Originally inhabited by the Ioway, Potawatomi, and Sauk nations, the area remained unsettled by immigrants until the early 1800s, when pioneers began moving westward. As they crossed the Mississippi many stayed nearby, settling towns along the river’s edge. The riverboat industry brought people and goods up and down the Mississippi.
As part of the Louisiana Purchase, Iowa was a territory from 1803 until it joined the Union in 1846. Fighting against the Confederacy, tens of thousands of Iowans joined the war efforts, though no battles were fought in the state.
In the mid 1800s, The Community of True Inspiration, a community of Germans eager to find a safe space to worship, founded the Amana colonies. Known for their handcrafts and communal living, the Amana colonies flourished until the early 1930s. The community began to separate its religious activities from its economic enterprises. The “Amana Society Corporation” was formed to manage the businesses, and residents began earning wages and buying private goods, leaving the communal life behind. The Amana Colonies is a National Historic Landmark these days and you can still visit the quaint shops and homey restaurants (including Fern Hill Gifts & Quilts!)
Farmland covers much of Iowa, even today, with more than 13 million acres of corn planted across the state. With rich soil (formed by glaciers and all that prairie grass), the state grows more corn than any other state, as well as the most pigs, eggs, ethanol and biodiesel.
Iowa is a favorite for Sunday drives, with its quintessential American landscape. The reason it’s so iconic may have more to do with a single painting than I would have realized. Iowa native, Grant Wood, immortalized the state’s agricultural heritage with his painting “American Gothic.” The couple, standing stoically outside their farmhouse the painting is iconic. That farmhouse is real, located in Eldon, where you can visit the American Gothic House. I saw the painting in Chicago, but I have yet to get to the actual house. It’s on the to-go list though!
On one of meandering trips across the state, Hawke and I found ourselves in Madison County…the one with the bridges made famous in the movie with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood. Down the road, is Winterset, the birthplace of John Wayne and the home of the Iowa Quilt Museum. With rotating exhibits, it’s worth a stop on any drive between Kansas City and Des Moines.
Quilt Block
For Iowa, I wanted a block to honor the covered bridges and decided that we would make a little scene for it. Using raw-edge appliqué, layering the fabrics one a time, it creates an image that is cute and customizable.
Choose tightly woven fabrics and cut your pieces on the bias (after starching!) to make them less likely to fray. I recommend using a glue stick to adhere the pieces, but you can use a basting spray if you prefer.
Quilt Shops
- Red-Roxy Quilt Co. in Decorah has been a regular stop on my teaching travels, including workshops on sewing quilt coats and working with Cuddle® fabrics. They stock BERNINA machines and a surprisingly diverse range of notions and fabrics.
- Hen & Chicks Studio in Conrad is across the street from their retreat center and has a wide variety of quilting cottons, flannel and more.
- Inspired to Sew in Cedar Rapids has hosted a couple of workshops with me and is one of my favorite stops. The shop is packed with fabrics of all types, including batiks and Cuddle®, plus several brands of sewing machines.
- Fern Hill Gifts & Quilts in South Amana is a beautiful shop, combining home decor, vintage textiles, quilting fabrics and local tchotchkes.
I’d love to hear about your favorite Iowa places or if you know of quilt shops I should visit!
