Quilt Trail Blocks
Today, we hung quilt trail blocks on the facade of our business. We own a small bakery in our hometown and decided to paint our own quilt blocks for the Gratiot County Quilt Trail. We started the project in January and finished today with the hanging.
As you can see, we finished two quilt blocks. To create a 4’X4′ block, we needed to purchase a 4’X8′ piece of marine plywood. Since we ended up with two pieces, we made two blocks. They fit perfectly on either side of the business sign. The paint is Resilience exterior paint by Sherwin Williams in goldfinch, gladiola, and forward fushia on the Sister’s Choice block; and the addition of blue chip on the Sunbonnet Sue block. The background of both is in dover white. I chose bright, autumn colors that blanket the landscape in October here in Michigan, for the blocks. Sue wears blue & gold as a Yellowjacket fan, the local high school mascot and alma mater of both myself & my husband.

Sister’s Choice block: Gratiot County Quilt Trail

Sunbonnet Sue block: Gratiot County Quilt Trail
As an avid quilter, I chose the quilt patterns as a reflection of my personal quilting history. Sunbonnet Sue is a favorite pattern and has become my avatar. One of my earliest quilts was a sampler of various Sunbonnet patterns. Quilting wasn’t passed down through my family. I don’t have quilts that my Grandmother made, although she sewed and taught me to crochet. Rather, I’ve introduced both of my sisters to quilting, and we bond regularly over sewing and quilting activities. I originally stitched a small Sister’s Choice quilt for a guild challenge, then gifted it to my oldest sister, Roxanne. The pattern seemed a fitting choice to represent my family quilting connection.
The Gratiot County Quilt Trail is producing a brochure that will be available in the Fall, so that enthusiasts can travel through the area and view each of the 50 blocks on display. If you’re in the area, stop and visit our local city. Enjoy a cup of coffee and a roll; it’s definitely worth the trip.
Enjoy!