Several members has asked how I made the family history quilts that I have listed. Here are my notes on the project, I hope they will be useful to anyone that can use them.

Notes on Family History Quilt

Supplies: Family Tree Panel (ordered on line from Hancock’s Fabrics or Chester County Quilting (http://store.chestercountyquilting.c...ree-panel.html) for around $7.00 per panel. The name of the panel is “Our Family Tree” quilt panel.

I also purchased June Tailor “fabric sheets” for the pictures. These come in white or cream. Just search for the best price, because these can be a bit pricey. One important note on these make sure you order the sheets according to the type of printer you will be using. These come in “inkjet” and “laser”. I always use the inkjet ones; I think the laser ones get a little too hot.

Here are the steps that I used when making my family history quilts.
1> First you have to decide what size pictures you wish to use. Then cut your blocks ½ inch larger than your picture size. In both of my quilts just for sake of not wasting fabric sheets, I did all mine in 8 x 10 prints and cut my blocks ½ larger on all sides.

2> Pictures: I used a program called “Creata Card”, but I have also used a program called “Picture It by Microsoft. Just make sure that the program will not only allow you to edit the pictures, but also allow you to add text boxes under the pictures (optional).

3> I found that turning the pictures to black and white worked best for me.

4> As far as the history “if you want it” under the pictures. I felt that the younger children in the family would find it useful to know the following about their ancestors. Where they were born, what they did for a living, whom they married, who their children were and when they passed on. I also listed the final resting places, incase they wanted to later visit the sites. On the one for my husband’s mother I made a point of listing the “cause” of death, because the men in his family tend to die young of massive strokes, so I wanted my son and nephews to know that they needed to guard their health.

5> That’s it, just lay your pictures our around the tree and use borders to make the wall-hanging/quilt even or larger. I did one of mine with the “attic window” look and the other looked like scrapbook style.

6> Note: printing on your fabric sheets. I downloaded the instructions for the fabric sheets. But please take note to be careful to print on the correct side of the sheet. These sheets are made to be printed as “WYSIWYG” What you see is what you get!!

7> DO NOT DO REVERSE PRINTING. You should only use reverse printing when using printer transfer paper. Nor should you do “mirror image” printing, because your words will be backwards.

8> Another note on printing on fabric sheet. Take a sheet of printer paper and write “front” and “back” on the paper. Print a test picture on the paper just to see which direction you need to load your fabric sheets.

9> I found that once you iron your pictures and ovals and ribbons o the tree, it looked nicer when I stitched around them and it made them more secure.

10> The template I used for printing the ovals and ribbons were created on a word document, again just to save fabric sheets, I created and printed all the ribbons and circles on one fabric sheet. I have attached the word document that I used, just keep adjusting your font size until they fit with the object and then print onto the fabric sheet.

Your family quilts are the best I've ever seen. Great work and thanks for sharing:)

You did such an amazing job of keeping your ancestors real for future generations. Thanks so very much for sharing the templates and notes on how to do it. These are simply wonderful.

beautiful and thanks for the tutorial

That is wonderful

What a clever, clever idea!! This will be treasured for many years to come. I wish I had the get up and go to do it for my own family, but one cousin has all the information and I've lost track of her for years. Adding the cause of death will make a lot of the men start thinking about their health, that I'm sure of. Just looking at the faces of loved ones who could have been there beside them looking at the tree will be a harsh lesson they will learn.

Your pictured quilt is GREAT! Thanks for sharing.

You do such amazing work! I love the family history quilts you do! What cherished gifts you give!

I fell in love with this the first time i saw it. I want to make one but i know i would'nt be able to.To bad you don't live around me.How long did it take you to do this quilt.All i known is its BEAUTIFUL, Thank you -Barb

Holy Cow...what a wonderful thing you have done. It will be cherished for many years. On your second quilt, love those black corners that we always used on pictures in photo albulms. Thanks so much for the tutorial. Will bookmark it.

Thanks so much for the resources and explanations. I am going to make one for my 88 yo aunt.

Your quilts are beautiful and wonderful heirlooms. Thanks so much for the instructions and especially for the templates. I've admired your quilts before but now I'm inspired to make a couple of my own for my children.

Thanks for the tutorial on this. I've looked at your avatar and wondered how you made it. Beautiful work and treasured keepsake.

Anita

Thank you so much for posting this information about your quilt and how you made it! What heirlooms you've made! I've bookmarked it for future use.

Thank you so much for sharing this great information. Your quilts are amazing and certainly will be treasured for generations to come.

Thank you for sharing your process with us.

Wonderful job!

Thank you for sharing the beautiful family history quilt...it is great!! I do a lot of genealogical research for people and have always wanted to do one of these quilts. Thanks for the tute....now, maybe I can try making one.

You know, that's a great teaching tool for the younger members of your family. I'm sure that the grandchildren, greats, nieces/nephews, all are fascinated by it.

Thanks so very much for sharing. I really love the idea of a family quilt. :thumbup:

WHat a beautiful idea and work! thank you for sharing it and for all the information!

Patricia

Thank you for this wonderful - detailed - list of how to .

I have wondered how to put pictures on wall hangings for a while now..

Printed this out !

Sincerely,
Ell

I can't wait to start this one! Thanks again!!

Barb

Thanks for the site to order the panel. I just ordered two and when they arrive will start working on them. Thanks so much

I think your quilts look amazing. Thank you very much for taking the time to make this tutorial and letting us know where the fabric family tree fabric was from. I can't wait to make one.

How Wonderful, Thanks for sharing, Both are Beautiful pieces of Work!!

I love this idea. I'm going to start looking for pics.

I love your quilts! I have done some genealogy and would love to make a quilt for my family. Can they be washed? I have never used the printer material. Several years ago I used the transfer paper for pictures on a wall hanging and a pillow but the pillow did not wash well and now the pictures are fading.

Your family tree quilt is the most well designed portrait quilt I have ever seen! The colors are perfect, the layout is perfect. The format for the photos are perfect! The clarity of the pictures are perfect! I don't know if your taking custom orders, but you surley could and I believe they would line up and throw $$$ your way.

Each one took me about a month to complete.

Yes, they can be washed. I had to wash my mother in-laws..due to grandson and his chocolate. I used Oxiclean and cold water on the gentle cycle.

What a beautiful project. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you so much for sharing. I have had the panel for several years and have just not been brave enough to get started. You have inspired me. I love both sewing, quilting and genealogy. Perfect project.

It makes a special quilt! I want to do the same one of these days so that I have memory of family after Mom passes. This is very nice! Thank you for the info and tutorial.

Yes I have orders for two right now. I won't take anymore than two orders at a time.

I am wondering if you ever have washed any of your Family Tree quilts? Would these pictures, writing, etc. that are fused like this ever bleed or run? It looks like you printed these on fusible fabric sheets and applied directly to the tree panel without rinsing or washing first. So, I am curious about whether these quilts could be washed or are just to look at (wall hanging). Thank you.

I have not washed any of my family memory quilts, but I did one for my sister using the fabric sheets with pictures of her cat...she washed it several times over a 3 year period and just a few months ago, she did say that one of the pictures no longer looked good. So I guess to answer your question, too much washing I guess would ruin any quilt..

What a treasure!!! Thanks for sharing!