Carving out a little studio time during 7 weeks of yard work (resulting in 32 big cans of yard waste and 5 lbs. lost, yay!), I was inspired by this tree fabric to begin a new landscape quilt...and to quilt that particular piece with a decorative machine-stitch, using the dual-feed foot. The stitch reminded me of snowflakes.
From there, compatible fabrics were pulled from the fat-quarter stash and quilted onto the batting and backing, one piece at a time. This is the first time I've pieced and quilted simultaneously. Saves a lot of strain on the body! [Most of the pieces were first auditioned together on the design wall.]
Anyway, next I quilted the piece for the water, using free-motion stitching with a holographic thread for sparkle.
Following that, a rock/water fabric and a tall-grass fabric were added and quilted in free motion...
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| (photo taken during audition, before quilting) |
...and then, some boulders and falling water (cut from a panel), to add depth to the scene.
An elk was cut from another panel and added...
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| (also taken during audition) |
...as well as an eagle---both outlined in clear mono-poly thread.
There was a problem, though...
See the vertical wrinkles? Believe it or not, I didn't notice them until it was too late---and there was no way to remove them. That should have been done earlier, with the 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water that I keep in a spray bottle, and then pressed with a hot iron (works every time). This would melt the holographic thread if I did it at this stage.
So, what to do? Cover those wrinkles! Two small evergreen trees (one by itself just looked weird) were cut from a wildlife panel fabric and "planted" close together in the tall grass (foreground). Landscape quilting is forgiving; there is almost always a fix.
Two little evergreens were also added across the river, for balance (see below). And here's the finished quilt, titled Misty Mountain Morning.
The elk looks a bit worried, doesn't he? I don't think the eagle is a threat. Maybe the elk is just saying hello to the eagle.
A sleeve and label will be added after some procrastination, now that the fun parts are done.
Everyone have a great weekend, be well, and stay safe!
Linda
