Fabric Painting or Landscape Piecing?
 

My next quilt has a seascape background. I've been struggling with how to construct the background & seem to have 3 options.

1) Custom printed fabric. Unfortunately, Spoonflower only prints up to 42"W & I need 60"W fabric for my quilt. Is anyone aware of a semi-reasonably priced service that prints custom fabric?

2) Pieced fabric. I would really love to create a pieced seascape design, but haven't found any classes to teach this skill. I guess I could take a landscape piecing class; I'm just not sure if I would gain enough of the skills I need to do my quilt (80-90% needs to be open sea; the rest is sky)

3) Painted fabric. I never considered this to be an option until I saw an ad for Annette Kennedy's Craftsy class "Painting Pictorial Quilts". Nearly all of the 139 student projects look amazing. Maybe I actually could learn to paint on fabric. So I guess my biggest remaining concern would be whether I would like the texture of painted fabric. I worry it would be stiff and that it may be difficult to do my hand applique and embroidery work on top of a painted surface.

I know all you QB members are always full of wisdom & experience. Any thoughts on which way to go and how to learn the skills I need to get there?

Thanks bunches!!!
Bree

You could get Ruth B. McDowell's Piecing Workshop book from the library or on eBay/amazon. She teaches her method of free-form piecing in a very clear, step-by-step format.

Nancy Zieman from sewing with Nancy/Nancy's notions fame has a few books out, tutorials and show episodes on landscape quilting.

Use tsukineko inks and shaving cream. Inks keep the fabric the same texture. You can also paint with them using floating medium and setacolor thickener. You can also use aloe gel and that makes them more transparent but it doesn't give as much control as the floating medium. I also have that craftsy class and have been using the inks I purchased at the quilt show to practice some of her techniques

I saw the Sewing with Nancy tutorial on landscape piecing. That was one of the landscape lessons I was looking at. It doesn't really give enough information about grading the colors. Perhaps that's not even so much a quilt-specific technique. I'm not sure. I know Caryl Bryer Fallart writes about how she creates her drawing in grayscale first to master the tones & then hunts for colors (or dyes her own fabrics) to match those tones. I have zero interest in fabric dying so I guess I would be traveling to a number of quilt shops to find exactly the right tints and shades if I go that route.

Dolphyngyrl:
Yes, I have heard about the tsukineko inks. What does the shaving cream do, if I may ask? I've never heard of that (is that the "floating medium"?). I like the idea of using inks. It would give me a lot of control without altering the hand of the fabric.

Joe's Mom,
I may have to check out that book. I usually struggle with written instructions but sometimes that's the best way to go. Thanks!

go to DharmaTrading.com, they have tutes and all the supplies you need. I have several pieces of painted fabric I used their paint on and you can close your eyes and compare it to store bought printed fabric and you can't tell the difference. The paint soaks into the fabric, it does not just sit on top (that's what makes it stiff)

I have used all three methods. I do not use dyes, I use set a color paints and a little bottle of ink in a spray bottle then some salt for a mottled look. I have even used the painted fabric to piece the background. I like painted or commercial fabrics (usually batiks or Mickey Lawler) which give the 'feel' of water or sky. I use a regular piecing pattern (one was diamonds going lengthwise another was a southern star) and it blends together for the right look. When commercial fabrics don't blend well I will overspray them with paint so they go together. Won a ribbon with one although the judge's comment was that there wasn't enough contrast in the pieced background for good definition! Both of the sold for quite a lot and I have no pictures of them. I do have a picture of the first ones I made with just squares to see if the idea worked.

applique/Debbie - beautiful work. thanks for the ideas

I recently did a client quilt where she pieced diamonds to do sky and water. It was very effective.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...c-t265846.html

Wow! So many talented quilters here! All of those quilts are just beautiful. Gail, that quilt is STUNNING! Your quilting is amazing and totally inspirational! I was thinking about maybe doing a bit of thread painting with shades of blue & a white thread for the crests & after seeing your quilt, I know I want to try that.

I like Applique's suggestion about maybe inking my background fabrics. I was first thinking I would need to piece the background in varied sizes and shapes -- like how I do applique -- but started wondering about doing a mosaic background instead after I saw this http://www.historyofquilts.com/hexagon_quilt.html

Now that I have seen how your quilts look with the background & applique on top, I am thinking that may be the way to go. Now I just need to figure out what shape to use! I'm thinking the diamonds might be a nice option, though, since I have lots of appliqued circle shapes going on top. Or maybe triangles. But I've also been playing with the idea of a crazy quilt for my background. My idea is to make my quilt in the style of the Mona Lisa -- with the background as the main attraction of the quilt, keeping the foreground simple.

This is all great fun, but there are so many things to consider!!!!! Thank you all VERY, VERY, VERY much for your input. I'm really learning a lot & always enjoy getting ideas & inspiration from other quilters.