As part of the Northern Illinois Quilt Festival and in celebration of the Crystal Lake Park District’s 90th anniversary, a barn quilt will be installed on the Hill Farm Barn on Wednesday, May 6. The project is a cooperative effort with the Crystal Lake Historical Society whose volunteers designed and painted the quilt. Staff from the Park Services Division will install the 8’ x 8’ painted patchwork piece high atop the north face of the barn, facing Barlina Road. A weathervane variation pattern was chosen for the quilt to honor the farming heritage of the site. The colors chosen reflect rural elements of sky, water, grass and the setting sun. Photos of the barn and the quilt being painted can be found at www.cl-hs.org.
Once an active farm, Hill Farm Park is now home to the park district’s Barlina House Preschool, offices of the Crystal Lake Park District Police and the very popular community gardens. The barn itself is used for off-season storage of beach and special event supplies. For more information, visit www.crystallakeparks.org.
The McHenry County Historical Society has organized local participation in the Northern Illinois Quilt Festival which runs from July – September. Approximately 15 barns in McHenry County now have barn quilts and can be viewed on the museum’s website, www.mchsonline.org. To further participate in the festival, the Garden Gate Garden Club and Crystal Lake Park District will be planting a quilt garden at the Colonel Palmer House during the month of May. A Summer Sunday Open House, Quilting: the Art of the Pioneer Women, will be held at the Palmer House on August 7 from 1:00 – 4:00 and is free of charge.
