Thursday, May 1, 2014

My Landmark Quilt

Today is Reveal Day for the Four-in-Art Bee. My quilt is the third in a series around the main theme of Urban. Our topic this round was Landmark.
Being a directionally-challenged girl, whenever someone asks me for directions to my house I always say the same thing: "Do you know where Johnson Farms is?" Johnson Farms is a wonderful garden center and nursery just down the road from my house. Most of the plants they sell at this family business are  grown from seeds in their nursery.
After thinking about several options to convey the idea of "landmark" I finally, decided to create a quilt that reflects a landmark that I use constantly. The sunflower windmill represents all of their gorgeous flowers. In the fall, the garden center turns into a wonderful Pumpkin Farm: one we have visited many times with our grandchildren!
From the start, I knew that I wanted to keep the fabrics in this third quilt in the same color range as the first two for consistency. Many of the pastel solids and the grey are actually cut from the same cloth as my first two Urban quilts, seen here and here.
I chose to make the background sort of a mosaic using two inch squares. Then I inserted a pinwheel block to represent the sunflower windmill and an orange hexagon to stand in for the pumpkin.
After piecing the quilt all together, I added a raw edge applique sunflower, windmill derrick, pumpkin stem and tiny pink squares for flowers. My walking foot easily stitched over the little glued-on squares.
I wanted to somehow depict the barn shaped roof of the Farm sign, so, after piecing in the sides of the barn and the angles, I used the binding to convey a roof by piecing in a length of taupe fabric to match. The remainder of the Architextures binding matches the first two quilts in the series.
I tried to keep my matchstick quilting as straight as possible but toward the edges, I got a bit off. I love the texture that the quilting added to this piece of art.
Because the quilt is only twelve inches square, the stitching went fast. I doubt I would have the patience to tackle this style of quilting on a larger piece!
The backing on this little quilt is  from the True Colors line by Heather Bailey.
I'm pretty pleased with my representation of a landmark in my life. I might even get brave and take it over to Johnson Farms sometime and see if they recognize it!
Making little art quilts has been a new experience for me; one that I've enjoyed. I invite you to take a few minutes and check out the landmark quilts made by the other seven quilters in the Four-in-Art Bee. The links are listed below. 

17 comments:

  1. My goodness, but you do take my breath away with your little quilts! I love this rendition of this landmark (and for sure! you should show them--they'll probably be pleased as punch to see it) and really enjoyed reading all the different steps you took to get to that beautiful final project. I think the addition of those bits of fabric to represent flowers were a lovely touch, and I liked that you put the pumpkin there as well--farmstands really do bring us the seasons, don't they?

    Incorporating the binding into the quilt design was incredibly clever and really framed your landmark well. (Of course, I'm filing that idea away for use some day.) All in all, such a great little quilt with great design features. Fabulous, Carla!!

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  2. Carla this is such a wonderful little quilt! So appropriate for the Landmark topic since it's one you use all the time. Love the story. Wonder if your granddaughters will recognize the farm? I like that you made it personal and tied it to your first two quilts. I was originally going to keep mine tied together but that idea fell apart with quilt 2. I don't know how anyone has the patience to do a large quilt with matchstick quilting. Great texture but oh so tedious.

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  3. This is just the cutest! You should definitely take it over to show the people at the nursery. I love everything about this little mini. The barn being part of the binding was super clever, and I like the mix of piecing and applique. What a wonderful little quilt. I think next theme time, I will try to have my quilts be more 'together' the way you are doing with the fabrics.

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  4. Carla, this is just the perfect little quilt - I love it and everything about it! You've taken a traditional quilt structure and made it modern with the matchstick quilting AND kept it in line with your colors. Just too darling!

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  5. Such a wonderful little quilt. Did you happen to take me past this landmark? Your binding idea is outstanding and I'm also filing that idea away.

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  6. What a fantastic interpretation of the theme Carla! I love everything about it- the colour, shapes, quilting and binding! You must take it to Johnson Farms- they will want to buy it from you to hang up somewhere!

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  7. I love your Landmark quilt Carla! The little bits of pink scraps for the flowers is very clever. I also love the inclusion of the pumpkin and the texture the straight line quilting gives.

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  8. What a fun mini! You totally captured your inspiration too. I love the quilting. I really much give match stick quilt a try soon. I love the colors too. The backing fabric was a nice choice as well. Very nice! You should take it over to the farm, I bet they'd love to see it :)

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  9. I do that too, send people to the nearby place they know and give directions from there. I love the quilt, especially the quilting and also the story. I think I would love that farm too, it looks like a fantastic place to have down the street.

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  10. I can see from the photos how that represents Johnson's Farm!

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  11. Very nicely done. I really like your matchstick quilting. I am a landmark-traveler. I don't get compass directions very well, especially if the roads curves back and forth. I do think you should take the quilt to the garden center. They would most likely be very pleased.

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  12. I think you did it! Love, love your matchstick quilting.

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  13. Well Carla...I can totally understand why you chose this landmark. It is so precious. The fact that you used your binding as the 'roof' of the barn is so clever. There isn't anything I don't like about this tiny little gem.

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  14. Hi! this is beautiful and fantastic! Great simple ideas and details make it look so much the landmark you use to guide to your home! Lovely colours too! x Teje

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  15. How wonderful to have a little quilt representing such a special place! I really love the patchwork background...and all the elements add up to just a perfect "landmark"! And "Yes" to showing it off to the Johnsons!

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  16. Love this project! I just finished catching up and have to say that your Urban Crosses blew me away - plus, anything inspired even partially by FLW tends to make me smile. :-) Can't wait to see that Churn Dash finished as well. The colours make my heart sing!

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  17. So nice, Carla! You did such a thoughtful job of conveying the farm. I especially like the mosaic aspect of it, and the neat way you did the roof with the binding. You're always so clever! I hope you find a place in your home to hang all these together. What a good conversation-starter that will be.

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