An idea--Consider lines of quilting across the sky to suggest wind. In my mind's eye, they're gentle curves, in varying lengths, with varying spaces between them. Thread would match the sky, maybe silk or rayon--or maybe invisible thread. You would sketch out on paper what looks good to you, then transfer. Hand quilting would be very subtle.

Here is some landscape eye candy from a woman in our guild! I have no desire to make a landscape wallhanging, but I am in awe of her work. www.gilgenart.com

How about hand quilting the sky from the back, and only going thru the backing and batting. That way, the batting will be held in place by the quilting thru the backing, and the front would be clear and smooth.

WOW!!! Thanks for the link. She does jaw-droppingly beautiful work. Beyond amazing. A very gifted art quilter indeed. And what inspiration for the OP in quilting her sky.

So, based on what y'all have written, I'm thinking of doing it like this:
-Putting something like fusible web on the back of the sky (I don't want any stitching or clouds on the sky).
-Quilting the batting to the backing on the sky portion
-Then basting the layers together, and quilting the rest of the wall hanging
As cad_queen_2000 pointed out, that would take care of any problems with the batting, and keep the sky smooth and flat. I'll have to do some experimenting, but that will be my starting point.
Please let me know if you have some more advice...I love this board!

You can quilt the texture of the wind and clouds on whatever sky fabric you use. You don't have to quilt it densely, just enough to give the effect you want.

Even my small wall hangings get washed. You never know what will happen later on.

ali

I do landscape quilts, also. I have done, what someone here suggested, light movement lines in the sky to suggest wind currents. I have felt that it enhanced the sky. A large piece of fabric can end up looking like.... a large piece of fabric. Yours could also, perhaps because of the fabric you are using, end up looking absolutely stunning. Since we can't see what you are doing, it is hard to give advice. I also have added eagles painstakingly appliqued. Or, in smaller, closer pictures, butterlys with loose wings.

Have it in your head how you are going to hang this quilt when you are done. I made one that was large, but could not have a proper hanging sleeve because it would ruin the "perfect" patterns in the sky. I had to attach the sleeve to the bottom of the binding at the top of the quilt! If I have it in a show (and I intend to) I'll have to have a sleeve that shows above the quilt!

I'm eager to see your quilt when you are done. Isn't landscape quilting fun!? Happy quilting!!!

You could quilt lines in which would show air moving across the sky--which it always does. The Japanese are really good at showing water moving as well as air movement in their quilts. Good luck on whatever you decide to do, but I do think that such a wide expanse of unquilted fabric would not hold up at all.

I would use a very heavy iron-on interfacing. Heaviest you can get. I've used it in place mats and it was very successful.

I would just quilt a few clouds or the one line birds in it. You could barely see them and it would assure the integrity of the quilt.