Over the past few years, in nearby Yancey and Mitchell counties, the Toe River Arts Council has made and installed over two hundred painted quilt blocks on barns, stores, and public buildings, creating a “Quilt Trail.”
Our own Haywood County Arts Council has also launched a quilt trail program. Last year Sylvia began working with the Council to design a large quilt square for the old apple house owned by Joe and Bertha Boone at the bottom of our mountain.
The apple house was built around 1920 and for many years was operated in conjunction with its adjacent prize-winning orchard by Joe’s father and until last year by Joe and his brother Allen.
To honor them and also to thank them for letting us park across the drive on our snowy days, Sylvia got donations from those of us on the mountain who use the road.
She designed the pattern, which includes the green for the trees, blue for the skies, red and yellow (delicious!) for the apples, and white for the snowflakes that bring us to the barn for safe parking. Consisting of four plywood panels, it measures eight feet square.
A few months ago, the workshop in Burnsville that serves as home base for the Toe River Arts Council began work on the squares. Sylvia went up to help them paint, but soon we brought them back to her studio for her to finish them up with help from my sister Zibs and a sign painter in the area.
This past week, Zibs’ son David, an expert craftsman who renovates residences in Asheville, came over and we hung the completed panels on the barn. It took two full days of scaffold work. We had to repair a portion of the siding and then fit the panels together exactly to form the whole. Using ropes, ladders, rigging, and after arduous fitting and re-fitting, we got them in place.
It’s visible from the state road and presides in striking manner over the meadow below. It is the sixth (and largest) quilt block to be put up in our county and we hope it will inspire many more.
We will have a little celebration on Friday, June 10, with the Boones, friends, and neighbors. We expect a lot of people will be turning off the highway to feast their eyes on this remarkable symbol of the great quilting tradition in our region.
Bill and Sylvia
Great idea for your latest joint art project. As usual, I don’t know where you come up with all the great artistic activities and find the energy to do them but I have come to expect greatness from both of you. It helps to have the support of Zibs and Dave and it’s nice they are so close to you. Please give them my best.
Lavilla B