A couple of summer ago, after seeing some of Ann Lovelace’s art quilts, at art fairs, I became fascinated with her style of Landscape quilts. How realistic these fabric scraps could represent a place so familiar is mind-blowing.
So way back when, when I realized a class with a similar, but different, style of Landscape quilts was being held at a quilting shop, near me, Interquilten in Interlochen, MI, to be exact, quickly signed my youngest daughter, and I, up.
We were asked to bring in a landscape photograph. After sifting through many, many pictures, I settled on this one I had taken earlier in the season.
This picture is a favorite view taken as you hike up in to the woods, above our cottage, a very familiar place, to our family.
We were also asked to bring in batik scraps in colors similar to our photograph. No problem there, I seem to collect batik! These need to be true batiks, the color needs to go though and through, not be printed on like so many imitations, are.
And a rotary cutter, with a fresh blade, to cut the batik into crumbs. Tiny crumbs. The tiniest of crumbs would would be using to “paint” our pictures.
After taking us outside, helping us to see that trees don’t float in the air, but how they relate to their surroundings, we set about cutting and layering the colored scraps into a picture. Along the way, I added birch trees carefully cut from fabric. I also cut out other trees from random, non-tree fabrics.
This was then overlaid with more crumbs and finally with a piece of black netting and pinned together with a thousand pins. We were then instructed to free motion machine quilt it.
This is when the problem arose. If you know me very well, you know I am not much of a machine quilter, so this project lingered on for a really long time. Then, in August when I saw how impressive Ann’s winning quilt was at Art Prize, I finally pulled my unfinished piece out and went to work finishing it.
I am so glad I did! I learned so much making this and having finally finished it, I would consider attempting another one, some day….. It really is fun to see a photograph come to life as a quilt!
Side by side…
This will be my second entry, in the Bloggers’ Quilt Festival 2013, Art Quilt Category.
“Take a Hike”
Art quilt category
October, 2013
10″ x 13″
A Sewfrench original
Machine Quilted by myself
Batiks, printed fabric, synthetic netting, cotton batting
Knife edge binding
My other entry is in the Baby quilt category and can be seen here.
If you scroll towards the bottom of the main Bloggers’ Quilt Festival page, you will see quick links for the rest of the entries here.
Also linking up with:
Fabric Tuesday
A Stitch in Time
Finish it Up Friday
TGIFF
Previous Festival favorites:
Flower Garden ~ Fall 2009
Mosaic Tiles ~ Spring 2011
Shoot For the Moon ~ Fall 2011
Bubble Quilt ~ Spring 2012
Out of This World ~ Fall 2012
Thousand Pyramids~ Spring 2013
Head Over Heels in Love ~ Baby quilt ~ Fall 2013
As mentioned above, one of Ann’s pieces recently took away the Grand Prize at Art Prize 2013. To have a quilter win such a huge, international, art show, representing over 1500 pieces of various art forms is amazing. It just goes to show that quilting is finally being recognized as an art, not just a layer to keep you warm. And that she is from our neck of the woods and often uses Michigan scenes, in her art, is a bonus!
Sewfrench 
This is just gorgeous! I love the texture and depth you achieved. This really is an *art* quilt!
LikeLike
Thank you, Sarah! I appreciate that! Almost as much as I appreciate you painting your dining room in herringbone. WOW!!
LikeLike
W-O-W!!! That is absolutely gorgeous! You are SO talented!!!
LikeLike
Geesh! I am feeling the love today! Thank you for your kind words, Katherine!
LikeLike
Wow!!! This quilt is amazing! Really a beautiful work of art 🙂
Amanda
LikeLike
Thank you, Amanda! I can’t believe I waited so long to finish it. I just despise machine quilting!
LikeLike
This quilt leaves me speechless. (Forgive the pun.) As a former Michigander, it makes me quite homesick too. Beautiful work.
LikeLike
And I had no idea you were a former Michigander and living in London. We love your city!! Need to get back there soon. Thank you, Annabelllouise!
LikeLike
That’s pretty incredible, Lori! I’ve never seen anything else like it – the technique is fascinating and the results… WOW.
LikeLike
That means a lot coming from you! Now you can check off who to vote for in one category, anyway, LOL! 🙂 Thanks, Carly!
LikeLike
I need to find a class like that! Your quilt is fantastic. I have a landscape photo in mind too. Thank you for sharing and inspiring!
LikeLike
Thanks! Do look into it, I bet there are classes around. If you like FMQ, you will love it!
LikeLike
That is beautiful and inspiring!
LikeLike
Thank you, Tamara! 🙂
LikeLike
What a work of Art! It looks like the woods with a wonderful 3D effect! Great “Wow” effect!
LikeLike
All these sweet comments are too kind!! Thank you!
LikeLike
Wow, that’s sew beautiful…I was just talking on another blog about how I like simplicity…then I come here and am enveloped by art on fabric! I will admire, as opposed to attempt, this form of quilting. =)
LikeLike
Oh, I love simplicity, too. But sometimes you just need a nudge to stretch yourself. Daughter provided that, for me, by encouraging me to take this class with her. And you should see hers. It is simpler and more complicated at the same time. And she finished hers immediately, not two years later! Maybe I will get her to share it one day! Thank you, Anita!
LikeLike
Wow, I loooove it! So glad you finished. It is definitely a work of art:) Voting for ya.
LikeLike
Beautiful! I’m from Michigan so I was pretty excited when a quilt won art prize. 🙂
LikeLike
Well, our quilts are both about woods, and we both love batiks, but that’s the end of it. Yours is amazing! You chose great fabrics, but this technique was perfect for capturing the scene. Truely an “art quilt”. Beautiful.
LikeLike
Well thank you, Valerie. They are just different. Yours is actually more like the artist I was emulating!
LikeLike
Quite amazing! Beautiful work, Lori.
LikeLike
Aww, thanks, Elizabeth! I love when people I know stop by and say hi!! Good “seeing” you!!
LikeLike
Lovely, inspiring quilt! You should do more like this for sure!
LikeLike
Thank you, Patricia! I am getting so much positive feedback, maybe I really should attempt another one and photograph it as I go. Hmmm…
LikeLike
Love this quilt! love this type of quilting. I will be following you starting now. thank you for sharing NancyL
LikeLike
Thank you, Nancy. I appreciate you following, too!
LikeLike
Wow, this quilt is just gorgeous, – technique and scene/photo are perfectly matched. Very well done! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for a terrific tutorial and insight into the creative process – outstanding!
LikeLike
Wow. That is unreal. Stunning. Beautiful quilt!!!
LikeLike
Thank you, Sarah!
LikeLike
That’s amazing. I’ve never even dreamed of this technique, and it’s perfect for your picture.
LikeLike
Thank you, Mary. It is a very intriguing idea, isn’t it?!
LikeLike
gorgeous! beautiful work of art!
LikeLike
So happy you finished it! Love how you photographed it on the tree, turned out great!
LikeLike
Thanks! I am **really** glad it is finally out of the WIP bin!!
LikeLike
This IS Amazing.
LikeLike
With all these wonderful comments, I think someone should teach on online class! Thanks for your vote of confidence, Mara!
LikeLike
This is beautiful and so artistic! I can’t believe you can create this!
LikeLike
Thank you, Susie! But you can, it’s not like I am a one of a kind genius!! 🙂
LikeLike
WOW I love this. The texture is amazing. What a fantastic interpretation of the picture.
LikeLike
Thanks, Amanda! So many wonderful comments are swelling my head…. Yeesh!
LikeLike
Wow! What an amazing representation of a beautiful place!
Thank you so much for sharing at Needle and Thread Thursday!
🙂 Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation
LikeLike
Absolutely stunning! Thanks for sharing a bit about the technique.
LikeLike
Thank you, Nicole. Hopefully somebody out there will give it a try!!
LikeLike
Looks fab! Well done!
LikeLike
Thanks, Vera!
LikeLike
I love it. It looks so realistic. Great job.
LikeLike
Thank you, Michelle, I appreciate you saying so!!
LikeLike
Very, very, nice!
LikeLike
It’s so beautiful! Well done! Thanks for linking up to TGIFF!
LikeLike
Thank you so much Michle-Rene, I admire everything you do, that means so much to me! Now I’m off to peruse your making Christmas link up, because I *need* to get making!!
LikeLike
Wonderful quilt. It reminds me if a path near our family home in Sweden, that been in the family for 6 generations now. I love how real it looks 🙂
LikeLike
This looks wonderful – have always wanted to try this method and you have made it look easy enough to do, thanks!
LikeLike
You should give it a try, Rachel! It is so very rewarding!! Let me know if you have any questions.
LikeLike
Give it a go! Please!
LikeLike
Breathtaking!
LikeLike
Thank you, Kerry!!
LikeLike
Aww, thanks, Penny!
LikeLike
Congrats on your win! Yay:)
LikeLike
This quilt is totally amazing- I’m blown away by how it looks! Congratulations on your win. Well-earned, indeed! 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Blogger’s Quilt Festival — Winners! | Amy's Creative Side
Pingback: The Answer My Friend is… | Sewfrench