Tree of Life, made by Mary Jane Jackson Mason, Cedar Creek, Texas, l880. From Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, Texas Sesquicentennial Quilt Association, Texas Quilt Search. Published in The Quilt Index.

 From the curatorial notes: “Quilt reflects superb needlework. Florals are appliqued with a perfectly even small buttonhole stitch. This “Tree of Life” design may be an original one. It mixes cherries, a pear, perhaps, or grapes, and contains both leaves and a root ball. Fine embroidery connects the fruit, leaves, and tree root ball to the tree trunk. Karey Bresenhan speculates that the quiltmaker may have had Czech roots, which are common in parts of Texas.”

This quilt has a striking colour combination and is a lovely variation on the red and green quilts of the period. The brown in this quilt was originally brown and not a fugitive green faded to brown.  What a unique, bold example of American folk art.  Bravo for originality!