This quilt is a spectacular example of bold, original folk art design.
Vibrant colours, dynamic placement of an abundance of leaves, tree trunks firmly rooted by their design and shape, are balanced by the open wreath in the centre. I wonder what the significance is of the bottle and the bird at the top of the design?
Added Dec 17: An observation from Barbara in the comments below, if the quilt is turned 180 degrees, it could be a bird and a tombstone, which would put it into the mourning quilt category, which certainly fits with willow tree signifying “weeping” and mourning. Bravo Barbara for pointing that out!
Original Tree of Life, made by Sarah Bennington Rickett (1835-1915), Chula, Missouri, 1898. Cotton. 82″ x 88″. Documented during the Oklahoma Heritage Quilt Project
From the documentation notes: “Sarah Rickett designed and made this quilt for her son Edward’s twenty-first birthday. … Sara was the mother of ten children and made an original, appliquéd quilt for each. … This beautiful example of quilt art came to Oklahoma Territory in 1901 with Sarah’s son.”
This one takes my breath away. Embroidered details decorate the buds and grapevines and delicately balanced elements flourish on the quilt. All of this plus the slight variations in the details on the birds and those adorable hearts, in the bottom portion of the design, make it a visual delight.
Trees are symbols of life and all relationships on earth. Their roots dive deep into the earth inspiring us to ground ourselves, and their branches reach high into the sky inspiring us to grow. This symbol is found in art and literature of all cultures, modern and ancient … and aplenty in antique quilts.
I hope you will join me everyday from now until the 25th for a celebration of “tree” quilts, and share my blog with your friends. Enjoy!
Ohio Tree, maker unknown, c. 1850, cotton, 68 ½” x 82 ½”. From the Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project. Published in The Quilt Index.
Doesn’t this quilt just ooze Christmas cheer! This unusual pattern includes both piecing and appliqué. It is quilted in double diagonal lines.
I just love the red berries and the red tree toppers. This quilt makes me smile from ear to ear!
Big news here! In honor of International Quilting Weekend, March 20-22, 2015, The Quilt Show, the web TV show hosted by Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims, will open all of its shows from the first nine series– shows 100-1513 –for the entire weekend. This means that, for three special days, everyone will have the chance to view over 200 shows, featuring some of the quilting world’s leading artists, for FREE. This year’s sponsors are contributing over $5000 in prizes, including the Grand Prize, a BERNINA 550 QE.
Other prizes you have a chance to win are:
• Innova – Have your quilt professionally quilted ($500 value)
• Superior Threads – five $100 gift certificates
• RJR Fabrics – a Delicious Selection of RJR Fabrics
• AccuQuilt – GO! Big Electric Fabric Cutter
• Missouri Star Quilt Company – $500 in Quilter’s Cash plus signed copies of Volume 1 of Block Magazine and Man Sewing Swag
As you may already know, I appeared as the featured artist on TQS in show 1502. If you didn’t have the opportunity to see this show the first time around, now you’ll have the chance to see it—and so many other terrific shows—at no cost in this unprecedented three-day offer.
I hope that you’ll share this information with all of your quilting friends. It’s a fantastic opportunity to enjoy three days of learning and fun without leaving your home…all for free. Enjoy the shows, and thanks for helping to spread the word!
Click This link to to be taken to the TQS website:
Thank you to everyone for your comments about the Twelve Quilts of Christmas. I thought it would be nice to carry on with just one more as a way to sparkle into the new year! I found it this past week and it captured my small piece loving heart! I adore that it is light, airy and that it sparkles ever so softly.
A quiltmaker, fabric designer, teacher, and speaker, Mary Elizabeth is also co-author of two best-selling books, “Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts” and “Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts“. She has been a featured guest on The Quilt Show with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. And her work has been shown at international quilt shows and featured in many international quilting publications.
Mary Elizabeth believes in “Quilting With Abandon”, stretching traditional boundaries and creating quilts with a subtle salute to the past. She is enthusiastic about our quilting heritage and the lessons to be learned from the antique quilts she studies and collects. Her recent work examines the interpretation of traditional quilt designs through “gestured appliquéd lines” and the quilting stitch.
