How to Make a Landscape Quilt

Landscape quilts are growing in popularity. There is no wrong way for you to make them. Use whatever techniques you need to accomplish your vision. Some techniques are more appropriate than others, but here are a few starting tips along with some of the more common methods used.

Starting tips

1. Choose a photo or picture that you like and want to copy.
2. Collect an assortment of fabric. Scraps can work fine, but you may need to purchase specific colors for specific areas of your landscape.
3. Be bold. This quilt is for your own enjoyment. If no one else likes it, that's THEIR problem... so do whatever seems most appropriate to you at the time.
4. Plan your work. List out all the aspects of your landscape that need doing... and then prioritize them or order them for later reference.
5. Visualize your finished piece. What embellishments will you add? What sort of border will there be?
6. Expect to adjust your plan as you go along.
7. Get a photo or a make a sketch of your quilt idea.
8. Begin assembly. Usually the major background pieces form the base with foreground items appliqued on later.

Applique Method

1. Start by creating your background/base material.
2. Cut shapes you like from your fabric scraps.
3. Position check the pieces on the background/base. See if you like the way they look before you attach them. It is best to check ALL of your shapes at once.
4. Attach each shape (a tree, flower, cloud)to the piece by either using iron on fusible webbing and sating stitch on your sewing machine or by hand basting and then rolling the edges under as you sew them down (can be done by hand or by machine).

Puff Method

1. Begin with a fabric that has a printed scene on it.
2. Layer your quilt pieces, the printed (front side), the quilt batting, and the backing as you would for regular quilting.
3. Machine or hand sew around the perimeter all of the areas of the picture that you would like to emphasize. You can even use this method to FLATTEN areas.
4. If you want extra "puffiness" in an area, cut a small slit in the backing material under that area and tuck in more batting before sewing it closed.

• Fabric Scraps
• Sewing supplies, needles, thread, scissors, etc
• Sketch pad and pencil (or photograph)