Creating a landscape quilt is a fun way to transform your favorite scene from nature into a lasting piece of quilted art. Autumn is the perfect season to borrow a scene from. Fall fabrics typically hit the shelves during mid-summer months, and you will find plenty of fall-inspired fabrics to choose from when you visit your local fabric store.
Choose your inspiration
What scene grabs your attention when you think about fall? Whether it is a favorite vacation spot, your own backyard, or a local attraction, think about your favorite autumn place. If you have a photo of your favorite place, use it for inspiration. You can also look online for photos of fall scenes to print and use as the inspiration for your quilt design.
Some good scenes for making landscape quilts from include fields of sunflowers, woodland scenes, farmland scenes, and mountain scenes. You may also want to choose a focal point of the photo, such as one specific tree, a large flower, or an old barn.
Don't forget to take your photo along to the fabric store when you are ready to shop for your fabrics. It will make it easier to find matching fabrics rather than counting on your memory.
Choose your background fabric
Selecting a good background fabric is important, as it will be the foundation your quilt is built on. Look for fabrics with mottled hues. Hand-dyed fabrics work well for backgrounds. Beware of any fabric that appears too busy. The background fabric should never distract from the actual scene you want to create.
Lay out the fabric and move back a few yards. Look to see if portions of the fabric seem to blend into one another. If they do, select a different fabric. Avoid fabrics with only one or two hues. From a distance, they will appear as one solid color.
Color will depend on your specific scene. Batik fabrics in shades of peach, beige, or subtle yellow are good for fall woodland scenes. For a farm or country landscape, you may want to choose a blue for sky and add a second background color of beige for fields. You can stitch the background fabrics together to create the look you desire.
Choose your accent fabrics
Look for dark wood-grained print to use as tree trunks and branches. For contrast in wooded scenes, use dark fabrics for foreground trees and lighter shades for distant trees. Choose small, distinct prints to use for leaves and ground cover. Choose a bright red print for tree leaves, as well as deep reds, oranges, or yellows. Plan on selecting at least seven or eight different fabrics to give your finished piece plenty of color. One-half yard of each print should be enough for a small to medium quilt.
Once you have your fabrics selected, you will be ready to design your quilt. As you cut your designs to match the scene in your photo, you will watch nature's art come to life in your beautiful landscape quilt.
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