Tricia's Family Tree
In thinking about our word "Ancestry", I kept going back to the image of a favorite photograph that I have from my grandparent's backyard. We would travel to our grandparents' house for holidays. Someone would photograph the grandchildren in the tree in the back yard. I am the girl with dark jumper sitting in the middle but at the back.
I have two ancestry books on my father's family - The Purrington's. I have never really read the books before. This project gave me the incentive to read through them. What I learned was that the Purrington's were from the town of Puddington, England (near Tiverton). When my ancestors came to the US, their name was changed from Puddington to some form of Purrington -- some spelled it with two R's, some with one R, some with a G, and some without the G. The different family members landed in different parts of the country. My father's family ended up in Western Massachusetts in a tiny town named Haydenville. This is where my grandparents house was with the tree behind it.
I decided to create my family tree with the eight branches of my father's family. My father, Wilbur Purrington, was the youngest of eight children. On the trunk of the tree the two large leaves represent my grandparents, Wilbur and Eleanor Purrington. On the branches are leaves that represent all their children and families. The pointy leaves are males and the rounded ones are females. Starting from the left the branches have leaves for the parents, (and their children):
Frankin Purrington and Ruth, (Edwin, Frankin Jr.)
Alden Purrington and Marjorie, (Eleanor, Barbara, Alden Jr.)
Donald Purrington and Polly, (Jack and Jean)
Rollo Purrington and Marion, (Barry, Bruce and Richard)
Esther Purrinton and Chet, (Neil and Eleanor)
Philip Purrington and Ann, (Katharine and Nancy)
Wilbur Purrington and Patricia, (Robert, Sarah and Tricia (me))
The small green leaf on the left is for Helen Purrington who died at the age of 2
I used fusibles with my fabrics and free-motioned the quilting.
Very appropriate rendition - a family tree !! I must admit I never thought of doing that. Lovely use of color and quilting. the small green leaf for the child who died so young is touching. Love the family photo tree as well!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story to go along with this very meaningful quilt. Basing your ancestral family tree on an actual family tree photograph must have been very satisfying to create. I love that you have distinguished males from females with the pointy vs. rounded leaves. Brilliant solution for this theme!
ReplyDeleteYour post was excellent! Your writing is both clear and compelling. Write more, please!
ReplyDeleteBrilliantly expressed! Your post is a standout, offering insightful perspectives. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.
ReplyDeleteLovely use of color and quilting. Can you try some amazing flowers ideas!
ReplyDeleteHi Tricia. What a beautiful photo and excellent way to transfer it into a quilt. I love the story and all the colors you choose. Brave!
ReplyDelete