This is Linda’s All Roads Lead to the Sea quilt and the pattern is designed by Country Creations in Alberta, Canada. It is a beautiful pictorial quilt and she asked for custom quilting. I don’t get a lot of landscape quilts so this was a bit of a challenge for me but I enjoy a good challenge. I wanted to add a lot of texture but not distract from the piecing. Started with a simple piano key design in the outer border and large random swirls in the sky. I stitched in the ditch around all the landscape elements and details in the buildings and added glass panes to the larger windows.
Pebbled the pathways with round or angled pebbles. Added gentle waves in the water that flow into the bays, stipple and meander in the grasses and a meander that has the occasional tuft of grass ( my friend Desley’s idea).
The batting is Quilters Dream Blend and I used 18 different colours of So Fine thread! I think that is a record for me. Matching threads to the fabrics is really important for this quilt as I didn’t want the thread to compete with the prints in the fabrics, the goal is to just add texture. The backing fabric is a dark brown print so I used a light beige Bottom Line thread on the back and did not change the bobbin colour.
What a beautiful quilt! I love the custom quilting on it.
ReplyDeleteYour quilting is just perfect!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteLovely house quilt. I am making house blocks for a QAL. I hand quilt most of them. I think it is time to start learning some free motion machine quilting. Gives nice effects especially for skies, seas.
ReplyDeleteLove how you have quilted this Kathy to add texture. I was interested to read that you did not change the bobbin thread -do you usually leave the same one in or match to the top thread?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love all the different textures you were able to create.
ReplyDeleteThat really turned out lovely. I do think the 18 (oh my) thread changes were worth it. The piecing and fabric choices were perfect, so texture without competition from the quilting was the perfect recipe. I'm sure Linda will be thrilled.
ReplyDeleteAwesome job by both the piecer and quilter alike...a quilting marriage made in heaven!
ReplyDeleteI love all the design elements that you used...effective and not over the top.
ReplyDeleteLove what you did on the quilt, so nice to see the different shapes you quilt!
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