The Blue Ridge mountains with many options for beautiful skies have intrigued me for years. I receive a custom order to a larger wall quilt this winter and dove in with enthusiasm that involved some frequent shopping until I found all the right blues for a gradation of mountain shades from light to darker in the foreground. I was dealing with a very minor COVID infection in early January, still feeling well enough but in isolation. I had lots of time to lay out ideas, revisit them a day later, and sort out the colors. I studied a lot of photos of these mountains to get the lights and colors right. The custom quilt is the one shown with the thin yellow strips of light.
Since it took so long to sort out the shades of blue, while my sewing studio was a mess with these quilt colors, I decided to make a smaller quilt for my Etsy shop, hence 
the second quilt shown here with a pink sky on the horizon behind the mountains far away. I’m often a bit manic about creating quilts. Once I get started I want to get the top put together but this time I took my time. The challenges of the custom was the size (40″ x 36″) which was hard to machine free motion quilt on my residential Bernina sewing machine. This landscape reminded me that we are inching our way to spring and warmer weather here on the east coast.
I used a variety of free motion quilt designs to accentuate the differences in the layers of mountains. The greens in the foreground also were quilted in several different free motion designs. The variety of quilt stitching adds depth and texture to the art quilt.
I often try to sort out my quilt stitching plans before I quilt but I seem to do best just sitting down and thinking about what I want in the moment. After 14 years making art quilts I can say with certainty that is is hard to go wrong with quilt stitching. Stitching can enhance any art quilt but it likely won’t ruin anything.
I like both of these tremendously. I think the larger size allowed you a better format for the long views we often see of the Blue Ridge mountains. A good sense of the scale seems better with the larger size. You seem to have overcome the challenges of the free firm sewing with a larger piece.
Well done!
I like both of these tremendously. I think the larger size allowed you a better format for the long views we often see of the Blue Ridge mountains. A good sense of the scale seems in better with the larger size. You seem to have overcome the challenges of the free firm sewing with a larger piece.
Well done!
Thanks for your comments which I agree with completely. It was easier to create the perspective with color and fabric in the larger custom quilt.