, she added.
Sanchez is proposing a quilt trail along the Dixie Highway to create a year round experience within the “Dixie Byway Overlay District. The trail will celebrate the quilts as a traditional art and honor the rural culture. She presented the plan to the township planning commission to help mark the 13 mile section of Dixie Highway through the township.
“It’s a great idea to tie in and identifying the Dixie Highway within the township,” said Bob DePalma, township supervisor.
The folklore dates back to the underground railroad, said Sanchez.
“Women would take anything they had to make a quilt,” she added. “Anything from the 18th or 19th century those (patterns) are the originals. So those are the ones I would paint.”
The concept will encourage rural tourism by promoting the authentic heritage along with an art experience.
“I believe people who sew or quilt will recognize theses pattern,” she said. “It will engage the community. Rural arts draw more tourism than urban arts. It will help the people here have a sense of self.”