Yes, I know it's March, but our girl was home for a few days and I finally had an extra quilt holder to get a picture of this quilt so you get a Christmas quilt post in March, plus the story of why I made it.
It all started 30 years ago. :) Cutting a tree for Christmas has always been a family tradition. When we were first married, we ran a ranch that didn't have many trees so sometimes we had a Christmas bush. :) One year we kept procrastinating and when we finally cleared some time to get a tree, we had a blizzard. Christmas has never been about the presents. I don't need presents and it's not about the tree either, but I need a tree. :) So we shoveled through cattle guards with fence high snow
to fetch a tree:
When we lived in West Texas, we lived and ranched in the mountains. Yes, Texas has mountains. And when December rolled around, we always looked forward to trekking up Mount Annie which was on the ranch:
and choosing the family tree.
I was always thankful that DH was at the wheel because it was a precarious climb: It was one of our favorite traditions and even in July, we would spot a beautiful tree and exclaim that it was perfect for our next Christmas tree.
Those are treasured memories
When we moved from Texas and left our dear mountains, we were devastated. And that's not an understatement. It was a hard transition and we missed our mountains.
We were loath to leave behind our Christmas tree tradition so we drove to the nearest mountains, 2 hours away, and continued our old tradition in a new place:
Bonus: my in-laws live there and we get to descend upon them and raid Granny's kitchen that always includes something delicious from the oven!
And I discovered that those new memories are just as precious as the old ones! So this quilt is a reminder of those special times and I knew I wanted to make it the minute I saw it online:
It's in this book:
I pulled all the reds and greens from my stash that felt like they belonged in this quilt in 2012. The stack on the right is also for a project I haven't started yet. :)
And enjoyed piecing each and every tree
Jackie's daughter, Sandy, quilted this pretty holly motif in all the trees:
And the Puss n' Boots blocks were stitched with a gorgeous snowflake:
I loved the plaid for the border when I found it and Sandy added these fun stars:
It finishes at 80" x 94". She did a beautiful job on it and finally it is finished!
18 comments:
What wonderful memories! I, too, love to go out and get our tree, but it's not something we do every year. And we have often had trees that are not your 'standard' tree. lol, What fun though! Love your quilt, it's perfect!
Love the story and the quilt that goes with it!! I made a Christmas tree quilt 2-3 years ago but my trees are wonky and not nearly as big as yours. But it fits nicely in my entryway!!
Nothing is better than a quilt with a story, and this one is heart-warming.
Thanks for the story behind this quilt. And since I leave a little tree in my sewing room all year, I think it is always a good time for a Christmas Tree quilt!
This is a delightful holiday quilt, and the quilting on it is perfect!
What a great memory quilt. You and your quilter did a beautiful job.
Loved the story and the pictures but now that the house is just hubby and myself......"the tree" is ceramic with blinky lights and it's back in itsA box Christmas afternoon. I am SO OVER the decorations part. Like you not interested in the gifts either. We love family get togethers and eating the most. Love the quilt.AND I learned that TX has mountains. Who knew?
It's gorgeous! Hugs,
it's beautiful!
Your Christmas tree quilt is perfect for bringing back wonderful memories and traditions in your family. Is it hand quilted? It looks like it. I still have not finished a quilt that I started in 2008 for my Christmas quilt. It hangs partially quilted on a hanger along with other quilts that need quilting. It seems as though my quilts are last in line - because there really is no deadline for when they have to be done. Just like the cobbler and his kids shoe saga.:)
Yours is beautiful.
Great traditions and Quilt!!
Congrats on a FABULOUS finish!!!
What a beautiful quilt and even more beautiful memories! hugs!
It is gorgeous - and a wonderful memory!
It's a beautiful quilt and a beautiful story! blessings, marlene
What a fun and memory filled quilt! I loved strolling back in time and seeing your tradition of "bringing home the tree" timeline! And I had to laugh at the pic of your husband (I think -- in the in-law's kitchen, maybe?) and see the suntan line from the hat!! The customized quilting is just perfect and she did a great job, too! Won't it be fun to wrap up in your memories this holiday season??! :)
You've built some wonderful memories for your family! Love it! I'd love to spend a Christmas with you. The quilt is really outstanding! I wish more people would have special occasion quilts like that. I've made 3 Christmas quilts for different family members, hope they use them for Christmas and also built memories.
What a wonderful post and a beautiful quilt to commemorate your family traditions. Thank you for sharing it!
It's the perfect quilt to go with your wonderful memories, Karin. I love its scrappiness along with the repetition of the same blocks and similar colors. And the quilting is perfect!
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