Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Become a "Friend" of PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails

By being a friend, you are helping
PA Quilt (and Rug ) Trails achieve their goal of creating,
“A Hero’s Welcome” quilt square,
honoring all those who have served in the U.S. Military. 
(Site to be determined.)

A $35 donation receives as a thank you:
5 notecards featuring scenes from the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails
2 guests passes to exclusive annual PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails party
quarterly PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails enewsletter (covering relevant information, announcements and events).

To pay either send check to:
Community Partnerships RC&D
23 North Main Street
Lewistown, PA. 17044

or click on the Paypal link to the top right of this page
(You don’t need a Paypal account to send money)

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Meet the Squares: The Heirloom Quilt Square

The Heirloom quilt square has now been installed and can be enjoyed in Mifflintown, PA. This quilt square has taken the longest time, from start to finish, of any square, yet the wait was well worth the time.

At least a year and a half ago, Community Partnerships RC&D was asked by the Juniata Valley Quilters Guild, to give a presentation to the group about the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. A short while after the presentation, the guild contacted CPRC&D and generously offered to sponsor two pieces, one to be placed in Juniata County and the second in Mifflin County.

The Skills Group were kind enough to volunteer their time and talents to paint the design submitted by the Quilter's guild. After diligent priming, taping and painting for weeks of time, the piece was completed and transported by Kevin Morgan and Mike Lennartz of CPRC&D to Heirloom Cabinetry, where the piece could be touched-up and framed for installation.

The folks at Heirloom managed to hoist this incredibly heavy the piece feet off the ground, to its current home where it overlooks  beautiful valleys and hills of Mifflintown.

The Heirloom Piece, with its strong colors and design, compliments the  beautiful farm land and countryside where she/he will stay for many years to come. Take a lovely drive and come see. Heirloom Cabinetry is on Nelson Road, just a few miles off of the main route 322.

Please support the PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails. All donation large or small are appreciated. Click on the Paypal button to the top right of this blog and follow several prompts and your money will be immediately sent to CPRC&D to continue work on this great community project.
Paypal does not require an account to use.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Meet the Squares: The Tuscarora Trail Rug

There are  many components of the Tuscarora Trail Rug that makes this a special piece. First and foremost its location.Spanning across Cumberland, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, and Perry counties, the Tuscarora State forest is  95,780 acres of beautiful forested wilderness. Visitors to the Tuscarora Forest will have the opportunity to commune with nature no mater what time of year visited. Winter provides a plethora of cold weather activities whether you have a passion for x-country skiing, snow shoeing or a cold weather walk in the woods. Springtime abounds with wildflowers such as the Trillion, Skunk Cabbage, Lady's Slipper and flowering Mountain Laurel. Additionally the woods abound with  special treats such as: ginseng and morels. Summer brings more and more flowers and birds and of course fall has a spectacular display of color from changing leaves.

The PA Quilt (and Rug) Trails piece that is installed at the Tuscarora Ranger Station's fire building is a design adapted by the Locust Grove Retirement and Rehabilitation Village. Residents worked hard to design a piece that followed the original inspiration which was a hooked rug done in the 1800s by artisan Magdalean Briner Eby.

Magdalean Briner Eby lived in the area that is now the Tuscarora State Forest. She created whimsical forest scenes into hooked rugs. Her work is highly collectible today and she is considered one of the quintessential hooked rug masters of primitive American folk art.

There were many people that made the Tuscarora State Forest Trail Rug a reality. Stackpole Books, Kathy Wright, Rug Hooking Magazine, Deb Smith, Penn Dot, Department of Forestry, Community Partnerships RC&D, Locust Grove Village, family members of Magdalean Briner Eby and last by not least Gene Odata, District Forester at PA DCNR.