There’s something magical about a quilt that feels as though you could step right into it. Layers of texture, tiny stitched details, dimensional embellishments, and carefully chosen fabrics can transform a flat quilt into a miniature world full of depth and personality.
That’s exactly what inspired my Picturesque 3-D Scene online workshop - a creative class designed to help quilters explore dimensional landscapes and seascapes using a mixture of piecing, applique, embroidery, quilting, and embellishment techniques.
In the workshop, students can create anything from an underwater aquarium scene filled with sea life to a richly textured cottage garden bursting with flowers and foliage. One of the joys of this class is how adaptable it is. Every student’s piece develops their own personality as new details, fabrics, and embellishments are added. I've included a few snippets of student's work below.
Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll be expanding (and updating) the workshop with brand-new video footage as I begin work on a fresh project: a stitched fabric book featuring both seascapes and garden landscapes filled with flora and fauna. This new project will explore how dimensional techniques can be adapted into smaller storytelling scenes that work beautifully within textile books and mixed-media stitching projects.
I’ll be including:
- Building layered backgrounds for depth and perspective: Alterative options have been added in the class. You can choose from Bargello (full Bargello instructions included), pieced, applique, or even a full cloth backdrop.
- Adding dimensional plants, flowers, and sea life: Many are already included but I want to add more!
- Combining machine stitching with hand embroidery: I've already began by adding a quick video showing couch by machine. Recently I've enjoyed this process by hand too. I still need to make a video showing that detail, but in the meantime, check out this quick demo of couching by machine.
- Using embellishments to create texture and movement
- Designing cohesive scenes across multiple stitchbook pages
- Exploring color and fabric choices for atmosphere and realism
One of the things I enjoy most about dimensional quilting is that almost anything can become part of the scene. Sheer fabrics can suggest water or mist, textured threads and art yarn (I've had fun creating some of my own lately) can mimic grasses and coral, and beads or embroidery can add highlights and tiny details that bring the work to life. Part of the fun in collecting supplies for the next project!
I like to encourage experimentation and creative play while still guiding my students step-by-step through the process.
The class itself is self-paced, so students can work through the lessons in their own time and revisit the videos whenever needed. Once inside, it is easy to return to techniques and inspiration later on no matter how many projects you make.
Would you like to join me in this fun intuitive workshop as I add more content? If so, use my 20% off discount code "picturesque" at checkout (available until 2nd June 2026) and let the fun begin! You can learn more about the workshop here: Picturesque 3-D Scene Online Workshop
