Shawano County promotes barn quilts

SHAWANO COUNTY - These colorful swatches and designs catch drivers’ eyes as they head down rural routes in Shawano County.

"I think it looks great. It's a great edition," said dairy farmer Tammy Stycznski.

They're called barn quilts. They're not blankets and they're not hand-stitched. But they are a labor of love and a symbol of community.

“A barn quilt is two, 4x8 sheets of 3/4 inch plywood that we paint a quilt pattern on another. We mount that plywood on a barn, so it ends up being an eight-foot square quilt pattern," said Jim Leuenberger, the creator of many of the barn quilts.

Leuenberger began the project a year-and-a-half ago after seeing the designs on barns in other states. Here at the Stycznski family's barn, they installed the 100th quilt.

• Photos: Shawano Co. barn quilts

“The dairy promotions group was sponsoring it, and that's how we found out about it. I was able to help pick the designs with the ice cream cones on it, as well,” said Stycznski.

Shawano County is now the second county in the entire nation to have more than 100 barn quilts.

"And we're going to have more than that. I have commissions for another 30 and I keep getting calls from others who want one," said Leuenberger.

Laney Cheese received one of the first barn quilts last spring. The owners say it's become a bit of a curiosity for travelers.

"It seems to draw people in. A lot of people will come in and make a comment on it. It's visible because it's on Highway 29," said Lani Steide.

Leuenberger says the mission of barn quilts goes beyond promoting tourism.

"There are a lot of historic old barns out there, and if we play a part in preserving them, that’s great,” said Leuenberger.

And whether it's one of the first barn quilts, or the 100th, folks here say they're preserving tiny pieces of Americana one square at a time.

The barn quilts are made possible through donations by different community groups, such as the dairy promotions board. If you live in Shawano County and you're interested in having a barn quilt, you can contact the Chamber of Commerce.

The designer of the barn quilts says the trend started in Ohio about a decade ago.