A story of roots, memory, and the hands that tend what grows
There are some designs that come from sketchbooks…
and others that come from memory.
The Orchard Tree Barn Quilt is one that has lived quietly inside me for years,
tucked somewhere between rows of apple trees,
in the hum of bees,
and in the steady hands of my grandfather, Alvaro Lyke.
Grafting branches, season after season,
different varieties of apples growing from the same tree.
I remember watching him,
not fully understanding what he was doing,
only knowing that it mattered.
That there was something almost miraculous
about one tree holding many stories.
A Quilt Made of Branches
When I began designing this piece,
it didn’t start as a tree.
It started as shapes,
half-square triangles, diamonds, repeating forms,
the language of quilts.
But as they came together,
branch by branch,
the pattern shifted.
A tree began to emerge.
Not a literal one,
but a quilted one...
built from pieces,
just like memory.
The reds became apples.
The greens, leaves in late summer.
The soft gold, that fleeting moment of harvest light
when everything feels full.
And at the base, a deep blue trunk,
steady, grounded, holding it all.
From the Studio
As I painted this Orchard Tree,
I found myself thinking about the small things we care for each day.
A garden bed.
A creative practice.
A family.
A dream that hasn’t fully taken shape yet.
And I wondered...
What is growing, even now, that I cannot yet see?
A Gentle Reflection
Take a moment, if you can,
to think about your own orchard.
Not just the one in the soil...
but the one in your life.
What are you tending?
What has been planted long ago
that is just now beginning to bloom?
You can find this design in the shop, ready to come to your home as your trees blossom this spring.
With Love from the Studio,
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