This barn quilt is a loving tribute to my Grandma Knutti, a talented artisan of Pennsylvania Dutch heritage whose hands were rarely still. Married to a first-generation Swiss immigrant from Bern, Switzerland, she brought a rich tradition of folk artistry and quilting to their Ohio home, crafting countless heirlooms on her 1943 Singer sewing machine.

 

 

Grandma held a deeply special bond with her family, marking every major milestone in her granddaughters' lives with a custom quilt. Adapted directly from one of her original fabric creations, this modified Ohio Star carries her spirit forward—weaving together Pennsylvania Dutch quilting traditions, Swiss heritage, and a granddaughter's cherished memories to shine bright on the Far North Quilt Trail.

 

 

The design for this block was discovered in a box of Grandma Knutti’s teaching materials, preserved among quilt squares in various stages of completion. By taking her unfinished piece from paper to wood, I feel like I completed her lesson. This modified Ohio Star carries her teaching legacy forward.

-Susan Harry