In August of 2010, Carol and her father Francis Fenton began restoring their 100+ year old barn to turn it into Carol's life long dream of a Quilter's Quarters.... here's a picture journey of the progress thus far.... in just a couple of weeks, October 9th is the Open House...
August 2010
The 1800 vintage barn at
Sandy Rivers Orchard
Restoration begins....
At 95 years young, here's Francis
beginning the journey... he's the
third generation to run the farm.
Here's Carol in August 2010
"The barn is now standing up straight. Huge beams are supporting "her". This is where I am putting 3 big windows that open. To my left will be a door that leads to the the farmhouse."
One of the guys makes a "chandelier" from 3 old railroad lanterns and a rusty old piece of a harness from a horse and wagon.......
Carol put up these cedar shingles. It makes the barn smell so good. The whole front half of the barn will be shingles inside. The rest of the barn will have barn boards and sheet rock with the beams exposed.
In October 2010, the Sandy River Grange was closing so they offered this wonderful Round Oak Wood Stove to Carol to use in the barn. It's is about 9 feet tall and they will have her decorative trim re-nickeled. She's so happy to give this stove a home s it continues to warm Mercer residents. The stove has stood in the Sandy River Grange for decades. Carol remembers seeing it when she was young and attending Grange dinners. What a sweet way to bring back her childhood memories for her...
By November 2010 look at the progress.. Carol was very fortunate to return to Maine to view the progress on the barn. Wow! What a difference! The cedar shingles are completed as well as the bookcase. In the photo you can see the "stair ladder" to the sleeping loft.
The deck was built in two days.... It is made of cedar planks and is beautiful. She wasn't able to see the railings that will go around the deck, but each post (there are 15) will have a solar light in the top. It should be very beautiful at night. It's becoming her dream come true... she says" I can't tell you how happy the barn makes me feel. Many days and a few cold nights I would just sit in the barn and think, plan and dream of our "Grand Opening".
See that crazy bench she's sitting on? Well it is all from wood that she didn't want to throw away...each piece has a story of course, so beautiful although you can't sit too close to the stove.
Christmas 2010
Can it get any more beautiful? There are Christmas lights on the deck besides the solar lights on the posts and rope lighting outlining the barn......it must be beautiful at night. Carol put this picture on a coffee mug so she could look at it every morning.
January 2011
This is the new bench that was built into the center post of the barn. That back piece is from her great grandfather's house across the road. They decide to call the house the "Quilter's Quarters".
Carols' back in March 2011.... in the midst of snowstorms.... here she is shoveling a trench from the house to the barn..
Here's the new bed in the front loft.... the first sign of human occupancy!
Carol's carpenter made her cutting table...isn't it fantastic? He made it with 7 different woods. she could only remember cherry, butternut, and oak... I can just picture her cutting her first quilt on it....
A great artist.. makes a great mess!
May 2011 - Carol sits on one of her favorite benches made from the wood out of the original barn!
August 2011 ~ the new sitting room... complete with the two quilts from Anna Mae's vintage quilt collection.... and here's Carols' grandmothers' sewing machine
Looks a little different than Carols...
She's about ready to have her first quilting guests for the weekend!!! Kind of a trial run.. getting ready for that Open House
And here's a quilt with Lone Star pattern Carol made for the local Mercer Meeting House...
She hard work and dedication are about to be paid off.... watch for her first session of the Quilters Quarters.....
