Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Tree Quilt

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This quilt was so much fun to make.  Bev Stookey, who I mentioned in a previous post, used to teach this class at Eddie's Quilting Bee.  I am guessing that I put the top together about 12-15 years ago!  And, nope, it isn't finished!  You see, I decided to hand quilt it myself.

Mista–a–a–a–ke.

For one thing my hand quilting skill level is low.  I will say this though, if you keep at it, your stitches do get smaller and more even.  My problem was, I kept putting the quilt away and when I picked it up again months or years later, I had to start all over again building up my quilting dexterity.  It feels so clumsy and awkward when you first start up.

I've heard many people say that they "don't like tree quilts", but I think this one is kinda cute.  I love the way each tree block has its own black containment border.  It was also a kick to collect all the different fabrics for the trees.  And I remember how the women in the class all laughed and joked and had such a good time.

The texture of this quilt is so different from a machine quilted one.  It is much much softer.  So inviting to snuggle under for a bit of a nap.

When I started searching for this quilt to post on it, it was literally on the very bottom of a stack of quilts in my bedroom closet, way high up on a shelf.  I had to drag out the ladder and climb up to wrestle it down without disturbing the rest of the piles.  Imagine me looking up thinking "Oh, man, how am I going to get that down?"

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Now that I have it in hand, I am thinking that I need to finish this one.  Who cares if my quilting is less than perfect?  There is something appealing about making the effort.

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52 responses to “Tree Quilt”

  1. Another added benefit of hand-quilt at my house: it gives me something to do when I watch tv with the hubz. I’m one of those people who likes to be doing something when I watch tv. All those L&O marathons don’t seem like such a waste when I’m stitching away!

  2. Another added benefit of hand-quilt at my house: it gives me something to do when I watch tv with the hubz. I’m one of those people who likes to be doing something when I watch tv. All those L&O marathons don’t seem like such a waste when I’m stitching away!

  3. Love this one too . . . and love the bowl . . . very nice !!
    you just keep inspiring me . . . I’m collecting my Xmas fabrics and next year I am making some !!

  4. Love this one too . . . and love the bowl . . . very nice !!
    you just keep inspiring me . . . I’m collecting my Xmas fabrics and next year I am making some !!

  7. Ohhh Nicole,
    I love your Christmas tree quilt! I have been wanting to make a Christmas tree quilt. The tree is my favorite Christmas decoration. Do you know if there is a written pattern for this quilt? I think you will be so happy if you hand quilt this one to the finish–no matter what your stitches look like–all part of the process. I am jealous of your bowl–a very special gift indeed!
    Have a nice day!
    Beverly

  8. Ohhh Nicole,
    I love your Christmas tree quilt! I have been wanting to make a Christmas tree quilt. The tree is my favorite Christmas decoration. Do you know if there is a written pattern for this quilt? I think you will be so happy if you hand quilt this one to the finish–no matter what your stitches look like–all part of the process. I am jealous of your bowl–a very special gift indeed!
    Have a nice day!
    Beverly

  9. Your tree pictured at the bottom is made from fabric I used one time. It was the first time I’d bought good fabric, and I was amazed at the difference in feel and how it sewed. I’ve never looked back, and only spend my time and money on good fabric now.
    (My kids call it mouse poop fabric – the little black marks being the indicator there. It makes me giggle every time I look at the fabric.)

  10. Your tree pictured at the bottom is made from fabric I used one time. It was the first time I’d bought good fabric, and I was amazed at the difference in feel and how it sewed. I’ve never looked back, and only spend my time and money on good fabric now.
    (My kids call it mouse poop fabric – the little black marks being the indicator there. It makes me giggle every time I look at the fabric.)

  13. I do like Christmas tree quilts! Until now, though, I have not seen one that I would make. This one? I would definitely make one like this! Is is paper pieced?

  14. I do like Christmas tree quilts! Until now, though, I have not seen one that I would make. This one? I would definitely make one like this! Is is paper pieced?

  15. Beautiful bowl, beautiful tree quilt and I LOVE the photo of the stacks of quilts in the closet. They’re like stacks of love!

  16. Beautiful bowl, beautiful tree quilt and I LOVE the photo of the stacks of quilts in the closet. They’re like stacks of love!

  17. Wow Nicole, quite an endeavor. I salute you. I’ve handquilted one quilt and will not be attempting another one. My friend made a tree quilt similar to yours with an off-white background, and sewed little white buttons all over the trees to look like snowflakes. It was so cute when she finished! This one could go in your Christmas quilt collection when finished.

  18. Wow Nicole, quite an endeavor. I salute you. I’ve handquilted one quilt and will not be attempting another one. My friend made a tree quilt similar to yours with an off-white background, and sewed little white buttons all over the trees to look like snowflakes. It was so cute when she finished! This one could go in your Christmas quilt collection when finished.

  19. I’m a huge tree quilt fan— love yours lots. I too struggle with hand quilting abilities. I always admired my grandmother’s handquilting…considered it the benchmark. She passed away the year I learned to quilt so she never saw my work. One day, striving to get better at the handquilting. I pull a piece of hers out for comparision— only to realize they were almost identical. I guess looking at her stitches through the eyes of love and appreciation it always looked perfect… neat memory….

  20. I’m a huge tree quilt fan— love yours lots. I too struggle with hand quilting abilities. I always admired my grandmother’s handquilting…considered it the benchmark. She passed away the year I learned to quilt so she never saw my work. One day, striving to get better at the handquilting. I pull a piece of hers out for comparision— only to realize they were almost identical. I guess looking at her stitches through the eyes of love and appreciation it always looked perfect… neat memory….

  21. You tree quilt is so special. I don’t do much hand quilting anymore …. not that I ever did a lot. But, it is so true that your stitches do get better the more you do it.
    I was wondering what you were going to put in the bowl so thanks for showing us. When you look at the bowl, you’ll remember being hand carried on a plane just for you.

  22. You tree quilt is so special. I don’t do much hand quilting anymore …. not that I ever did a lot. But, it is so true that your stitches do get better the more you do it.
    I was wondering what you were going to put in the bowl so thanks for showing us. When you look at the bowl, you’ll remember being hand carried on a plane just for you.

  23. I love your Christmas Tree quilt. . . do you remember the name of the pattern? I would love to do one with that design. . . and I love to hand quilt so it would be perfect for me.
    I’ve been having a wonderful time viewing your quilts. . .guess I better get busy so that next year I can do my own quilt show!
    Thank you for the inspiration,

  24. I love your Christmas Tree quilt. . . do you remember the name of the pattern? I would love to do one with that design. . . and I love to hand quilt so it would be perfect for me.
    I’ve been having a wonderful time viewing your quilts. . .guess I better get busy so that next year I can do my own quilt show!
    Thank you for the inspiration,

  27. I love the Christmas Tree quilt–so festive! The first quilt I made, I handquilted. Yes, my stitching is awful. . . but I’m still proud of it!
    It’s great to look back and see how far I’ve come. 🙂

  28. I love the Christmas Tree quilt–so festive! The first quilt I made, I handquilted. Yes, my stitching is awful. . . but I’m still proud of it!
    It’s great to look back and see how far I’ve come. 🙂

  29. Oh, now I love this quilt. I think your quilting looks really nice, the stitches are nice and even and small. It’s wonderful! When it’s all finished you will be so proud and it will be one gorgeous quilt. I like to leave a basket by the tv and hand quilt in the evenings while watching with Hubby. 🙂

  30. Oh, now I love this quilt. I think your quilting looks really nice, the stitches are nice and even and small. It’s wonderful! When it’s all finished you will be so proud and it will be one gorgeous quilt. I like to leave a basket by the tv and hand quilt in the evenings while watching with Hubby. 🙂

  31. Very Nice. Who cares if it takes you 20 years. You will have a very nice quilt to show for it. keep on going.

  32. Very Nice. Who cares if it takes you 20 years. You will have a very nice quilt to show for it. keep on going.

  35. I love your glass bowl I can see A trifle in it MMMMMMMMM yum.I like xmas trees I think I might be able to do that but on the machine It would take to long by hand.I am going to have a try just by looking at your blog for the pattern.
    Hugs Mary.

  36. I love your glass bowl I can see A trifle in it MMMMMMMMM yum.I like xmas trees I think I might be able to do that but on the machine It would take to long by hand.I am going to have a try just by looking at your blog for the pattern.
    Hugs Mary.

  37. I like it. Your quilting is good. Part of the charm of hand quilting is that it’s not perfect, unique like your signature. I like how the trees are in boxes too.

  38. I like it. Your quilting is good. Part of the charm of hand quilting is that it’s not perfect, unique like your signature. I like how the trees are in boxes too.

  41. ADOOORable! I really love it! And it could be Christmas, or at another time of the year, not! Would you invite me over so I could roll around in your quilt closet please? It makes me happy just looking at it. Your blog is so inspiring to me! Please don’t ever stop.

  42. ADOOORable! I really love it! And it could be Christmas, or at another time of the year, not! Would you invite me over so I could roll around in your quilt closet please? It makes me happy just looking at it. Your blog is so inspiring to me! Please don’t ever stop.

  43. One good thing about quilts is that, unless you enter it in a judged show, people don’t look at the stitches, just the quilt itself. This one is really nice: I wouldn’t mind doing one myself.

  44. One good thing about quilts is that, unless you enter it in a judged show, people don’t look at the stitches, just the quilt itself. This one is really nice: I wouldn’t mind doing one myself.

  45. Your closet full of quits….oh my, that would be my dream come true, to have a closet with quilts stacked to the ceiling. They all look lovely, all folded and waiting their turn to get out of the closet. What was this post about, I forgot everything when I saw that picture.

  46. Your closet full of quits….oh my, that would be my dream come true, to have a closet with quilts stacked to the ceiling. They all look lovely, all folded and waiting their turn to get out of the closet. What was this post about, I forgot everything when I saw that picture.

  49. It is so true … hand quilted quilts are softer to the touch. Most of my quilts are hand quilted, but every now and then a machine quilt gets tossed in and I love the touch of them too.
    That is an adorable tree quilt and so right for the winter months.

  50. It is so true … hand quilted quilts are softer to the touch. Most of my quilts are hand quilted, but every now and then a machine quilt gets tossed in and I love the touch of them too.
    That is an adorable tree quilt and so right for the winter months.