A FRUITFUL FAMILY TREE PROJECT
Long before genealogy took over my life, I had time for all sorts of craftwork, from glass-fusing to wood carving and from metal craft to textiles. Back in the spring, with PRONI closed and requests for research at a standstill, I decided it was time for a more creative slant on family history. And that is how this fabric tree came about.
With our little grandson having just had his first birthday, I decided this would be perfect for the wall of his bedroom. Not wanting to make it too large, I decided to limit the piece to grandson, parents and both sets of grandparents. It seemed important to me that, since we were all in lockdown, this craft piece should be made from bits and pieces that I had at home. The photos were printed onto transfer paper and then ironed onto fabric. These were framed as ‘apples’ with coloured felt around each and raised up from the surface with velcro.
The tree was made from textured fabric with the finer twigs embroidered and the leaves added in two shades of green felt. The finished piece measures approximately 75 x75 centimetres.