DK Quilt Guild: A simplish Landscape Block in Progress

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There is much going on in the greater outer world. Much that makes me sad and a few things make me proud. Here in the community diaries we focus away from the politics. We aren’t pretending the issues don’t exist, just taking a bit of a break from them.

I bought this landscape block, Mystic Pine, a few years ago. It came complete with fabric which makes things easier. For the most part, this is an easy landscape block with only a few simple pieces — except for the tree, which is rather tricky to get cut out right.

As with any quilt kit (or counted cross stitch, or knitting, etc), I first laid out all of the fabrics, matching them with the appropriate sections on the picture.  

The instructions said to cut a foundation piece somewhat larger than the 8.5” X 10.5” picture. I cut  a piece of white cotton, 10” X 12” and then did a pencil outline at 8.5” X 10.5”. Below I’ve placed it over the placement diagram. You may be able to see the outlines through the fabric.

Next I photocopied all the land, rock, water pieces and rough cut them out and laid them out in order. Piece 2 on top through piece 6.  Piece 1 is the sky and goes down first.

I used double sized fusible web, specifically Pellon EZ Steam II. The first piece I didn’t need to trace. Just cut to size and fuse in place.  I don’t have a picture of this, but it is simple enough to imagine.

Next came piece two, the distant hills. Using the photocopied piece I traced it onto the paper size of the double sided fusible web.

Tracing the distant hills

The next part is a bit tricky. You need to separate the wax backing off the rough cut applique section, being sure to leave the fusible web and the paper front intact. I usually used a pin and light “dig” them apart and pull the waxed liner off.

Taking the waxed lining paper off the applique

Then you “pressure” fix it (press it down firmly in place) to the wrong side of the appropriate fabric and cut it out precisely on the line.  

Below is the tree outlined and on the backside of the dark green fabric. The fabric doesn’t show up very well, but you get the idea.

Placing the traced tree on the wrong side of the dark green fabric.

For cutting out detailed lines, I use a spring tension scissors. I lost my favorite one. For this project I used a 5” Klein Cuttery scissors. The spring tension helps you not to cut too much. For the tree, which was the hardest part to cut. I actually used Scotch tape around much of the pattern to supply a little more stability as I was cutting it out.

Klein Cuttery scissors cutting out the tree

Getting back to putting it together, I placed the distant hills on the foundation fabric, lining it up with where it should be based on the placement template that was underneath.

Distant Hills added to block.

Then it was simply a case of adding each new block. This designer (as does most) uses dotted lines to show the over lap of pieces. Landscape blocks are never butted together. 

Lake added

I auditioned areas for the water because I wanted the light area of the water under the light area of the sky.

After the first block is in place, you just keep placing blocks, following the placement guide, until the picture is complete. You can keep shifting pieces around and even lighting fusing them to be sure of exactly where you want each piece.  This is your art piece, so you don’t have to exactly follow the directions. Once you are sure all the background pieces are where you want them, you do a final pressing to firmly fuse everything in place. 

Block put together but not finished 

The block above has all the background fused together. The tree is cut out but NOT fused in place yet.  I will be doing additional work on the background before I fuse the tree in place. While this is a fuse and you are done project, I machine appliqued the distant hills to the sky and will applique stitch all the other sections together, but not the tree. I will do an outline stitch there. I will also add quilting to the sky and water to indicate clouds and water movement. I haven’t decided if I will applique the birds shown in the pattern, or if I will embroider them in place.

I’ve already used fabric pencils to add a bit more blue to the water. I want to darken the tree a bit and use a decorative stitch to indicate grass in the foreground. I will also use fabric pencils to add more definition to the rocks and distant hills.

There are a few differences between this block and the pattern. In addition to doing the augmentations, I moved the tree down a bit from the placement guide. I like the tree better there.  

I had hoped that I would have this completely done before I had to do this diary, but life happened. Some minor medical issues last week. Hopefully all the medical issues are done now and I can focus on quilting, knitting and writing. 

So What are you Quilting?