Clearing off the design wall

I finished up the quilting on the mountains, and just need to get the binding on.  And all those small landscapes were hogging the rest of the design wall.  So I managed to get the beach seascape quilted and the borders on the rest of them.  I tried adding rocks to extend into the border and just didn't like it that way.  I gave up and just quilted it to pieces!  I do like the "barn wood" type fabric I used for the border, as it has a bit of turquoise in it to pick up  the water color.   This one goes to Steve and Doreen....Sun rises over Cadillac Mtn in Maine.

These are the  Spring, Summer, and Fall small landscapes.  I ended up using fabric markers on the Spring one--to shade and blend the strip fabric that looked like a road.  then I thought it needed a fence on the fall side of the road.....too tiny pieces.
Summer finished off better, I think.  I extended the foreground of rocks and some more flowers into the border.
Fall looks good in the photo, but trying to come up with the right reds and angles to make it work was a challenge.  Finally, I realized everything was on the bottom with just a tiny strip for the hills and then the lake.  I added a second layer on the far side of the lake and got the depth I needed.  I changed to a different piece for the very bottom---leaves of different greens and some reds and was able to blend a tree into it.  I was happy with how it ended up.  I have not done the Winter season yet, but I did thread paint a few small pine and fir trees for it....maybe. 
Part of this exercise for the 4 seasons was to understand the choice of fabrics and shades of colors will convey an impression of the time of year.  Spring colors are lighter and more yellow based---my choices were a bit off in this one.  Summer colors are deeper and brighter greens and the shadows are stronger because of the sun.  Fall colors, well guess we just look out the window right now.....rich reds and golds and tans. 
Insight:  Do the exercises--like them or not---you might learn something in the process.
I bought the book to learn, and I would be wasting my $ if I only looked at the photos.  Time invested was small in comparison to what I gained.  So I will get the Winter season done. 

My evening stitching project of the 3-D bow-ties is ready to be put together....all 20 blocks.  I only made a small dent in my 3 1/2 " square stash.  But back into the closet they go, because I am ready to begin sorting through 2 1/2 " strips for the scrappy braid.  Stay tuned.
Happy stitching,