More of Mother Nature's Motifs

We have just returned from another junket across the country to MN and WI to honor our grandson who was awarded Eagle rank in the Boy Scouts.  We visited two of our daughters as well.  As we drove I was once again reminded of my quilting passion as the scenery stretched before us.  We drove on a sashing of highway between patchwork fields of spring green, fallow tan, and plowed brown embellished with wheat rolls and black cattle.  Neon furrows followed natural contours like echo quilting around appliqué, seeming to move and change with the perspective of our progress.  Curving waterways in the rectangular blocks added interest and contrast.

We stopped for a day in Rapid City, SD, and drove through Badlands National Park east and then turned around and did it again west.  It is an amazing place featuring sharp peaks, deep gullies, grasslands, bison, bighorn sheep and much more.  One thing we thankfully didn't see were rattlesnakes, except on the many warning signs.  Since I haven't been able to sew for this month of travel, I could only think about it.  Below are some photos that remind me of things I do when I make quilts.

Fillers:

Mud cracks

Popcorn soil on the rocks

Mc Tavishing - sort of

Variety of textures

Trapunto:

Mounds

Outlining:

Edging of white clay washed off the rocks above

Stripes:

Jelly roll stripes

Contrast:

I never would have seen this interesting formation if
it hadn't been darker than the light shale around it.

Borders:

Borders are important (Bighorn sheep)

OT - Who doesn't love a baby?  They are standing way up high on a very, very steep slope.  At one point the lamb was jumping and playing!  BTW the sheep are losing their winter coats.  That's why they look so scruffy.  The collar on the ewe's neck is placed by the National Park Service to keep tabs on the animals.

Bighorn ewe and lamb

Sew happy stitches this week.  Try some from Mother Nature's album.