Blue Ridge Heron

The SAQA Regional Group of North Carolina and Virginia has mounted a new exhibit called Reflections that will debut at the Petersburg Area Art League in Virginia on July 7 and remain through August 5.  These quilts depict the rich and diverse worlds of Virginia and North Carolina including colors, shapes, textures, natural environments, structures and cultures.  Sue created her Blue Ridge Heron (18" square) for this exhibit.

The basis for this quilt is two photos that were taken at Peaks of Otter Lodge along the Blue Ridge Parkway in southern Virginia. The 2 photos were blended with an app called Image Blender to create the pattern for the quilt.

Sue started by building and quilting the background on a foundation of fusible fleece which serves as the batting.  Simple shapes and quilting were enhanced by fabric selection.  The mountain has a layer of organza fused on top to mute the colors. 

Next, the heron was added by fusing and then doing a machine satin stitch around the edges.

The next step was adding the grass and tree shape on the left.  The grass was created from a piece of shibori fabric made by Vicki Welsh of Colorways by Vicki.  (See second photo below.)  Vicki featured this quilt on her blog on July 2.

Sue started with a strip of the fabric, applied a fusible product to the back, then began cutting away the lighter parts to create the grass effect.

You can see this and the other wonderful quilts in the exhibit at Petersburg Area Art League beginning July 7.  Other venues will be announced when they are known.