"Do tell, Em..." Do you get a spring in your step when someone asks you the story behind a quilt and its process?

I created this Tree of Life quilt for a dear friend who I work with. Roberto saw my Northwest Christmas Tree hanging in my office and remarked, "Tree of Life, I love what you are making lately." Hmmmmmmm, got the wheels rolling in my mind. Roberto is from Peru and I wanted to create a piece that may have some reflection of his homeland. With gratitude for the line, ANIMAL SPIRITS by Sue Coccia, I ironed on fusible web to the back and then cut out each animal while at dodgeball.

A fresh gilded palette that is a combination of 2 different fabrics fused together.

My quickie tree trunk for getting an idea of what to use for the trunk. Sean said, "longer roots"....A trip to the quilt shop looking at every brown batik and then I bought the one I initially went with in mind for purchase. Fun to have my friends in the shop asking what I am creating :).

Trunk laid out and I added some individual roots after laying out the original single cut trunk and roots.

An eel chasing the Polar bear for my first branch. "NOPE!" not right.....but right when on the RIGHT side..he he!

Do you spy the dolphins playing with one another. They are the only 2 alike animals near one another to represent joy of playful companionship.

The trunk has a feminine shape to CELEBRATE Mother Nature and the roots are influence of my husband who helped me have them size correctly to the tree top. He is a very symmetrical artist and his collaboration is always very helpful in this dept.

A very special lady is quilting this piece!

Thank you for your support of this piece, the emails that you have written make me smile! It is very simply constructed and I would encourage you to create one of your own if you have a hankering...but if you do, plesae send me a photo!!!!

Love, Em