Barn Quilts … are Her Legacy
By Lynette M. Loomis
Spencerport resident Leslie Plucknette, 66, spent her childhood drawing. But as she matured, there were fewer opportunities to pursue her love of art.
“One of my regrets is not taking more art classes in high school,” Plucknette said.
In college, she minored in art and learned various techniques in drawing and color.
She was an early elementary teacher in the Churchville Chili Central School District for 32 years.
“I loved the connection with children, taking them from the unknown of reading and writing to building skills and increasing their self-confidence and self-esteem. Every child has a spark, a gift. My role was to find that special connection and turn that spark into a flame that hopefully lasted a lifetime,” she said.
She was partial to working with challenging children, finding unique ways and strategies to approach them, thereby building a foundation of trust between the two. She read a saying and adopted that as her motto: “Teaching is not head-to-head, but heart-to-heart.”
One of her student’s parents told her that in her class, it was the first time her son had ever felt loved at school.
Before the birth of her three children, Plucknette enjoyed quilting. As her career developed and she and her husband, Doug, began raising their children, quilting fell to the wayside unless she had those rare occasions to spend time in her sewing room. Once retired, she picked up the hobby again and began making quilts for her grandchildren as they arrived.
She became aware of barn quilts and their patterns painted on barns while driving in the Southern Tier of New York about five years ago. These designs piqued her interest as a quilter. She researched the art form extensively, visited several barn quilt trails in surrounding counties and began to paint them herself.
Word of mouth turned her hobby into a business. Orders arrived from her neighbors, friends and family as well as former students and their parents, who have stayed connected to her on Facebook and Instagram. The barn quilts are a popular gift. Her most significant works are 8′ by 8′ and may be found in Ogden, Mendon, Victor and Michigan.
“We can ship quilts that are 2′ x 2′ or 3′ x 3′, but people who order the larger ones are invited to visit and pick up their quilts at my home,” she said.
She can recreate existing patterns or take a person’s idea, sketch it out, modify it if needed and custom blend colors.
She spends weeks to months on each one, making it an eye-catching gift.
“I enjoy seeing the reactions of my customers when they see their quilts. While most simply smile, some have actually wept. It’s then I know I actually hit the mark!” she said.
It is a process, not an afternoon’s work. For a barn quilt to last, it must be painted on medium-density overlay plywood, which is weatherproofed. Plucknette uses sealers on all raw edges and three layers of high-quality exterior paint.
“The larger the quilt, the longer it takes to dry and cure. I can paint smaller ones in my basement or on our dining room table throughout the year. The larger ones must be created in my garage during the spring or fall, when the humidity is lower and the painting conditions are better,” she explained.
She has recently become involved with a group that helps preserve the Wells Barns. Unlike traditional barn construction, the unique construction of these magnificent barns is their open interior spaces. Of the original 200 barns, 50 remain in varying states of repair. A documentary by Katie Andres and Jill Kuchman, “Still Standing: The Barns of J.T. Wells & Sons,” talks about the history and distinction of the Wells Barns. The open interior allowed farmers to easily roll their hay wagons into the barn, making their work far more efficient than it would have been with traditional post-and-beam construction.
Together, this group is preparing to create a Wells Barn Quilt Trail.
“I fell in love with these barns and each one has a story,” Plucknette explained.
In the documentary “Still Standing,” you learn that some of these barns have been transformed into wedding venues. Others have been converted into exquisite homes, while most continue to operate on family farms more traditionally.
Plucknette has donated two of her barn quilts to the Wells Barns project. One was due to a heartwarming love story and the other to a barn whose sale transaction took place over a handshake.
Other barn quilts and Plucknette’s paintings grace the village of Spencerport.
As you are driving through this quaint village, you may easily spot some of her work. She teaches classes when she is not watching her eight grandchildren or painting barn quilts. If several people inquire about learning to paint barn quilts, she will teach a class in her dining room.
“Once a teacher, always a teacher, I guess,” she laughed.
Most of her business is based on word-of-mouth referrals from customers. Many of her creations can be found on her Instagram account barnquiltsbyleslie.
“Seeing one of my quilts on a barn or a house gives me great pleasure,” she said. “It’s my legacy I’m leaving for my children and grandchildren to enjoy and remember me by.”