Patterns in Nature
Patterns in Nature is the theme for this quarter’s challenge for The Endeavourers. We are a group of quilters from around the world who challenge each other to make art quilts based on a theme. Here is my inspiration photo for this current challenge.
I took this photo last November when we were on a short vacation in northern Minnesota. I have always been fascinated with stands of trees, with their long straight lines reaching up to the sky. Even as a kid, I can remember the feeling I would get when we would drive down northern Minnesota roads that were lined with tall pines. (I really wanted to home that had a long, tree-lined drive!)
My quilt measures 19″ x 25.5″. Using monochromatic fabrics in white and shades of gray, I constructed improv trees. The background fabric is Moda Grunge in Metropolis Fog.
Once I had thought through how to construct the quilt top so the trees looked close together, the quilt went together quickly. I enjoyed a couple of fun afternoons building those trees. Then came the quilting. The quilt top was up on my design wall for quite a few days while I considered how to quilt it. I really wanted to add some shadowy trees, so I decided to risk it and see if I could add them in the quilting. I used a few different shades of gray thread.
Here’s another view. For the pieced trees, I did straight line quilting through the trunks and branches in matching thread. For the shadow trees, I also did straight line quilting using shades of gray thread. I stitched the shadow trees freehand, no marking, just made it up as I went along. I finished the quilt with a faced binding.
One of the most difficult parts of this challenge was taking the photos on dreary, overcast Minnesota days! Thank goodness for filters that help brighten things up!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Patterns in Nature challenge. You can visit The Endeavourers to see the other quilts if you are interested.
What pattern in nature would you make?
Wendy
SAHRR Border 2
30 Comments
sassysstitches
I love it! 🥰
Cindy Pieters
Wonderful! Love it!
Eva
Thats a good theme and you do as always very well.
This is the only way of communication we have in the moment. My mails do not reach you Wendy.
We tested everything. May be it is a deeper problem in your settings.. I do not know. I could not do anything in the moment and have no idea how to solve the problem. our mails go out ..?? wrote yesterday ….from the new “…” address…. posting is working here, strange or?
texasquiltgal
Love, love, love this – the colors, the quilting, the subject – and the shadow trees are amazing!
Did you get your tree-lined drive?
Kate
Beautifully done. The shadow trees worked out so well. You did a great job transferring the photo to fabric.
karenfae
I love the big stands of trees and love the trees with the white bark in the west it is quaking aspen – and are yours birch or aspen? I do like them
marissthequilter
A beautiful subtle piece. The straight quilting gives it depth. Altogether lovely
Laura Kate
Nicely done. It’s pretty neat that your group chose patterns in nature for this challenge. I am working with patterns in nature on my SAHHR quilt right now. You’ll see my interpretations soon.
Diane Harris
Ooooo! ❤️
Tracie
Great job capturing the mood of your photo! I love your shadow trees stitched into the background. The quilt fits right in with the thick fog we have this morning…subtle beauty.
Cindy Berry
Oh, I love that! You did an amazing job. Your last quilt project was great too. Enjoy the creativity.
Barbara J Stanbro
This is just gorgeous, Wendy. Great idea and well thought out. It’s like looking at leafless trees on a misty morning. Very wintry.
aquilterstable
I love this piece and the shadow trees add a lot.
Vicki in MN
You nailed it for sure! I too love driving through tree lined roads. Birch trees are a favorite along with the pines.
Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
The grunge background is so perfect and adds a moodiness to the piece that is delightful. Great piecing and wonderful way to puzzle together how the trees nestle in with one another. Beautifully done!
rmgsummers413a14ca5a
This is the perfect interpretation of a stand of trees. Your fabric selection, especially the grunge, is perfect. I love the ghost trees quilted in the background. I hope you have a driveway with a stand of trees. Congratulations on this very successful quilt. Your Endeavours group definitely chooses fantastic topics. There are a couple of places we have driven where the foothills remind me of sleeping dinosaurs and one place where the volcanic rocks around the area are definitely dinosaur poop. I’ve never constructed a quilt but I can picture an awakening of a dinosaur
Susan Salo
Very neat! I love the shadow effect and the grunge is perfect. Back in the 1930s the CCC of Franklin Roosevelt planted thousands of pine trees in northern Michigan. There are still wide swaths of these trees 90 years later! As you drive by them you can still see the straight rows .
Bernie
This is so pretty Wendy. The stitched, shadowy, trees are really awesome.
Laura
Nailed it! 🙂
Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting
I love Metropolis Fog and it worked so good with your quilt and theme, Wendy!!! Is this going to hang in your new studio?
sandi1100
Your trees look great and I love the fabric choices. You’re very talented with creating art quilts.
Laura
I like the way you used repetition in your quilting background motif.
Diann@ Little Penguin Quilts
Wendy, that is lovely! I love your inspiration photo, and your quilt represents it so well. The Metropolis Fog Grunge is great – I think I need some of that! Love the shadow quilting, too. Beautiful finish!
Quilting is in my Blood
Another wonderful Wendy mini! Those shadow trees are the icing on the cake!
Brenda @ Songbird Designs
Love it!!
Janine @ Rainbow Hare
I love this quilt. You’ve really captured the atmosphere of that stand of trees 🙂
tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles
Another awesome piece – great interpretation of the photo from Nature and I love the stitching!
Kathleen McCormick
What a fabulous piece. I love the trees, the shadow trees and the grunge background. I, too, am tired of grey days here….not good for quilt photography!
Vicki Welsh
It’s wonderful and totally met the challenge. I love the quilted shadow trees.
J Mur
Well done, Wendy! Your quilt is a wonderful representation of the inspiration photo.