Heirloom Quilts and Fabrics

Our preservation box matches the heirloom quality of our heirloom quilt.  Through the hands of an old-world skilled artisans we control the building process from the tree to you.  We couldn’t access the cedars of Lebanon that the Bible speaks of so we chose the Red Cedars of Oklahoma.  Historically it is known for its’ durability, beautiful grain patterns, reddish color with ivory colored streaks, being light weight and bug resistance because bugs don’t like odor of the resins in the wood.  Grown in abundance in Oklahoma it is primarily used to make tables, chairs, dressers, head boards, picture frames and china cabinets.  But because of its innate properties cedar wood is used a great deal in making and/or lining hope chests where it is important to keep precious memorable items like wedding dresses, babies first clothes, jewelry, family pictures, etc.

Once a Cedar tree is chosen to be harvested it is taken to an old-world craftsman saw mill not at all like the giant commercial saw mills you see on TV.

The bark is removed and the tree is cut in 1” and 2” planks.  The wood is then set in a dryer to allow the moisture to be removed.   This is so it won’t crack or split over time.  Once this process of several weeks is finished it is time to build the boxes.

Our design allows the natural grains and beauty of the wood to stand out and be featured.  The box is a rectangle that is easy to pick up and move around.  On top of the box is a beautifully crafted show piece lid.

Because of its sculpted tiered design, the lid appears to be made from multiple pieces of wood screwed or glued together.  However, the truth is, it is one piece.  Every lid, cut from a solid 2” x 8” or 2” x 10” piece of Red Cedar plank, is then hand milled to create the sculpted design.  On the bottom of the lid a “lip” is milled out to fit snugly into the box so it doesn’t rattle around or allow the lid to slip off.  There are no visible screws on the outside of the box except on the bottom. The screws on the bottom are covered with felt pads.  The preservation box is built truly old school.  It is then hand sanded to make the smoothest finish and then clear coated to allow the pattern of the grain and color of the wood to come out.

And, because every tree is unique, every box and lid are unique.  The naturally occurring coloring, knots, and blemishes in the wood make each box one of a kind.

Once we saw that then we knew we just had to inlay a piece of wood in it.

That meant a lot more expense.  A separate cross had to be built to perfectly fit the new cared out space for the cross.  It was more time, materials and obviously, more money.  The wife of the craftsman began helping us.  Both were showing us all kinds of diverse types of wood.  It had to be strong enough to hold up on its own.  And the color had to compliment the Red cedar of the box.  We looked at lots of wood possibilities.  We found a few that might work but it just didn’t feel like it was the right piece.  Finally, the wife said, “I have an idea that might work.”  She brought us a piece of wood.

At first sight, I was unsure.  When we placed it up against the red cedar box the color was a perfect contrast.  But to me it looked a little gnarly or not quite ready for prime time.  It wasn’t blessed with the beautiful patterns and grains of the red cedar.  To me, it looked more stained and rugged, but the color was the best match we’d seen.  He said, “Give me a few minutes and let me make a mock-up of it and place it in the space on top.”  When he finished and laid the cross on top it was perfect.  Not only was the color a perfect match but the stained color wood was a perfect contrast to the sleek grains of the red cedar.

What kind of wood is this?

We liked it, but, asked what kind of wood is this?  She said, “This wood is also plentiful in Oklahoma.  It is the wood from a Sycamore tree.”

My wife and I looked at each other and just smiled.  We both instantly remembered the story of Zacchaeus, (Luke 19:2-5), who was short in stature and couldn’t see Jesus as he passed by.  So, he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a sycamore tree so he could just see Him.  When Jesus came to the tree he looked up and called to Zacchaeus to come down.  He would go to his house and eat, spend time, and make Himself available to everyone there.

We knew we had found the right wood.

Not only did the color work but the stains and ruggedness of the wood would be the closest thing to a symbol of the blood stained old rugged cross.  It celebrates the life of a believer who made it safely to eternity with God.  But still calls out to all their family and friends that there is still time to decide to serve Christ.

After we said yes to the wood he made one to fit exactly.  We were greatly excited to see that when the cross was placed tightly against the beveled sculpted tier edge it created a 3D effect.  Who would have thought you could create a 3D effect out of solid wood?  Amazing!