Hi friends,
I’m Lisa Ruble from Quilty Zest and I am excited to be sharing a project made from my new fabric line, Nature Unfiltered, with you! This is my second fabric line with Benartex, and it will be arriving in shops this fall (so if you love it too, ask your local quilt shop to carry it!).
Inspired by the fuchsia, coral and yellow colors in the fabrics, I designed a set of wall hangings called Sunset Vibes. The idea started with the middle quilt below, called Dock Sunset, based on Pearl Lake in Wisconsin, where I spent weekends as a child. It then expanded into the mountain and tree scenes as well. Each wall hanging finishes at 16″ x 20″, and the Sunset Vibes pattern available in my online shop includes full-size templates and instructions for all three.
These wall hangings are constructed using raw edge fusible applique, and I’ve compiled a list of tips for making them. Here you go!
Tip 1: Use HeatnBond Lite Sewable to create your landscape quilts. It adheres well, and it’s easy to peel the paper backing off.
Tip 2: The applique portion of these quilts measures 16-1/2″ wide. HeatnBond Lite measures 17″ wide (coincidence? I think not!). This means that you can efficiently trace most of the templates onto the width of the fusible with minimal waste!
Tip 3: A lot of these landscape templates start to look the same. Make sure to label each one you trace with the information provided on the template – which quilt it is, which template number it is, and which fabric it uses. I also add a “this way is up” arrow because it’s not always obvious which way is up. This makes it easier to assemble the quilts.
Tip 4: Each wall hanging is assembled on a muslin base piece. Start at the top of the design and fuse each piece in place, working your way down.
Tip 5: The templates were designed with a 1/4″ of overlap on the bottom edge of each, giving you some wiggle room for cutting and placement without having the muslin show through. Pay attention as you assemble to make sure there isn’t a gap. If there is, your piece may be upside down.
Tip 6: The assembly diagrams in the pattern include arrows marking the halfway points. If you mark the same spots on the muslin base piece, you can gauge your progress as you add pieces to make sure everything is spaced correctly.
Tip 7: In areas where light fabric overlaps darker prints (like the aqua puddles below on the yellow sunshines), fuse a layer of Lightweight Fusible Interfacing to the fabric before fusing the traced HeatnBond shape. This will prevent the darker fabric from showing through.
Tip 8: For best results when fusing the tree, secure the main trunk/branch design first. Then lay out all of the leaves before fusing.
Tip 9: Larger and more intricate applique pieces – like the dock below – can sometimes be trickier to place because of all the cut-out areas. After you position the dock, make sure it’s spread out flat and the dock slats are all straight before fusing. This piece should touch the bottom and side edges of the background.
Tip 10: A small landscape project like this is a great place to experiment with machine quilting. I used the walking foot (and lots of different thread colors) to doodle shapes in each section – lines that echo, loops, pebbles, etc. A smaller piece is easier to manipulate on your sewing machine and feels less overwhelming as well!
I hope these 10 tips help you with your next applique project, whether it’s Sunset Vibes or a different project! If you do want to make Sunset Vibes, you can purchase the pattern here. I have come to love landscape projects because you can create actual scenes from favorite memories, vacations, and more!
If you create your own version of Sunset Vibes, be sure to tag us @thermoweb and @quiltyzest if you share your project on social media. We love to see what you create!
My name is Lisa and I'm a quilter. I was bitten by the craft bug early on in life, and have dabbled in drawing, beading, photography, and fabric. I learned to sew as a young girl, making clothes for my Cabbage Patch Kid, and then got into quilting about 22 years ago and never looked back. Modern quilting is my style of choice, and I particularly love improv piecing. I currently freelance in the quilting industry, designing, writing and editing patterns, and I also design and sell my own quilt patterns. Outside of work, I spend time hanging with my husband and three boys, ideally outside or playing sports, and yes, the boys all quilt too!