My landscape quilt based on a vacation photo is finished, and, I think, successful. This particular scene was in North Dakota, but we saw many similar landscapes as we crossed the U.S. To the west, and then came back east through Canada. Here was our route. Making this really didn’t take that long (it’s only about 18″ x 24″), but I kept puttering around on other things because I wasn’t that comfortable working with images and applique. My friend, Carol, of LandscapeLady fame, guided and encouraged me on Twitter. Ironically, while I was working on landscape, she was dipping back into patchwork. Always good to stretch a bit.
Interestingly, I didn’t use any fusibles on this project. It has very simple pieces, so I cut freezer paper templates, ironed them to the right side of the fabrics, and cut around the templates. I used spray adhesive to hold everything in place on a muslin background. In addition to the muslin, I used two layers of water soluble stabilizer on the back as I machine appliqued everything down and did some decoration with thread.
This spool of Perfect Quilter variegated thread is what I used to stitch millions of blades of grass in all three layers of the grassy field. I thought it added texture and helped to unite the three different fabrics a bit. The top green is less saturated than the earlier photos because I turned it over and used the reverse of the fabric. That left it a little splotchy, so the stitching helped to even that out. Then I clipped the top edges of the grass fabrics, frayed them with a brush, and put the top only through the washer and dryer.
I quilted everything using invisible thread. It gave it lots of definition.
Design-wise, it was tempting to add some object to the foreground for interest, even though there was nothing in the original scene. I decided that I really wanted to keep it all about the grass and sky. I am fortunate to live surrounded by farmland, but it’s cluttered (in a nice way), hemmed in farmland. The Great Plains are so much about space and distance. I hope I captured that in this piece.
I’m linking up to Finish it up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Applique Tuesday on A Quilting Reader’s Garden.
I’m also linking up to Holiday Memories Mini Quilt Contest at Celtic Thistle Stitches. Come look at the great entries!
September 20, 2013 at 3:30 PM
Great Plains. Great job. Love the plains as that is where I grew up. Good idea to keep it about the land and sky. Nice job on the three tiered landscape.
September 20, 2013 at 4:38 PM
I wondered about that. Glad it looks like the plains to you.
September 20, 2013 at 3:45 PM
You did a fabulous job! I learned something from you with the frayed edges – it adds great texture and interest. Nicely done 🙂
September 20, 2013 at 4:39 PM
Thanks for all your encouragement with this!
September 20, 2013 at 3:54 PM
Love how the grass came out! Great tip!
September 20, 2013 at 4:14 PM
This quilt is absolutely lovely!
September 20, 2013 at 4:50 PM
Wow! Don’t sell it!!!!
Sent from my iPhone
September 20, 2013 at 5:10 PM
Very well done., Valerie! I can see movement in the clouds and grasses. It needs nothing more.
September 20, 2013 at 8:52 PM
Lovely! I think you’re right about the foreground, it is tempting to put something in there, but it would distract from the overall composition. Nice finish!
September 21, 2013 at 8:43 AM
Valerie, I love it! I agree with Darla, you have captured the Great Plains!
September 21, 2013 at 11:37 AM
I also do not always use fusibles on the art quilts. If I can, I will glue stick the pieces down until I can stitch them. I am amazed with the grass! I thought that was some kind of special upholstery or textured fabric. Great work. I love the piece
September 21, 2013 at 1:19 PM
Thank you! I like how this didn’t have the stiffness of some fusibles.
September 21, 2013 at 1:57 PM
So many details. Well done!
September 25, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Lovely
September 26, 2013 at 11:51 AM
I love this! You are so very creative!
September 26, 2013 at 9:25 PM
This is amazing – such a fantastic holiday memory.
September 27, 2013 at 11:55 AM
Your quilt has so many lines and stitches and yet is still so peaceful. Such a lovely job.
September 28, 2013 at 12:34 AM
This is a beautiful piece, and it reminds me of the Canadian prairies too.
September 28, 2013 at 6:40 AM
It’s beautiful and atmospheric – I love your thread painting!
September 29, 2013 at 9:12 AM
That is beautiful – I am in awe of the grass. Well done!
September 29, 2013 at 1:49 PM
Thank you so much! It was interesting to work intensively on something small instead of a large quilt.
Pingback: Getting It Done in September and October | Evening in the Garden Quilts
September 30, 2013 at 9:52 AM
Great quilt, definitely captures the wide open spaces. Thanks for entering the competition too, good luck!
September 30, 2013 at 5:34 PM
So clever!
October 1, 2013 at 4:49 AM
Amazing!!! I LOVE your landscape!!!
October 3, 2013 at 7:10 PM
This looks great. I’d love to visit there one day 🙂
October 6, 2013 at 1:18 PM
That grass is so amazing! How creative!
October 6, 2013 at 1:42 PM
Thank you so much!
Pingback: WIP Wednesday: I Won! | Evening in the Garden Quilts
February 18, 2014 at 4:32 PM
Please let me know how I can use the image of this quilt for the cover of my North Dakota travel guide! I’ve looked at lots of images and this is the one I want for both my ebook and my POD book. Please reply!! tHANKS!
Sylvia Wendel
northdakotacuriousguide@gmail.com