My Mom had asked me to make a quilt of the view from her camp in Maine. She also wanted a Bible verse on the quilt. This is the picture I am making the quilt from:
The first thing I do is have the picture enlarged. I use Staples to enlarge the photo. I have the picture enlarged in black and white for two reasons: One, it is alot cheeper than having it in color and two because you only need to be able to see dark versus light. You need to decide how big you want your quilt to be. I chose 17" x 11" because I am going to frame the finished product. This is one of the smallest picture quilts I have done.
After you have the photo blown up, I layer a piece of clear vinyl over the top to trace. (You can by thin clear vinyl at Walmart.) You want to trace all the dark sections along with the outlines of each item. For instance, the trees on the right side have definite dark and light sections. They aren't just trees. This will give your picture depth.
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After you trace your picture on the clear vinyl, you want to trace on the opposite side of the clear vinyl, just going over the lines you just traced. Next take a piece of muslin and with a light box, trace the design from the clear vinyl onto the muslin.
Now you are ready for fabric selection. When I choose a fabric, I usually take out around 30 different fabrics from my stash for each section of the quilt to see which fabrics will look best. For instance, when I am choosing the fabric for the sky, I look through my stash and take out anything I think will look good for sky and clouds. Think beyond the box when you do this. You will be surprised how the different fabrics react with eachother. I often use the back of a fabric as well.
Once I have my background fabrics, I start by adding all the dark sections. I use Heat and Bond Lite to adhere my quilt pieces. Using your light box, you can trace from the clear vinyl onto the back of the Heat and Bond. Don't take too long because you don't want your Heat and Bond to melt. Also make sure you have your tracing on the right side. This can get tricky. Iron your heat and bond onto your fabric. When it is cool, you can cut out your section and iron it onto your quilt.
Now you are ready for fabric selection. When I choose a fabric, I usually take out around 30 different fabrics from my stash for each section of the quilt to see which fabrics will look best. For instance, when I am choosing the fabric for the sky, I look through my stash and take out anything I think will look good for sky and clouds. Think beyond the box when you do this. You will be surprised how the different fabrics react with eachother. I often use the back of a fabric as well.
Once I have my background fabrics, I start by adding all the dark sections. I use Heat and Bond Lite to adhere my quilt pieces. Using your light box, you can trace from the clear vinyl onto the back of the Heat and Bond. Don't take too long because you don't want your Heat and Bond to melt. Also make sure you have your tracing on the right side. This can get tricky. Iron your heat and bond onto your fabric. When it is cool, you can cut out your section and iron it onto your quilt.
As I build my quilt, I keep putting the clear plastic vinyl over the quilt for perfect placement. Don't be afraid to try wild fabrics as you go. If you are not sure about a fabric, pin it onto your quilt. I use a quilt wall. I will put my quilt on the wall after each piece and stand back to see if I am getting the desired look. If you are not sure about the fabric, pin it first, stand back and you might be surprised how great it looks.
Unfortunately I did not take more pictures of the quilt as I was building it. Here is the quilt before I squared it up. Once I am satisfied with the fabrics, I start painting with thread. I use the zig zag stitch to go over some edges. I will also enhance the darker sections with a dark thread and insert where I feel I need more defintion. Play around with different threads and different colors. Let yourself go. Don't be afraid to try new things. And Have Fun.
Unfortunately I did not take more pictures of the quilt as I was building it. Here is the quilt before I squared it up. Once I am satisfied with the fabrics, I start painting with thread. I use the zig zag stitch to go over some edges. I will also enhance the darker sections with a dark thread and insert where I feel I need more defintion. Play around with different threads and different colors. Let yourself go. Don't be afraid to try new things. And Have Fun.
The finished product versus the original photo:
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