We welcome new quilt trails across Arkansas and hope you will join Arkansas Quilt Trails! Read further to find out how.
Arkansas Quilt Trails was begun as a way of preserving local history while beautifying our communities for residents and visitors alike.
All quilt blocks should be painted on a wood or metal surface with good quality exterior paints. Patterns should be sent to the county coordinator who will get approval from the state committee. Once a county has twelve approved blocks installed, a signed owner agreement for each block, and a story submitted for each block, we will add the new trail to the Arkansas Quilt Trails website. We ask that block designs are sent to us for approval in advance of painting them as this helps prevent duplication of patterns. Of course, we will also review existing blocks and in most cases, will approve them for inclusion on the trail.
Stone, Searcy, Van Buren, Perry, Baxter, Washington, Logan, Pike, Izard, Independence, Jefferson, Franklin, Benton, Newton, Sharp, Crawford, Saline, Montgomery, Carroll, Pope, Little River, Boone, White, and Sebastian counties now have official trails, while trails are being developed in another 20+ counties. See list below.
If you are interested in starting a quilt trail in a county that is not listed below, contact
Arkansas Quilt Trails State Coordinator Renee Carr at 870-615-2195 or
Arkansas Assistant State Coordinator Cindy Lou Henley at 870-688-2379
Following are the names and phone numbers of volunteer County Quilt Trail Coordinators across the state of Arkansas. If you have a question about a particular quilt block location in their county or would like to add a quilt block to that county’s trail, please contact the appropriate county coordinator.
Arkansas County – Fara Foster (northern half of county) 870-673-7001; Beth Goodwin (southern half of county) 870-344-1723
Baxter County – Virginia Cornett, 870-421-5299, Karen Cornett, 870-421-5520
Benton County – Mechel Wall, 479-531-5950
Boone County – Connie Rogers, 870-577-5922
Carroll County – Star Lee, 870-654-9615
Clark County – Derek Franklin, 870-245-7258
Clay County – Shannon Williams, 870-598-7257
Cleburne County – need a coordinator. Several blocks already in place.
Conway County – Amy Marlar, 501-276-8185
Crawford County – Cathy Mason, 479-276-6183
Crittenden County – Sherry Lovelady, 901-359-4571
Drew County – Shannon Rodriguez, 870-367-8583
Faulkner County – Lynita Langley-Ware, 501-581-1492
Franklin County – Lynda Evans, 479-209-2488
Hempstead County – Terrie James, 870-777-5771
Independence County – Jessica Hogue, 870-307-4440
Izard County – Pat Kilpatrick, 678-570-8314
Jefferson County – Sharon Price, 870-540-9572
Johnson County – Diann Lyons, 479-979-8382
Lincoln County – Cathy Edmonds, 870-818-5775
Little River County – Roger & Debi Quilty, 903-824-0212
Logan County – Dottie Neumeier, 479-438-2267
Madison County – Joy Noir Phillips, 479-957-4604
Marion County – Sue Studnar, 870-424-6168
Mississippi County – Pam Pruett, 870-740-0986
Montgomery County – Kara Black, 870-867-2311
Newton County – Quinnell Land, 870-688-1389
Perry County – Trinity Neeley, 501-889-2554
Pike County – Marla Stewart, 870-223-3963, Jackie Beck, 870-828-8199
Polk County – Bridgett Martin, 479-216-3286
Pope County – Deanna Bohanan, 479-223-9411
Pulaski County – Anita Grisham, 501-628-7088
Saline County – Debbie Susky, 501-860-1155
Searcy County – Darryl Treat, 501-941-4828
Sebastian County – Judy Dedmon, 479-252-1265; Jennifer Cook, 479-430-3718
Sevier County – Gayla Irvan, 870-279-5219
Sharp County – Jessie Stauffer, 870-283-9470 or 870-219-0450
Stone County – Renee Carr, 870-615-2195
Van Buren County – Shelley Moix, 501-514-4424
Washington County – Rita Zelei, 479-422-6030
White County – Christie Davis, 501-206-7715
White River Quilt Trail-viewable by boat, Karen Cornett, 870-421-5520 and Virginia Cornett, 870-421-5299
Love the idea.Have seen these in other parts of the country. Is it possible to have a speaker at one of our quilt club meetings. We have a little more than 50 members .Also planning a spring quilt show in Heber Springs, which had almost 500 folks attending two years ago. A possible display there would also be another idea.
Wow, Jean, that’s a great idea! Where does your quilt club meet? I also like the display idea for the quilt show!
Love this idea.
Would love to see a Quilt Trail developed in PikeCounty. In fact, my antique store which is housed in an old home built in the late 1800’s would be the perfect place for one of these beautiful quilts.
Thanks for your response, Vicki! Your historic building would be a tremendous location for a quilt block! All we need is a county coordinator to get a trail developed in Pike County. The quilt trail sponsor, Rural Community Alliance, has chapters in Delight and Kirby so there should be some folks who would help carry out the plan. Our guidelines require 12 quilt blocks be up before we promote the county trail. I’ll contact you soon!
We are looking into this for Perry County. Can you send me more information on the Arkansas Quilt Trails? I looking for info about what type of buildings these may be displayed on, the size requirements of the quilts, and any other information that would be helpful to a community wanting to become part of this. We are wanting to have an informational meeting here at our Library to see if there is enough interest in the community, but need more information.
Thank you in advance for any help you can give.
Looking forward to visiting the folks in Perry County to talk about starting a trail there! The size of the block is up to you, but needs to be large enough to see. Some are 8×8 ft, 6×6 ft, and 4×4 ft. There are a few 2×2 ft. but those are hard to see unless you are standing right by them. The quilt blocks can be displayed on homes, barns, and commercial buildings.
We visited the Ozarks this past week and saw all the beautiful quilt squares on the buildings. Next time we visit (next year?) I want to make the quilt trail a purposeful outing. Please let me know when maps will be published to make finding the quilt squares easier? Also, a real quilt of all these squares would be GORGEOUS!!
Hello, Penny. Thanks for letting us know you enjoyed seeing some of the quilt blocks in the Ozarks. The trail is expanding across Arkansas, county by county, and beyond the Ozarks to southwestern Arkansas. Right now there are Arkansas Quilt Trail brochures at several of the Arkansas Welcome Centers. The brochure features the Stone and Searcy county trails with addresses for each location. The brochure will be updated this fall and will include several other counties that have reached the 12 block minimum. So you’ll have even more to look at when you return!
Hi Renee…my name is Annie Fournier from Stitch in Time in Diamond City AR Boone County. Understand Gayla Lynch is our coordinator. Having some difficulty in connecting on details. We do have 20 members in our guild. I understand blocks are to be made of wood(kind?) 8 x 8 to be visible, design approval and need 12 blocks. Can one guild supply 12 blocks? Very interested but need details
Hi, Annie. I’ll email you the quilt block instructions. We require a county to have 12 blocks before placing them on the ArkansasQuiltTrails website and map. The quilt blocks can be anywhere in the county. You should submit your patterns to county coordinator Gayla Lynch so she can get them approved. The quilt blocks can vary in size. We have 4x4s, 6x6s, and 8x8s on the trail so far.
These are beautiful! Are the squares true quilt squares or are they made of wood to represent quilt squares? I live in Faulkner County. Do we have any participation in this at this time?
Hi, Janice. Thanks for your inquiry. You are correct that the quilt trail blocks are quilt patterns painted onto wood. We have not yet had anyone volunteer to be the Faulkner County Coordinator. That is the first step toward creating a county trail that becomes part of Arkansas Quilt Trails. A big hurdle is getting the first block up so others can see what it’s all about. If you are interested in putting up a block, that will be of great benefit. Also if you or someone you know is interested in being the volunteer county coordinator, please email Renee at [email protected]
Just heard/saw Renee’s excellent presentation at Washington County EHC Spring Council Mtg. Stopped at White River Nursery on my way back to Elkins. Pulled into a parking slot & guess what was stareing at me from the privacy fence. Right—- a barn quilt
Thanks, Barbara, for the find!
Are there any quilts in Carroll county? I’m interested in starting one
So happy to hear from you, Robin. I’ll email you and see what we can do about starting a trail in Carroll County.
I live in Jefferson County. I have 4 quilt blocks hanging on our property in Redfield.
I painted 2 quilt blocks that are at my Mother’s house in the White Hall area.
Also, one next door to my mother at my sister in law’s house.
And I painted one for a friend here in Redfield as a house warming present.
I read the article by Jack Schnedler, “Piece by Piece” in the Arkansas living magazine, a publication of First Electric Cooperative.
I understand that with 8 barn quilts currently, we are short of the required 12 for Jefferson county to be on the quilt trail list. But, I am interested in moving us in that direction and would happily serve as county coordinator, if there is not one already.
Thank you,
Sharon
Sharon, that is terrific news to know that Jefferson County is well on the way to being an official participant of Arkansas Quilt Trails. Please call me at 870-615-2195 to discuss this more.
Renee Carr
Thank you, I just saw this. Will call on Monday.
i have called a couple of times. I spoke with Jennifer King about the south arkansas quilt trail. Can we be on both lists?
Thanks,
Would love for this to continue down here in South Arkansas. I live in Lafayette county. I am not familiar with who would be the person I would need to contact to begin this in our area.
Hi, Darenda. I’d love to talk to you about expanding the quilt trail to Lafayette county. Give me a call at 870-615-2195 so we can talk about it.
Renee Carr
Arkansas Quilt Trails
I am in Washington County. I have a 4×4 I painted at least 5 years ago on my shed behind my house. Unfortunately it is not visible from the road. I also have 4 smaller 2x2s in the property. A couple on my studio are visible. I have a few for sale in my booth at the Fayetteville Funky Yardsale.
Terrific, Neta. Our Washington County Coordinator is Rita Zelei. Please give her a call at 479-422-6030 and let’s see about getting your barn quilts added to the trail!
ArtUp Mulberry, the newly established art education and history museum in downtown Mulberry is going to light up the arts in the river valley. A quilt trail is the perfect way for us to expand and reach artist and communities that wish to participate in the establishment of a quilt trail for Crawford County. Looking forward to this project and all the communities involvement! This is fantastic!
Nice reading the comments and replies. Planning a Quilt Trail get-away in 2 weeks. I know we might not see ALL the counties in 3 days, but all the more reason to plan a return trip.
Hope to eventually visit all the counties in AR that have Trails. What a great adventure anytime, but especially appropriate during this pandemic.
We have started a trail in SE Oklahoma which will encompases 10 counties when complete. To date we have 42 Quilts up in 4 counties. We are in the midst of creating a website, and brochure…had to have a few quilt blocks up before we could start putting out the word.
Thanks much for all you information.
You’re doing great, Teddi and Sylvester! Looking forward to driving your SE Oklahoma Quilt Trail in the future!
I would like to put a pattern on my cedar fence in Stone County. Is there any way you can send me some examples of patterns to choose from?
Hi, Donna. Try an internet search for Quilt Patterns and you’re sure to see one that catches your fancy!
I have recently released a book Barn Quilts Folk Art to Modern Obsession. It chronicles the 20 year history of barn quilts. Available on Amazon
It is of interest to barn quilt enthusiasts as it shows what goes into establishing a barn quilt trail.