A Landscape Quilt For Christmas Part 1

My Mum and Dad mentioned early last year that they would like a nice quilt cover for the bed in their new caravan. Something simple. Something Australian, oh and their favourite colours are Purple and Yellow, oh and one more thing we would love a bit of turquoise thrown in there.

On the way home I started scribbling out ideas on the back of a napkin. That progressed into sketches, then into a full size 1.5 meter x 1 meter 1st draft.

After a few weeks research and teaching myself through watching you tube videos and reading up at the library, and most importantly much guidance, explanation, demonstration and priceless words of wisdom from a wonderful lady called Jane.

Jane is the owner of Patchwork 33 at Wyee Point, and Jane has quickly become my Yoda in the world that is quilting.

I started by pressing and adhearing the background layers using visa flex. First you adhere the visa flex to the back of your fabric, pressing a hot dry iron firmly for 5 seconds. easy right? Well that is until you realise each piece is 1 meter or so long and your iron only covers a small area at a time. Next you cut the piece into shape, peel off the paper backing and press for 7 seconds with a hot dry iron. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

You get the idea.

With all my background layers in place I began the long learning curve of free motion quilting.

Pebble stitch on the far away mountains.

For the sky I had a go at this random pattern, you alternate sewing a ( W ) or a shape that looks like the end of a bone continuing the line upwards sewing a mushroom cloud. That is how it was described to me. My 1st thought was "What The" then i watched the you tube video and it made more sense.

Next I layed down the tree trunk and started laying down the leaves. Jane had made a few suggestions on how I could have created my foliage. Of course all of these ideas just didn't look right to me, they probably would have been a hundred times faster but hey. I'm an obsessive perfectionist and being a gift for my mum and dad it had to be the very best of me, that meant cutting each and every leaf out individually.

Yes I am insane, but that's why you love me right!

I played around with the different shades and layering and decided I was just going to have to bite the bullet and go for it. I pressed down the tree trunk and started free motion stitching some detail and texture onto it to create the bark.

As you can see I tried to give texture to the bark with sharp upward motion and a few knots thrown in the mix.

A close up of the leaves with detailed stitching.

To be continued....

Cheers Donna