Windmill Quilt – Donna Barnitz, Colleen Konetzni, and Michele Hymel

© 2010 by Donna Barnitz, Colleen Konetzni, and Michele Hymel

This quilt was a commission for the NM Farm and Livestock Bureau for their donation quilt in 2010, by Donna Barnitz and Colleen Konetzni, quilted by Michele Hymel and Donna Barnitz. This windmill is a depiction of an Aermotor windmill and tower on the Chilton Ranch near Scholle NM. My grandpa, RL Chilton drilled this well around 1955. According to my dad, Lynn, he bought the mill and tower from Glenn Williams at Williams Howe Hardware in Mountainair. The Chilton family has run a Herford and Angus cow calf operation near Abo, NM since 1941. The windmill was created by rusting fabric around an old HiC can wrapped with rusted wire. Then it was dyed in a vat of indigo. These techniques seemed appropriate since most working ranches have an abundance of rusty items scattered about.

Framing the windmill are traditional pieced blocks. These blocks were sewn with reproduction Civil War era fabrics. These blocks were chosen to pay homage to the multitude of women who have made quilts out of necessity or for pleasure.

You can click on the photo to view the next quilt in the gallery.