Sunset - June 2, 2020

Sunset - June 2, 2020

Friday, May 27, 2016

Soooo...Beyond the Cherry Tree....

Begun in 2010....a first effort at appliqueing a really large quilt - 100 x 100.

Gay Bomers at Sentimental Stitches introduced us to the original antique she owned and oh, so generously, shared the patterns she reproduced each month, revealing lovely surprises and discoveries along the way. A special blog was started ... we supported and cheered each other on...some finished long ago, hand quilted or off to a long arm quilter, some are still in progress..(thank you Sharon of Grass Roots Quilting for being the administrator)

This quilt has been worked on at home, retreats and on our travels - Illinois, the UP, from Minnesota to Montana...in the RV...from Alberta, British Columbia & the Yukon, as we made numerous adventurous trips to Alaska. It has been stitched with thoughts of delight, frustrations, even anger and tears. It helped me to deal with the worries of 2 aging parents and the sad days following the passing of my Dad. It knows more about me than I would ever dare reveal aloud. Bundled on my lap in front of a fire, its weight from the wool batt helped to keep the cold Wisconsin winter nights away. At times it was neglected and abandoned in a quilting basket..


...with not a stitch taken for weeks. And then I could hear it softly calling to be worked on again. In January it shouted out - "its time to finish me - too much time has gone by and too much effort has gone in to me to sit here incomplete."
O

So here it is - after using up countless yards of quilting thread and many sets of finger guards...I dedicate this quilt to...

My Grandparents

Grandaddy grew cherry trees in West Virginia and made cherry wine. My Grammy made the best cherry pie ever and passed along her love of quilting to me.

I learned, ripped, struggled, made mistakes, but kept going...and I love this quilt in all its imperfections.... It is soooo....finished!

Pat

How timely - The Unity Tree our Dave and Jena planted on their wedding is blooming this week. Weeping Cherry Tree

 

18 comments:

  1. Congratulations on a wonderful finish- so beautiful!!

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  2. That beautiful quilt will be cherished for years to come, a living diary of sorts, and always ready to warm and comfort. These are the best kind of quilts! And I'll bet you have a few ideas percolating for the next big project even as you take a few days to just enjoy that wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Enjoy this holiday weekend!

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  3. What an accomplishment, Pat! That has got to feel really good!
    It is a gorgeous quilt and only you know about all of the supposed imperfections. : )

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  4. It's just beautiful. I enlarged as much as I could and had a lovely look at it. Well done!!

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  5. It's stunning Pat, a beautiful finish. We work so much of ourselves into these large hand projects, a real treasure. X

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  6. What an incredible masterpiece. All of your stitches, both applique and quilting, have created a truly beautiful quilt and story. I'm glad the quilt called you to finish it especially to be able to time it with the real cherry blossoms. Gorgeous!

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  7. It is a beautiful finish. I love what it means to you - - the memories of your journey in every stitch. Worth every stitch. I have all the blocks done and am trying to decide if I want to do the border. The Noah and Matilda quilt took over and I plan to hand quilt that one too.
    Thank you for sharing your journey with this lovely quilt.

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  8. This is a beautiful quilt!!!
    Your applique skill are masterful and your color choice and fabric mood are perfect!

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  9. OMGosh!! She is magnificent!!!! Standing ovation for YOU!!

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  10. Congratulations on a beautiful finish. I pulled out my patterns for this quilt just a couple weeks ago thinking how I have procrastinated on starting. Still hope that I will get to it.

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  11. Oh, so wonderful! that quilt is a huge achievement and what a treasure you now have! Enjoy .... you deserve it!

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  12. Wow, what a beautiful quilt - congratulations on your dedication and such a stunning finish! So many memories and so much love sewn into this quilt.

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  13. I know that feeling of the cartoon at the bottom. I just finished a very small, but densely hand quilted piece last night. SO...........I pulled out my BTCT today to get back at it. I have a pattern to write then I am tacking my butt on the couch and rocking the needle.
    Congratulations to you, I guess I didn't realize this was y our first appliqued, WOW. Good for you, it's the perfect quilt to put on your bed and admire before closing your eyes at the end of a day!!!

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  14. Yeah for you Pat!!!! I am so glad you finished it and it turned out beautifully. You should be very proud of this finish. I am glad you got it done before June, too. Love the little cartoon, too. I felt the same way when mine was finished. I'll bet this one will be one of your favorite quilts.

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  15. Congratulations Pat on this monumental quilt finish!
    Stunning, beautiful, Awesome, there really aren't enough positive words to describe your gorgeous quilt! Funny how these Journey Quilts become so emotionally tied to us. I look forward to seeing where the next project leads you!

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  16. What a beautiful post and tribute to family as well as your quilt. It's gorgeous. I hand quilt and applique and I know how long things can take. What a wonderful accomplishment ; congratulations! :)

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  17. Your quilt and its story will be cherished forever. So many memories of loved ones on this journey. Congratulations on a beautiful finish :)

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