Get ready to bring home a new signature piece from the Starbuck Vintage & Artisan Market—Rita Way will be bringing barn quilts. Traditionally hung under the eaves of a barn just above the haymow door, barn quilts serve not just as a beautiful outdoor addition, but also as a landmark and can even be part of a community’s artistic tapestry, with each piece serving as one square in a community’s quilt.

“Barn quilts come in every color and style,” Rita says. “Most pieces resemble an actual quilt pattern and quilt squares.” Barn quilts have been around for a long time, starting with early settlers who couldn’t always afford to paint their entire barn. In order to add some color, they’d paint quilt-like squares, says Rita, often representing the country from which they’d immigrated.

“Now barn quilts are all across the US and they are becoming more popular.” Of course, they don’t need a barn to be hung—the side of a garage, shed, house, or even indoors will do. There are even Barn Quilt Trails. The Barn Quilts of Central Minnesota includes 100 stops, with the southernmost squares in Little Falls, stretching north to Sebeca.

Rita’s barn quilts are 24” x 24” and she utilizes three surfaces—a textured plywood, a medium density overlay board with a smooth surface, and a more thin and light but sturdy aluminum composite material, designed specifically for Barn Quilts. “My husband Gary starts by priming and sealing the wood, then I draw a grid, draw in the pattern, and set to painting. When everything is dry, we seal the whole thing again so it’s weather-proof.”

Rita’s booth will feature a variety of color and pattern options; she also takes orders for custom work. “I have a customer right now who hung one on her garage facing her road and now she’s ordered a matching second one so she can hang it facing the house,” Rita laughs. “They really do add an element of beauty to any outdoor space.”

Stop by Rita’s booth at the 4th Annual Starbuck Vintage & Artisan Market on August 1 & 2. Also in the booth, you’ll find Gary’s tree branch coasters, a collection of hats dating from the 1920s, and Rita’s sister Vera will have a variety of vintage items, including a #4 Red Wing crock along with wood duck houses.

The Market will be held in Starbuck City Park with the Lake Minnewaska Classic Car Show on Saturday from 10 AM-2 PM. You’ll find a wide variety of artisans, vintage merchants, and food vendors.