I took a workshop with Melody Johnson. It was supposed to be a technique that involves appliqué with raw edges, which means no-sewing under of the edges. This is called raw edge appliqué. So, I chose to take pictures of some of my most intricate leaves and flowers in my garden, and incorporate them into a design. I also cut some leaves from my plants, put them under white piece of paper, and ran a pencil over the leaf to get the form of the leaf and the design of the veins of the leaf to be free-motioned to make them more realistic. For the flowers, I took images of them at different angles, in order to portray their shape more realistically.  I probably could have researched them, put taking pictures is so much fun.

 At the time, since I didn't care for raw edges, I wondered how long I would continue with the project before I appliquéd them down with turned under edges. ( That was 2008. Since then I have come to favor raw edge, because I have so many ideas for quilts that I want to do, and for you newbies, it is faster.)

The fabric is ironed down with wonder under. You can see how her technique is to free-motion down the items close to the edge.  This keeps you from having to turn the quilt whenever you turn a corner. You can see how I've used the picture to free-motion in the veins as if it were real.