Friday, November 30, 2012

Lollypop Trees: Interpretations

Tree sampler, attributed to New York, 1850s
in the Quilt Engagement Calendar 1975 from
America Hurrah Antiques

A reader recently asked about the idea of lollipop flowers and trees so I digitally dug through my files to see what's in there. How old is the idea of a simple lollipop shape---simple circles as shorthand for flowers and fruit?  The first thing I thought of was the quilt above.

Juniper & Mistletoe
by Karla Menaugh
 
I put a stickynote on that page of the Calendar years ago because it caught my eye.
 

The quilt appeared again in the Quilt Engagement Calendar Treasury with the caption by Cyril Nelson:
"this jeu d'esprit [flight of fancy] might aptly be called Lollipop Trees. I have yet to see another quilt that can match its delightful whimsy."
 
A vintage record cover with a Lollipop Tree
 
Here are some recent interpretations of that quilt. Nelson's name Lollipop Trees stuck---sometimes spelled Lollypop.
 

Pom Pom Tree by Wendy Whellum
at the Adelaide Quilt Show in 2009
 
Wendy Whellum interpreted the antique quilt with a bright blue zig-zag set. See her blog Legends & Lace here: http://legendandlace.blogspot.com/
 
Somewhere I found this reproduction, probably made in the 1970s when the quilt photo first came out.
 
Once Kim McLean and Liza Lucy began working with the idea their pattern became a big hit.


Lollypop Trees by Kim McLean
 
The Kaffe Fassett fabrics and color sense
 updated the whole look.

Chocolate Lollypop Trees
by Liza Lucy

Juniper & Mistletoe
A Festival of Trees
by Karla Menaugh
 Karla and I had a different take on the same kind of trees.
 
 
We found simple, whimiscial trees from several antique quilts for this sampler.

 


 

We substituted stars for the dots in several blocks
 
Next post---more on the history of the lollipop shorthand image for trees and flowers.

Find a pattern for Kim McLean's Lollypop Trees here:
http://www.gloriouscolor.com/store.php?cat=128


Buy Juniper and Mistletoe: A Forest of Applique by Karla and me by clicking on the book cover over on the left hand column. Or click here:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935362283/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=barbbracsmate-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1935362283&adid=0DS9T1Q0A26SN6TWVPW8&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fbarbarabrackman.blogspot.com%2F
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8 comments:

  1. LoriNovember 30, 2012 at 9:18 AM

    I love the Festival of Trees quilt the best out of all of these. That's always been on my to-do list!!

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  2. WoolenSailsNovember 30, 2012 at 9:59 AM

    I love that design and the ways it can be interpreted.
    I do like the mistletoe quilt, think I need to add that to my buy list.

    Debbie

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  3. audreyNovember 30, 2012 at 12:25 PM

    I actually made your Festival of Trees quilt and believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed the funky, whimsical trees! I'll never look at trees the same again.:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. PipNovember 30, 2012 at 3:21 PM

    I saw the Pom Pom Tree quilt on Wendy's blog and thought it looked similar to Kim's Lollipop Trees, so it has been interesting to see where the inspiration for both quilts has come from. I like the simplicity of the trees in Juniper and Mistletoe, might need to go and buy that book now :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Carole~Quilter on the hillDecember 1, 2012 at 4:57 PM

    Wow, I never realised that Kim's Lollypop Trees had such a repro history.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wendy WDecember 2, 2012 at 9:12 PM

    Thanks for showing my Pom Pom trees quilt on your blog. I am thrilled to see it here, and curious to know how you found it. Wendy

    ReplyDelete
  7. Barbara BrackmanDecember 3, 2012 at 1:19 PM

    Wendy, I was looking at pictures somebody posted of the Adelaide quilt show and there it was, looking very good. I squared up the photo a bit, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LizaDecember 7, 2012 at 8:49 AM

    Hi Barbara
    A friend sent me to your blog to see the nice mention of Kim's Lollypop Trees. I was surprised and pleased to see my glorious friends holding up my partially done "chocolate" Lollys. I have finally finished the top and I must say it was the happiest, easiest applique I have ever done. NO inside corners. No tricky turns. Thanks so much for the mention and the interesting history of the Lollypop Trees.
    Liza

    ReplyDelete