Deana's Rule #3

I began by piecing a background to applique on.  I placed two fabrics on top of each other, right side up, and cut a free handed curve with the rotary cutter.

Next, I removed the excess layers and seamed the curve together.

This is what I ended up with.  I tried to follow similar lines on the paper next to it.

Next I pieced the little barn's roof in strips that were cut different widths then seamed back together with offset rows.   I was trying to go for a patchy "tin" roof look. 

The roof is small and kind of hard to see the pieced sections in it.  At this point I used the embroidery technique by doing hand work for the fence, window, door, grass, and flag pole.  The flag is cut from a piece of fabric "that I wouldn't normally use" as described in the rule.  I tried to match the background of the flag the best I could so I was able to piece it in (too small to do much else).

Below is a selection of fabrics I found in my stash to help me fulfill the #3 rule.  They are all novelty prints I wouldn't normally use.   Below I have tropical birds, Star Spangled Banner music, pink (I don't like pink), frogs, and the very ugly fruit & vegetable print.  Next to that is a netting type fabric (I pondered making a chain link fence out of it), and then a silky grey.  Hmmm.  I really had to study these ideas for a couple of days.  You can see where I got the tiny flag from.

I really liked it at this point but wanted to show more depth so I put fusible webbing on the back of this VERY UGLY piece of fabric and cut out some useful pieces.

I arranged the melons, scarecrow, and sunflowers as desired.  All but the sunflowers were machine blanket stitched on with invisible thread to fused applique pieces.  Normally I like to cover the raw edges, but I didn't want an applique look.  I was going for more of a realistic look. 

The sunflowers are 3-D.  You can actually stick your fingers under them.  They are stitched on only at the centers.  This works because I fused another fabric to the back of them, making it stiffer and pretty much finished. 

My intent with the large sunflowers was to create a sense of depth pushing the fields and little barn into the background.

I realize that the sunflowers are not proportionate in size to the silo, but I'm not going for that realistic of a look in this quilt.

I am so very pleased!!