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Tree-Of-Life Wall Hanging for Crewel Embroidery

1930-1939

Mary Gasperik Legacy Project

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Five Tree of Life quilts are based on the crewelwork design McCall Kaumagraph #1853.

Quilting

1938
Tree of Life
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1938

Tree of Life

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery

Quilt Size: 68 inches x 89 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

According to family stories it was Elsie who persuaded her mother to quilt some of the birds, rather than execute all of them in colorful applique. Elsie had a rather austere quilt aesthetic. Her mother, on the other hand, was probably well aware of the richly colorful (and crowded) Tree...

KID: 18-14-49

18-14-49
1935-1945
Tree of Life
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1935-1945

Tree of Life

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery

Quilt Size: 68 inches x 91 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

KID: 18-14-50

18-14-50
1942
Tree of Life
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1942

Tree of Life

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery

Quilt Size: 81 inches x 90 inches

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

Gasperik not only added more applique pattern elements to the McCall suggestions, she also made her designs more complicated by subdividing suggested pattern elements. This subdividing allowed her to greatly expand her palette of fabrics, especially noticeable on the two birds. The purple print wi...

KID: 18-14-51

18-14-51
1935
Tree of Life #1
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1935

Tree of Life #1

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

According to Elsie's cousin, Vilma McClure, Elsie helped Gasperik design the Tree of Life quilts. Elsie's daughters remember that this particular series of quilts, the Tree of Life quilts, seemed to be Elsie's personal favorites of all the quilts her mother...

KID: 18-14-15

18-14-15
1935
Tree of Life #2
Gasperik, Mary

Date Made: 1935

Tree of Life #2

Creator: Gasperik, Mary

Location Made: Chicago, Illinois (IL) United States

Contruction: Hand Applique, Embroidery

Quilting Techniques: Hand quilting

Fabrics: Cotton, Print, Solid/plain

Project: Mary Gasperik Private Collection

According to Elsie's cousin, Vilma McClure, Elsie helped Gasperik design the Tree of Life quilts. Elsie's daughters remember that this particular series of quilts, the Tree of Life quilts, seemed to be Elsie's personal favorites of all the quilts her mother ...

KID: 18-14-16

18-14-16