Janet Moses’ paintings of Queenie Udell’s Yo-Yo quilt and Nancy Morgan’s Double Wedding Ring quilt hang on the outer wall of the historic Adams Country Store in White Springs.

Live Oak will soon see a bit more color thanks to the spread of the Florida Quilt Trail, the first of its kind in the state. The Florida Quilt Trail originated with the owner of the Suwannee Valley Quilt Shoppe in Trenton, Stephanie Metts. Metts was inspired to start a quilt trail in Florida after hearing a presentation by Suzi Parron, author of “Barn Quilts and the American Quilt Trail.”

Barn quilts are quilt squares painted either directly on a barn or other building or on wall-mounted wooden boards. Their patterns tell a story about the buildings they are placed on, the person who designed the original quilt, or the history of the area. Quilt trails are a series of locations linked by barn quilts, and offer a boost to tourism and culture to the communities included in them.

“The quilt trail movement started in Ohio in 2001,” Metts said. “It has since spread to over 30 different states and Canada to not only barns but historic buildings as well. They help rural communities by getting people off the interstate and into towns.”

Metts started the Florida Quilt Trail with one painted block outside her Trenton shop in 2013, and she has since enlisted the communities of White Springs, Madison, Live Oak, and Branford to join the trail. White Springs recently celebrated officially joining the trail (see this article by reporter Joyce Marie Taylor), while Madison has had barn quilts established for some time. Now it’s Live Oak and Branford’s turn to start painting.

The Live Oak branch of the Florida Quilt Trail is headed by local Caroline Leonard, who envisions barn quilts gracing downtown. Railroad crossing, oak leaf or tree, and log cabin patterns would best suit the area, Leonard said.

“Through quilt blocks, we can tell the story of Live Oak,” Leonard said. “We can tell the history of the buildings there and the ones we’ve lost, too. The quilt trail can bring tourism into town and create foot traffic to shop, eat, and view quilts. It would beautify and bring business to Live Oak.”

Leonard hopes to get barn quilt locations established and to have squares painted within the next three months.

“We’re currently seeking financial support or sponsors,” she said. “We’re also looking into finding grant money through the city.”

Once enough funds are gathered for supplies, Leonard needs willing building owners to offer up a square for the art. Barn quilts are typically eight by eight feet, she said, but they can be painted any size. Plaques are placed beside the barn quilts to identify them on the Florida Quilt Trail and give a background on the quilt pattern and the building it is attached to.

Leonard is relatively new to the art of quilting, having started in 2007. Her sister and sister-in-law were very active in quilting and frequently attended quilt shows, however Leonard’s sister could no longer drive herself to the shows after battling breast cancer. That’s when Leonard stepped in and drove her and wound up learning how to quilt.

“Quilting is a popular thing now,” she said. “Quilts started out as a necessity for warmth, but have now become an art form. A lot of people also have quilts that go back to the 1800s; they are pieces of history.”

If you want to volunteer with the Florida Quilt Trail, donate supplies, or have a space you think would be perfect for a barn quilt, please call Caroline Leonard at 386-776-1426.