Elements of Landscape Quilting
Landscape quilting breaks many quilting rules. It’s okay to cut inaccurately, in fact, it’s often recommended. Glue sticks are used instead of pins, and the pattern is not a pattern at all, just a photo! Natalie Sewell taught me her spontaneous technique many years ago, and I haven’t stopped quilting since. She’s back to give simple techniques on Beginning Landscape Quilting Part 3 on Sewing With Nancy.
After making hundreds of landscape quilts, Natalie has learned to fine-tune the process. In this series we’re focusing on specific elements within scenes. In the quilt, Prairie, you’ll see distant and close-up coneflowers. Designing a scene such as this might seem daunting, yet you’ll soon learn how you too can become a landscape quilter.
In Beginning Landscape Quilting Part 3, we share how to create the flowers in this prairie scene.
You’ll see how Natalie and I select fabrics, creatively cut blooms, and accent flowers with fabric markers.
In Beginning Landscape Quilting Part 3, we also share how to create mountains. I used two inspirational photos to create my quilt titled Rocky Mountain Summer.
Hand dyed fabrics, permanent fabric markers, and oil pastels are the needed elements to create the majestic mountain in fabric. See how we select fabrics, cut mountain shapes, and shade with permanent markers/oil pastels.
In the Beginning Landscape Quilting book, we share quilting and finishing tips for machine basting, layering, stippling, binding, and more.
Watch Beginning Landscape Quilting, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 on Sewing With Nancy online.
To watch Sewing With Nancy on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, download the app.
Now that you’ve seen how easy it is to dive into landscape quilting, which season would you most like to capture in landscape quilt imagery? Leave your answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a copy of Beginning Landscape Quilting. One winner will be randomly selected.
Bye for now,
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Carol
Some day soon I hope to start working on my 1st landscape quilt. I have my photo and most of my fabrics ready. I saw a lot of these quilts at the Quilt Expo in Madison and they are just beautiful!
Judy Rohner
A winter mountain scene would make a nice quilt.
Anne Crabbs
I would choose my favorite season. Summer
Sheila
I would like to capture the colorful trees of Fall as my first landscape quilt.
Janet
I have had an interest in landscape quilting for quite some time now. In fact, I’ve been collecting landscape fabric for a few years and very much admire the work of both of you. Not sure which season I would make first, but I am partial to autumn. Thank you for your inspiration.
Kay
Beautiful creations that I want to learn to make!
Debbie
I want to recreate a beautiful landscape photo my daughter took while in Central Asia. Someday I will have the time!
Sally Becker
I would love to do a summer landscape as I enjoy that scene year around. Finally retiring from my job at 69, I am looking forward to seeing what else I can do.
Mary S
I have a white cat in our flower bed by the birdbath. That would make for a cute landscape mini quilt.
Eileen
I love the ocean and would love to capture to movement of the waves against rocks in a quilt! My sewing area is ready, but as this is my first venture into quilting I’m nervously procrastinating starting it!
Janice
I love the colors of fall
Robyn
I wish someone would travel around to local dealers and offer classes on Landscape Quilts. I bet they would sell out in a heartbeat! How much fun would that be?
Mary Stanley
I would love to do an autumn landscape with the Colorado mountain scenes. It would bring back so many memories.
Cyndi
I would like to try a forest type scene. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and the beauty of the trees there is wonderful! Thank you for the giveaway!
Beth
I love the colors of fall trees so a fall landscape would be my first choice to make, with spring wild flowers a close second choice.
Donna Fecteau
I plan to try landscape quilting. I would like to do the view from my kitchen window in autumn.
Linda E in AZ
Fall would be my season to try since it has such a riot of color. I’d like to use your techniques to do all of those bright beautiful leaves and trees.
Thanks!
Joanne P.
Fall is my favorite time for color. But I sure love the landscape quilts with the colorful flowers and green backgrounds too.
Penny Duane
Fall is my favorite time of year and it has the most colors. I would do a landscape quilt with all the colors of autumn. Browns, reds, yellows and green. Maybe a pumpkin in the scene. Thanks for writing this book.
Judy Gerhardt
I am looking forward to trying your technique as we have many landscape photos from our travels that would make wonderful wall hangings.
Carol Moore
I would love to try a landscape quilt of a golf hole in the foreground and mountains in the background. It’s a place that I have many pictures of and now I know what I want to do with it.
Rhonda Ekblad
Spring reaches the depth of my soul and sends it soaring.
Sally
I have a photo of the Mackinaw Bridge with birch trees in the foreground. When I seen the pic I knew I wanted to do a landscape quilt of it. Just not quite sure how to get started on it, this book would help immensely!
Rosemary Barron
Spring or Winter … Maybe Summer or … LOL I love them all but would probably choose Spring … or Summer. I absolutely love the look and have been trying to get up the courage to start.
Ginny
Fall is so refreshing to me, color’s changing, cool air breeze, what can I say it really makes me feel so wonderful.
Kim H
I love all the seasons, but I think it would be summer with coneflowers.
Mary
The view in spring , from my back deck looking across the various farm fields.
Jean Klein
Over the years I have seen many beautiful landscape quilts and admired the work. I thought it looked too difficult to try so have stuck with traditional quilts. At 73 it is time to try something new! I am inspired to make a Fall landscape with the amazing colors of red, gold, orange and browns of batiks.
Shirley Clark
I think I would choose spring, but Nancy makes them all look so easy and interesting.
Nancy
I just watched the first 2 sessions on landscape quilting and am looking forward to the 3rd session. I now have confidence that I can actually try one on my own! Thank you. I am really interested in building an autumn scene from my homestate of Colorado.
Starla
Seeing your flowers makes me want to do spring or summer — although fall is still my favorite. And then there’s winter…
Shirley
We go to Southern California and I would like to capture the mountains along with the desert. I feel this book would be a great help
Jean Near
Fall is still my favorite but you have given me ideas for spring and summer too! Thanks for tge inspiration!
Judy Schwarzmann
I would like to make a Spring scene. Something between when Winter has left and just a few flowers are showing.
Edith Gorzo
I would like to try making a landscape quilt with some of the pictures I took while camping with my Husband, so mostly summer, but there are a few from the fall as well.
Sherryl Wynne
Well, I would want to try to capture them all of course, but I’d probably like to start with the heat of summer…
Lorri
I plan on creating a majestic mountain scene, because we have no mountains in Florida. Then I would hang it in my sewing studio!
Brenda
I just bought the book and DVD at Nancy’s Notions retail store last week for myself, but I would love to win a second book for my friend Connie who is going through chemo. She is a MUCH better quilter than me, but I don’t think she has ever done a landscape quilt. She is a sweet and fun person and this would be something new for her to work on. Blessings to all the brave women who have fought or are fighting breast cancer, especially during October….breast cancer month.
Cheryl
I’ve been following your landscape series and I love the scenes with birches so birches it would be in any season.
Donna Klug
Your videos have inspired me to try landscape quilting. I took pictures in Colorado last week keeping this in mind. I would like to do a fall quilt with golden Aspen trees mixed with the dark green evergreens of the Colorado Mountains.
Donna Rothacher
I have always loved the colors of autumn the most until I saw all the beautiful colors of the flowers for spring and summer. I love seeing a pop of color in them.
Cindy
I have been looking at these for a couple of months. I’ve been thinking of trying a summer beach scene quilt – when I find the courage to do it!.
Joann
The best “beginners” landscape quilting that I have viewed…. The quilts are just beautiful…. of course, my favorite is always winter!!
Mary Faught
I love mountain and winter .
Mickey Leon'
I would love to do the spring season out here in the Sonoran Desert of the Superstition Mountain and all the wonderful flowers on this world famous mountain!
I loved the programs on this landscape quilting and I just purchased the Art Quilt package which I love.. Thank you so much and God Bless you.
Jan N.
I would make a fall landscape in the mountains.
Lorij
A mountain scene with trees in the foreground and birds.
Susan
All seasons, but especially Fall and Winter.
vera schmidt
My favorite season is fall and that is the season I’d do a landscape quilt with all the colored trees and dry grasses
Jamie Doman
I appreciate the tips.. I am just about to start a landscape quilt myself and all ideas are helpful!!!!
Diana
This is a fascinating technique that has me very interested. Beautiful results!
Pamela Smith
This is a technique that I have looked at, loved and always wished I knew how to do. Thank you for all your help and tips. I have the courage now to give it a try.
peaceful
I would like to do flowers in the winter snow.
Gloria
Summer, Summer, Summer! I miss it already!
Sally Chillington
Autumn in Maine! Want to do a round robin guilt showing all seasons and I believe you have just given me the courage to present the idea 🙂 thanks!
JANN
I would like to see more Spring Flowers and Garden scenes with pretty flower pots and small antique items used to plant flowers in. I painted florals on canvas for years but would like to give this technique a try.
Machine Embroidery and painting are my two favorite things to do. Maybe I could just combine them both like Nancy is doing as I can’t seem to get interested in sewing squares together to make a quilt.
Lynne Crocker
I am so hoping to win this fabulous book. I have had an inspirational song I heard at Church that flashed a scene in my head a while back. I decided I needed to make a landscape quilt to interpret that song. Well, I haven’t made it yet because I am intimidated by the process. After watching the videos and possibly winning the book, maybe I will have enough courage to tackle the quilt. Thanks Nancy for all the inspiration you give.
Bonnie
What beautiful quilts! I would love to make a landscape quilt with bright colorful flowers for the summer. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Renea
I would love to do an Autumn quiltscape. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Cindy C
Autumn is my favorite. The rustle and crunch of autumn leaves as I walk my dog is part of my routine as the weather cools. This doesn’t even consider the beauty!
Yvonne
Ahhh…these are so beautiful and bring a sense of serenity and appreciation for nature! Thank you. I would choose autumn ~ such a diversity of colors!
Marty
I’ll first try a spring tulip/daffodil field and next try landscapes will be a summer lake scenic, an autumn rock quarry and a winter mountain top. Thanks for the informative and inspiring series!
Jerry Church
Just completed my first landscape quilt. It’s only 12″x12″, but that was enough for a first one. I’ll do more soon, and just a little larger each time.
Debra Armstrong
These techniques make it possible to bring out the beauty of every season. Why choose?
Luella Wilson
On my bucket list is to do a landscape quilt and since I went to Alaska this year I want to do one of Mt. Denali (McKinley) in the spring with flowers and moose.
Judy Tucker
WOW, each season is special, but spring and fall in the Mid-west have always been my favorites.
Marsha
I live in Michigan and I would do Tawas Lighthouse on Lake Huron. This challenge is full of life and self gratification as you work through your scenery.
Marsha
I live in Michigan and I love lighthouses and the water. I would like to do Tawas Lighthouse on Lake Huron. Creativity is endless.
Rhonda Davis
I would pick fall with all the glorious colors. Sure would love to win the book.
Diana G.
I watched session2 on our local PBS (now I am so intrigued I will have to watch 1 & 3, review 2 online). I am just so fascinated by the way they turn out so lovely (as yours did). I guess I would have to pick Spring for all of its beauty awakening. But then Fall is gorgeous with all of its colors. Decisions, decisons (there is winter with its calmness of life, summer with its abundance of life).
Berenice
Mom has been talking for years about doing a quilt depicting the scenes that our many years of scuba diving have impressed on her. I have been putting it off, but maybe using this technique, we can get it done!
Peggy V
I have a beautiful winter landscape photo!!! I received a blue ribbon at out local County Fair I would love to turn that photo into a landscape quilt! I appreciate the opportunity to win your book!!!
Ell
Fall season with lots of yellows would be a great landscape quilt.
Mary Heie
My brother had a “cabin” on quiet lake. I’ve always wanted to do a landscape quilt of the house and dock as seen from a boat on the lake.
Jolene Stringer
I have always liked images of Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. I would love to start landscape quilting with an image of the Monuments and “graduate” to the Grand Canyon. Wouldn’t Antelope Canyon be beautiful in a landscape quilt. I am getting excited to try my hand using your techniques!
Joan McElroy
I am fascinated by the colors of fall. Living in So. California, we don’t have the color changes as beautiful as other states. One way to preserve the bounty of colors is to make a fall landscape quilt. How much fun this would be!
Sandie Shirey
There is a very large Fall/Winter landscape photo displayed in a local store. I have been admiring it for quite some time but it is way to large for my home. I think it would make a lovely landscape quilt in a smaller scale.
Kathy
I would love to make a spring early summer landscape as I can enjoy thruout the summer. Great ideas
Alva
I love landscapes and this is a facinating tecnique! I will definitely be trying it. I love color and find there is lots of that in all of the seasons. Which one do I like best? Spring with the new life being born and created? Summer with all the color and fun and growth? Fall with the gathering in of garden, crops and wood for thoses cosy winter fires? Winter with the snow dotted with “diamonds” and frost covered trees and celebration of our Saviour’s birth? Oh, my! I must try them all! Thank you, Nancy for sharing this wonderful techneque with us. May God bless you!
Cassie
being a watercolor landscape artist, I love the results you have developed. Amazing! I also quilt (of course).
Fay A Jacobsohn
Started doing landscape quilts and love it. Thanks for the videos. My favorite season is spring.
Chris
I just started my first landscape quilts. I know I still have a lot of techniques to learn. I like to create the mountain scenes that surround me everyday.
Margaret Roy
Love the pictures and the information given. Can’t wait to start. Thank you