Grandma's Cabin, stage 2

Today I put the background of this commissioned piece together.  I cut out a piece of buckrum, a little larger than the frame, and marked where the visual edge of the picture will go when inserted into the frame.  Then I cut and fused the backing fabric onto the other side of the buckrum.

I pick fabrics that have the background colors in them.  I don't worry if some colors or hues are missing.  I can add that with threads or embellishments.  This particular blotchy celery-yellow is perfect!  Then I flip it and stitch along the edge of the frame line.

Then when I flip it to the front I have a line that will be the actual visual edge of the picture.  This dark green is the front lawn that I will grass over stitch later on.

Then I mark out where the house will be with a threadless stitch.  Those punctures are all I need.  I wouldn't use any colored marking pencils.  See them?  I put my paper sketch onto the fabric and used it as a guide, stitching right through the paper & fabric at once.

I put in variegated brown thread and start stitching out some of the trees in the background, behind the house, loosely based on what I can see from the photos. 

The colors are a great match I think!  Now for some leaves.  I drop the feed dogs and change to a free-motion quilting foot.  I set a grass stitch and change the thread to this!  

It's perfect.  It's Coats and Clark and I need more.  Sometimes I find Gutermann thread is a bit too thin, and Sulky is hard to find.  After stitching, here's what it looks like on the back.  I don't mind the 'eyelashes' because I don't want the bottom thread coming up anyhow.  It's a sign that I was moving the fabric too fast for the speed of the stitch.

Looks wild doesn't it?  I love looking at the backs of my work.  All the buckrum holes are from the bobbin thread running out.  There's just never enough, is there!?  lol  Now I'm done the backing, and can add the cabin.  But I'll show you that next time!  : )  No peeking!  

~Monika K.
sewing in Saskatoon