Michell Updyke picked up her custom barn quilt designed as a tribute to animals from her former rescue farm. The design is featured at her nutrition store in Franklin.
By Sandy Zimmerman
Guest Writer
Barn Quilts have added color all around downtown Hayesville, Clay County and regional areas for about 10 years.
They can be seen locally on businesses and homes but the total produced by local volunteers in the Historic Hayesville Inc. studio is well over 300 with designs shipped as far away as Canada.
Barn Quilts started in Ohio painted on wood or metal to hang on barns or structures to show heritage and color while providing a trail for folks to travel and see a variety of designs as well as local historical locations.
Traditional names of the squares can be recognized on various structures while others may be customized with logos, wildlife or express part of family history.
Quilts were a staple for local families making coverlets from clothing, flour sacks and any fabrics that would add color to designs created from small hand stitched pieces. Neighbor “quilting bees” were common gatherings at local farm houses in Hayesville with many of those designs now serving as inspirations for Barn Quilts.
Local quilter and HHI volunteer Bev Adkins had a dream for downtown Hayesville to become a better attraction for visitors to enjoy walking around the square to see color displays as well as experience part of local history. She became very inspired by the idea of Barn Quilts.
She and her husband John asked for work space in back of the Centennial Exhibit building owned by the Town of Hayesville and in agreement with HHI to support the project as part of history and downtown revitalization. A team effort was launched with Bev and John as the directors of the local Barn Quilt project and proceeds to support beautification of the downtown square along with the Centennial Exhibit as an additional home to Clay County history.
Supplies were gathered to begin and included donated work tables followed by purchase of polymer boards, wood, paint and other supplies for custom orders to begin.
After downtown businesses and property owners joined the campaign, Bev and John expanded their efforts throughout the county with volunteers working in the studio creating custom hand painted squares. Early designs were offered in 3 x 3 or 4 x 4 foot sizes to be seen from a distance on various buildings but smaller sizes were later introduced for smaller spaces and porches to increase orders.
The first Barn Quilt for Hayesville can be seen on the side of the HHI Centennial building and others are in full view all around the town square reflecting early years of Clay County as farming community.
HHI continues to support the Adkins dream of showing displays all around the town including a sculpture in front of Hayesville Town Hall in their honor.
Volunteers are available by appointment for Barn Quilt projects and the studio is located in the HHI Centennial Exhibit building at 116 Sanderson Street next to the Hayesville Post Office.
Visit: www.historichayesvilleinc.com for more details.