|
|
Tips and Helps
I've put together some ideas and tips which should - hopefully - help you create better landscape quilts! These ideas are meant to further illustrate and build on the material in my book. Please see my book for the basics.
Creating Depth
Let's look at architecture. Here are two close-ups of key portions of a couple of quilts where the angles and values of the pieced fabrics add to the illusion of depth.
The first is the steps from Victorian Garden Arch. Notice the angle on the left where the steps abut the pedestal. This receding angle is key; it draws the eye up and into the picture. However, it wouldn't work without the addition of a value change in the fabric. Shading is crucial. The risers must be darker than the steps themselves and the steps themselves must get lighter as they move farther away from the viewer.
Whenever you think about creating these angles in your architecture, think about the lighting. Where is the lighting coming from? The light will always shine more on one surface or wall than another. Here is a detail of the left column from Floral Vista. (This quilt is inspired by the painting Floral Vista, by Jerome).
 |
Notice three things. First, the column itself; there are two sides. The right side is sunlit from the inside of the walkway. The left side is in the 'shade'. This is easy to create in fabrics. But, there is more I want you to see.
Look for two 'lines'. The two lines are verticals. The first is the corner of the column facing us. It stretches from the top of the column down until it is obscured by the plants, one side of the line is light, the other darker. The second 'line' is the edge of the sunny side of the column, and is adjacent to the distant buildings. Notice that it is a much shorter vertical line? In your imagination, draw a line from the bottom of the long line to the bottom of the short line. That angle is much the same as our steps illustration above; it recedes into the picture. (The green fronds highlight this angle). Our brains interpret that angle, even though we may not consciously see it. Through that angle, once again the viewer is drawn back into the depths of the picture.
The last things to notice are the appliquéd bands of fabric used to create the capital at the top of the column. These are placed at an angle which leads the viewer 'down' and into the picture. This angle suggests height; the viewer is shorter than that arch, he or she can look up under it.
|
|
Blending fabrics
If you are looking for a quick quilting fix, watercolor quilts are not for you. They take time to design and the process itself becomes as engrossing as a jigsaw puzzle. However, the finished results are tremendously satisfying! Let's start with something simple, flowers hanging over stone wall. I used four fabrics which I have in my store - at least for the time being...
I'm going to show you two lessons for the price of one! The yellow background fabric behind the pansies is bold, but remember that much of it will be hidden in the seam allowances. On the other hand, we can easily and quickly change that background color with a watercolor pencil. Just use a wet brush, dab the end of the pencil to pick up a bit of paint and color the background a lighter shade of green. See the difference?
Now, the Fabri-Quilt ivy has a background the same color and tone as the Northcott. So, blending from one into the other is easy. Because the pansies have a lighter value and are bright flowers, they lead the eye right up into the foliage and your brain blends one into the other.
Since fabrics like that perfect Fabri-Quilt ivy vine aren't always available, you could simply cut out and fuse the pansies over your pieced background. I'm a big fan of doing things this way!
Here is a little mock-up of a garden path. I used just these 3 fabrics. (Currently available in my store - while supplies last!)
To create the path, I used the front and back of each fabric. The scenic Michael Miller print is the backbone of this path. It has the blending elements needed to take us from the path into the garden. As the path narrows and becomes obscured by the foliage, the blending fabric used is the back side of the tiny leafy print by Troy. Blank Textiles provides the sunlit path fabric with a touch of green/blue and sandy areas.
Here is the large image of the path for you to study. Notice how all the colors and values blend from one into the other. I turned each square of fabric this way or that so the values of the fabrics flowed from one into the other. Also, notice the center of the path. There are 3 squares of the back side of the Miller fabric. It is important to add a variety of texture and interest whenever possible. Though you may think they stick out too much, look again at the small image. Once the quilt top is pieced together and quilted, those squares will be just fine.
Paths can be used to draw your viewers into forests, in which case the greenery on the edge of the path would blend into foliage prints with added tree trunks. This is what I did in Spring's Call. (See the Gallery). Conversely, the path could lead the viewer through a garden. Small floral prints of daisies, or red poppies could be built into a perennial border. Use more of the Michael Miller print and top off this garden with trees and sky.
|
Creating 3 Dimensions
The use of fabric dye markers is becoming more and more widespread in the quilting community. Though many use them just to color a popped up bobbin thread, they are also extremely useful in shading objects to make them look 3 dimensional. Here are some close-up shots of trees or vases where dye markers have been used to created depth.
Notice the trees are all shaded on one side. I used a gray dye marker and a sharpie to give the trunks some texture. (The complete quilt is in my Gallery).
Here is a detail shot from Floral Vista again. Notice the deep shading on the left side of the vase, and the shading around the leaves at the base of the pedestal.
I hope you've found this page helpful and inspirational. Many of the fabrics and products I'm selling are to help you re-create these effects in your own masterpiece quilts. If you have another subject you'd like to see me explain, or if you have a question, just ask!
Cathy
|
|
