After I made the first two small landscape quilt projects, I decided to experiment with making my own design from scenes that I liked. I started collecting scenic calendars, greeting cards (especially Christmas cards with winter scenes) and I generally cut out any scene I found that was pleasing to me. I also have found wonderful images on Google Searches under Images on the Google home page. I just print out the resulting images that I like.

I devised my own method of making landscape quilt designs from images without having to buy a pattern. My procedure follows along with some pics for explanation.

Landscape Quilt Procedure:

1. Find an image that you want to try to duplicate; find a scene that inspires you.

I found this one on the cover of a Land's End catalog:

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2. Sketch design to be used from a card, calendar, web image, photo, book, or memory; just sketch the basic elements on a regular piece of paper, no need to add any details.

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3. Cut out a square or rectangle from newsprint or paper the desired size of the design minus the borders. Decide if the project will be oriented "portrait" (vertical) or "landscape" (horizontal).

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4. Draw design on this paper.

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Decide where you want to place the horizon (I use a dashed line for the horizon, where the sky meets the earth or water), number the order of placement of the main elements of the scene, i.e. water, shoreline, mountains, fields, etc. Measure and cut your sky fabric. Cut out templates of mountains, water, island, peninsula, foreground, etc.

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5. Cut foundation muslin fabric and stabilizer the size of the design minus the borders. Spray muslin with adhesive, press stabilizer down, smooth to adhere.

6. Using your templates, cut Wonder Under (or other fusible web) and fuse to fabric pieces or spray the fabric pieces with adhesive and have them ready to place on the foundation.

7. Fuse elements of the design (sky, water, mountains, ground, buildings) in order, stitching elements to foundation with decorative stitches or small zigzag. Move from light (far away) to dark (closer). If using spray adhesive, pin on then stitch.

8. Add details, sun, boat, trees, flowers, buildings, fences, rocks, and people. Add decorative stitching where desired, waves, sun's rays, grass, flowing water, etc.

9. Cut borders, do any embellishment or appliques on borders using stabilizer underneath, sew borders to landscape top.

10. Cut thin cotton or polyester batting the size of your landscape including the borders. Or, just use batting only in the area of the water element. Layer top, batting, and backing using spray adhesive to secure the layers together.

11. Using clear or smoke monofilament thread and a straight stitch, quilt the project to accent the landscape, i.e., mountain outlines, waves, quilt around an island, tree, or peninsula. Stitch in the ditch where the borders join the landscape picture. Not a lot of quilting is needed unless you plan to enter your quilt in a show to be judged, then you may want to do more quilting.

12. Bind quilt, sew a hanging sleeve on the back if desired and sew a label on.

Now you can make your own original landscape "art" quilts!

Here is one loosely based on the Land's End cover:

A winter's night scene:

Another lighthouse - the customer wanted some dolphins included so I quilted them in on the border:

Quilt Show Challenge, "Our State Fair"

I hope you have enjoyed learning this technique. It is one that I have enjoyed over the past several years.

Teresa