A Thanksgiving Family Tradition Table Cloth

My friend Mary is the owner of my favorite craft idea...ever (and when I say 'ever' I mean at least 3 solid weeks of ideas)!

I've known Mary for years, but I didn't know about this until last year when we were crafting together, and she brought this beauty out to embroider. She can't remember where she found this idea, because it is 34 years old.
In 1976, she bought a king size, white sheet, and brought it to her yearly family holiday (her first spent with her husband) to use as the tablecloth. Each year her family (of 12 brothers and sisters, parents, kids, bunnies, and friends) get together for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, and she wanted to remember who was able to make it to the dinner. She had everyone present sign a small portion of the sheet that first year. She then went over their writing with embroidery stitches, and a tradition was born. It began with names of the guest present, the year, and the location of the family dinner...



...and she added a seasonal embroidered picture each year,



and squared off the signed area at random.
When babies were born, she traced their hands, and parents wrote their information.

As babies became children, they attempted to scribble their own names,

and added pictures of their favorite sport of the year, or little seasonal pictures,


their jersey number...or silly 'ghost guest,' like Bubba, added by the 'children at heart,'

their pet's names showed up,


and...umm...aliens?

She said if there is a mark, she embroiders it all.
There are sweet messages, like this one from her Mom, who passed away a few months back who lovingly wrote, "I am blessed."

There are funny little messages that represent the year's happening, and dinner events. One year she forgot to bring her brother's favorite deviled egg....

Mary's oldest daughter, who had her baby hand traced on this tablecloth more than 2 decades ago, added her little boy's hand this last year.

There are stains that can't be removed, but I think they add to the story of this table cloth. The family now has to rent out a facility for the meal with 12 brothers and sister's...their children, and more than 50 grandchildren, and....I can't even imagine how many great grandchildren. No matter what the number is, I'm sure there will be one more by the time this holiday season rolls around! They now set the table cloth on a nearby table to look at, laugh at, and 'remember when.' I fell in love with this table cloth, and I'm pretty sure I could gaze at it forever. Mary assures me it's not a holiday without it present.

And now...I'm off to buy a king size sheet!
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