Since I have done a lot of research and would want to include people not living - my quilt would have to have names and dates and probably places. I think that it would be kind of neat to do applique and personalize the applique to each person in some way - Make each block simple with a large center and then go for it. And maybe use a color for one branch and another color for another branch etc etc. But that could take a lot more time. A good machine embroidery project too.

I'd be interested in hearing other people's ideas too. My other hobby is genealogy so I've been rolling this one around in my brain for years but have never hit on an idea I really like.

I agree - it is something to do as I have been doing genealogy for a long time and also have done it for others. Don't know for sure what the kids would be interested in as that is who I would do it for. I think they would be interested in some bits of the flavor of the people in the quilt blocks. Like country, occupation, lifestyle etc. did they migrate? etc.

Thank goodness for this Family Tree Quilt thread! My son asked me to make him one over a year ago. He has always been interested in Genealogy and History. I have a picture of a tree enlarged by Staples for me. I was thinking of names on leaves as well as great grandparents in the roots of the tree. I hoped to put signature blocks below the tree or around it. Perhaps pictures or a family chart on the back. That's as far as I have gotten. Mostly I need to start it and stop overthinking it. Thanks to all of you for talking about these quilts!

Hey guys' any artists out there? If you could design a panel with a family tree the rest of us could figure a way to add names to it. It could be the centerpiece of a bigger quilt. I think it would sell like hotcakes!

Dawn,

If you know someone with one of the cutting systems that uses dies, you could get your leaf, apple, ornament, whatever shapes cut quickly and accurately from that. It was be especially easy if you could put fusible on the back of the material before it was cut...that would make it easy to write names on with a Pigma pen and when you iron it on you will heat set the pen at the same time! Would love to see what you come up with!

I like this one

If one of the striips were plain person's name could be included on the strip. This one came out very nice

My problem is that a photo, name and date of birth would be fine but then I'd want to put country, occupation, military, death, stories, etc., etc., etc. It would end up being the biggest quilt ever made. Or if I made one for each generation or each branch I'd have to make them for the next 50 years and I think I may run out of time...it wears me out thinking about it! Just thinking about genealogy turns into a maze of thoughts that never ends.

Hmmm, perhaps a leaf with a photo on it that you could lift up and have all the other information behind it...could be several layers of information which would make for a cool 3-dimensional element on the quilt.